What Am I Missing Not Being in Apple Ecosystem?

ItnStln

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I think this point is important. Choosing different services may work very well on any device, but not quite as well as when they are a part of an entire system. MS software can be run on many devices for example, but the best experience will be on the Windows operating system.

Agreed! There's a huge difference between Office on Windows and on a Mac.
 

Hendri Hendri

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These are the apps and services I use on my Apple hardware.

Browser: Chrome

Email: Inbox / gmail

Photos: Google Photos

Fast searches on mobile: Google app

Navigation: Google Maps

Docs: Google Drive, Docs

Calendar: Google Calendar

Google News

Music: Spotify

Seems like all my stuff ties in good with each other.

You should not missing anything, I supposed. because that giant google has everything. Nowadays, our option may be tight either to apple ecosystem or google ecosystem or microsoft ecosystem (maybe?)



Maybe here're some idea for "apple ecosystem"

iMessage / facetime (with their stickers or some fancy features - only if lots of your friends use this)

Photos (it will sync automatically to all apple devices, if you use google photos, it will only sync when we open the google photo app. I myself use google photo instead of ios photo, because google photo available for all os, unlike apple photo, if not mistaken)

Handoff : usefull, if you switch between apple devices alot. iMessages or text messages can be divert or sync to all devices, as well as, accept phone call, safari sync , etc , all you can do that easily (continuity)

Sending photo (without any 3rd party app) can only be done among apple devices

Music : only if you do buy music on apple music (sync among devices), but I guess google music is similiar
 

iN8ter

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You appear to be well into the ecosystem.

For me personally, the addition of the Apple Watch was much appreciated. For example, if I'm at work I can go all through the office and even if I forgot my phone at my desk I can still respond to texts or answer calls or view emails if needed. All that is possible because of the addition of the Apple Watch into my workflow.

The Apple Watch factor is not that big of a deal, because Android Wear does exist, and Cortana now works pretty well with Android. So you still get your Texts on your PC and Watch. You still get your notifications on your PC and Watch. You can still reply to Texts, emails, and notifications on your PC and watch.

It's a non-factor.

The Apple Watch is good for Apple users because it's designed specifically to tie into that circle of devices. The other options are superior because you aren't forced to keep using a specific brand of devices to maintain that workflow.

It depends on the user's budget and long-term outlook on the technology they want to use (and how) in terms of which is better.

There isn't really anything you are "missing" when you aren't in the Apple ecosystem. Their devices and services are nothing more than a set of alternatives to the competition.
 

Quis89

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The Apple Watch factor is not that big of a deal, because Android Wear does exist, and Cortana now works pretty well with Android. So you still get your Texts on your PC and Watch. You still get your notifications on your PC and Watch. You can still reply to Texts, emails, and notifications on your PC and watch.

It's a non-factor.

The Apple Watch is good for Apple users because it's designed specifically to tie into that circle of devices. The other options are superior because you aren't forced to keep using a specific brand of devices to maintain that workflow.

It depends on the user's budget and long-term outlook on the technology they want to use (and how) in terms of which is better.

There isn't really anything you are "missing" when you aren't in the Apple ecosystem. Their devices and services are nothing more than a set of alternatives to the competition.

I wasn't aware Android offered the ability of recieving and sending text messages from a desktop computer. Which computers are required to use this feature natively? Or are additional software installations required?
 

iN8ter

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https://blogs.windows.com/windowsex...-10-fall-creators-update/#SFFlMYQ02m6Voe4M.97

The only thing I actually use Continuity for is texting from my iMac, and Windows 10 already does that with Android.

It's really not such a huge selling point anymore. By the time 2018 rolls around, it won't be much of a selling point at all, particularly when you consider the innate limitation it has; like being utterly worthless with any device that doesn't have Apple branding, or runs on an Apple OS...

I think people are too fixated on brand loyalty to give proper importance to an ecosystem's ability to coexist and interop with devices of various branding running different systems. Continuity won't even work between an iPhone and iTunes on a Windows PC. These types of situations are likely to be less abrasive with Microsoft's implementation, and when you factor in their hardware is as good as Apple's these days (for PCs, Tablets, 2-in-1's), that's kind of a problem for people like me.

Why lock yourself in, when you can get all of the benefits from another implementation while keeping the flexibility which allows you numerous device choice at all times?
 

iN8ter

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The Apple ecosystem is inherent to its devices, just like Google's, Microsoft's, and Blackberry's. In that sense, it's better. Remember, some things are exclusive to the brand. iMessage and FaceTime, for example.

I don't agree with that.

iOS is locked down and that's why 3rd party alternatives are worse than on their native (and other) platforms. This is not the case on Windows 10, where you can simply uninstall Microsoft Office and install WordPerfect Office and it works just as well. Or you can change iTunes to the default media player, and it works about as well as on macOS.

On iOS, these simple things are impossible, so you end up with good service and apps having poor user experience in day to day use on iOS. The result of this is that many users are frustrated into just using Apple's offerings, because even disabling them won't rectify the situation - it will just break the system (as the OS is hardcoded to work only with their apps in many places).

Cortana for Android is almost as good as the Windows Phone version. It's the vector through which Microsoft is implementing all of their Continuity/Handoff features between Android and Windows 10. This is literally impossible on the iPhone because Apple has made it so.

It has nothing to do with the fact that Microsoft develops Cortana and they own a platform (Windows 10). The ball is in Apple's court.

The reason why this is so, is because the business models are different.

Apple is a hardware company, who provides software out of necessity, to avoid being marginalized. This also allows them to design their systems in a way that bias them towards each other, to get consumers to buy more Apple hardware and have no way to replace them with non-Apple alternatives. So, Apple has a clear rationale for WHY they should made the alternative software/services as awful as possible on their platforms (which run on their hardware), and get users to use as much of their own technology as possible (which typically is only available on their platforms, which runs on their hardware).

On the flip side, Microsoft and Google are Software and Services companies, who do devices for reference and trend-setting purposes, and out of need when OEMs are slow to approach specific markets (they will take the risk first). Because consumers or software and services are their biggest "want," there is no rationale that involves gimping their software or services simply because it's running on something that isn't Windows/Windows Mobile or ChromeOS/Android. Their business models are built around people consuming or buying their services or software.

This is why Microsoft users complain about Microsoft Mobile software being so good on iOS and Android, and why Google users complain about their support for iOS - while iOS users could never do this... Because those companies go out of their way to make the 3rd party experience as good as possible - equal or better to the 1st party experiences when possible.

The only thing that stands in the way of that is Apple.

Compare Cortana on iOS to Cortana on Android. I doubt Microsoft is gimping the iOS version simply "because they can."
 
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jmr1015

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https://blogs.windows.com/windowsex...-10-fall-creators-update/#SFFlMYQ02m6Voe4M.97

The only thing I actually use Continuity for is texting from my iMac, and Windows 10 already does that with Android.

It's really not such a huge selling point anymore. By the time 2018 rolls around, it won't be much of a selling point at all, particularly when you consider the innate limitation it has; like being utterly worthless with any device that doesn't have Apple branding, or runs on an Apple OS...

I think people are too fixated on brand loyalty to give proper importance to an ecosystem's ability to coexist and interop with devices of various branding running different systems. Continuity won't even work between an iPhone and iTunes on a Windows PC. These types of situations are likely to be less abrasive with Microsoft's implementation, and when you factor in their hardware is as good as Apple's these days (for PCs, Tablets, 2-in-1's), that's kind of a problem for people like me.

Why lock yourself in, when you can get all of the benefits from another implementation while keeping the flexibility which allows you numerous device choice at all times?

I hope Microsoft's implementation is good. Competition breeds excellence. But I'm not holding my breath. Microsoft experiences have never felt as smooth and optimized to me as macOS. I personally don't need the flexibility of numerous device choices at all times. I need devices that are optimized and work together very well, effortlessly, and reliably. I don't build computers and I'm passed my days of wanting to tinker with software and optimize things myself. I need products that work, out of the box. Currently, iOS and macOS give me that. Windows and Android do not.

I have Windows devices and Android devices. But I find I get more done day to day, with less effort, using my iOS and macOS devices. Which is why they are my personal choices as primary devices. Others experiences will vary.
 

iN8ter

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I hope Microsoft's implementation is good. Competition breeds excellence. But I'm not holding my breath. Microsoft experiences have never felt as smooth and optimized to me as macOS. I personally don't need the flexibility of numerous device choices at all times. I need devices that are optimized and work together very well, effortlessly, and reliably. I don't build computers and I'm passed my days of wanting to tinker with software and optimize things myself. I need products that work, out of the box. Currently, iOS and macOS give me that. Windows and Android do not.

I have Windows devices and Android devices. But I find I get more done day to day, with less effort, using my iOS and macOS devices. Which is why they are my personal choices as primary devices. Others experiences will vary.

The implementation is better when you're using Microsoft OSes with Microsoft OSes. I don't think anyone doubts that Windows 10 Mobile works better with Windows 10 than Android.

The benefit of this isn't the hope, wish, or alternative fact that it's as good as macOS + iOS; it's the fact that you can achieve this using platforms that do not lock you into devices running the same brand or platforms.

This means if you prefer an HTC Device over a Samsung device, it won't cause your other devices to degrade in usefulness, or completely stop working together altogether.

No one is doubting the good user experience Apple has crafted across their devices and form factors. The issue that many people run into is the fact that it becomes a prison once you've invested a fair bit into it. No matter how much you may want to switch, the costs of doing so ramp up and the inconvenience that you face when replacing one device out of the mix becomes impractical.

People change. Their requirements change. Their likes and dislikes change. Buying into an ecosystem with such harsh lock-in can really provide productivity and economic headaches down the road, when they need or want something else.

This is why Microsoft's implementation is "good enough," and only needs to be good enough, for me. Because I like having technological freedom, and Apple doesn't sell that (nor have they ever).
 

rmaximo2

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The benefit of this isn't the hope, wish, or alternative fact that it's as good as macOS + iOS; it's the fact that you can achieve this using platforms that do not lock you into devices running the same brand or platforms.

For tech folks who have access to many devices of different brands and manufacturers, the product options allowing for greatest interoperability are attractive. For everyone else, the most important consideration is: what is the best experience?

The answer is still the macOS/iOS combo.
 

rmaximo2

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My devices and hardware

iPhone 7
iMac
MacBook
iPad

I don't use Apple services or apps only if I want too. I use Google services.

Someone said with the Apple ecosystem they don't miss a notification. I don't miss a notification not using Apple stuff.

What am I missing?

It is very true that someone can cobble together an Apple-like experience from a variety of Windows and Android products. But it's not the same for a few reasons.

First: uniformity of experience. iOS and macOS share a design language, they share FaceTime, they share iMessages, Photos, etc. These all are "replaceable" on an app-per-app basis, but it's a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The uniform experience is unique to Apple.

Second: customer support for all aspects of computing experience--software, hardware, and services. All in one source. This is important for non-techies and prosumers.

Third: Privacy. This is probably important for only a plurality of people, but I'm in that plurality. I used to cycle through my search engines so my online information and activity wouldn't all be in one place. I've defaulted to DuckDuckGo. It's not as good as Google, but it's good enough.

Fourth: iOS devices play really well together. It's easy when your family is all in on Apple. Find my Friends and Airplay are good examples.

Fifth: tvOS. You could do Chromecast, but Apple's is the only ecosystem with a Roku-style OS for TV.

I'm out of time, but there's some more stuff. Like I said--it's a thing where the sum is greater than its constituent parts. But you can certainly craft together an Apple-like experience with other devices. But you may only get 80% of the way there.
 

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