Android Rules Smartphones, But Which Version? 298
Nerval's Lobster writes "Google Android's dominance of the smartphone space has been reinforced by a new IDC study that places its market-share at 68.3 percent, well ahead of iOS at 18.8 percent. But which version of Android is most preferred by users? A new set of graphs on the Android Developers Website offers the answer to that question: 'Gingerbread,' or Android versions 2.3 through 2.3.7, dominates with 50.8 percent of the Android pie. 'Ice Cream Sandwich,' or versions 4.0.3 through 4.0.4, is second with 27.5 percent, with the latest 'Jelly Bean' build at 6.7 percent. As demonstrated by that graph on the Android Developers Website, there are a lot of devices running a lot of different versions of Android out there in the ecosystem, all with different capabilities. In turn, that could make it difficult for Google to deliver 'the latest and greatest' to any customer that wants it, and potentially irritates those customers who buy a smartphone (particularly a high-end one) expecting regular upgrades."
Here's how Slashdot readers using Android break down: 31.0% Jelly Bean, 31.5% Ice Cream Sandwich, 0.7% Honeycomb, 22.8% Gingerbread, 4.3% Froyo, 1.1% Eclair, 0.05% Donut, 0.02% Cupcake, 8.5% unknown. Looks like you folks are ahead of the curve. iOS breaks down like this: 67% iOS 6, 28.6% iOS 5, 3.2% iOS 4, 0.5% iOS 3, 0.7% unknown. (These numbers include more than just phones, of course.) Overall, our iOS traffic (8.74%) is higher than our Android traffic (6.75%). Windows Phone and BlackBerry both clock in at about 0.2%.
Did You Get a Voucher for Windows Lol? (Score:5, Funny)
No, no problem using words instead of numbers. Numbers are boring. Also, you can get it wrong - windows 3,95,98,2000,7. Lol!
So they just went ahead and changed "Windows 8" to "Windows Lol!"? Sounds about right ...
Re:Preference (Score:4, Funny)
Is this where the people smart enough to not get it on Verizon laugh at you?
Re:Android Dominance? (Score:5, Funny)
Or that people who did not have to pay for iDevices had enough money left to buy computers :)
Confusing Analogy (Score:5, Funny)
It rules for the same reason that when you look in the parking lot you see no two cars alike. They all have different versions of equipment, or different model years. Nobody cares....they come in every size, shape, color, style, feature combination and price that one could want. Openness. It appears that it may always win in the long run.
What is "open" about cars at all? I can't generally use parts between them, often not even within the same model line between years.
About as close as a car gets to being "open" is that I can buy a floor-mat that fits badly in ALMOST any car.
Cars are "open" in the same way that Android and iOS and WP8 and every other Smart phone are "open" already. I can buy a tank of gas anywhere and use it in my car (well, not Diesel....). I can also use a number of carriers from any smart phone (well, not any smart phone, some are carrier locked). I can browse the web anywhere, well, except for web sites that use Flash or SIlverlight because those plugins don't exist anymore on most mobile smartphones.
I guess they are alike in that I can use the same cleaning products for any car, and can find cleaning products that also work for any smart phone?
In the end your analogy just seems really bad, even considering it's based on cars which are foolproof in the analogy department.
But perhaps it's just you trying to claim something the opposite of what is being demonstrated; cars after all are a prime example of how proprietary and closed wins over the hearts and minds of consumers.
Re:Preference (Score:4, Funny)
AT&T has one thing that Verizon doesn't have and will never have.
AT&T's coverage map includes all circles of hell! That is because their secret shadow universal headquarters are located there.
You try getting a Verizon signal from in hell. Then we'll see who's laughing.
Verizon has 3G coverage in Hell, MI (Score:5, Funny)
You try getting a Verizon signal from in hell. Then we'll see who's laughing.
I looked up the ZIP code for Hell [google.com], went to Verizon's coverage map [verizonwireless.com], typed in ZIP code 48169, and I discovered that yes, Verizon has 3G coverage in Hell.