Does Steve Wozniak really prefer Android to the iPhone?
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The Rolling Stones vs. the Beatles
The Yankees vs. the Mets
IPhone vs. Android.
Some debates rage eternal.
Today the iPhone-vs.-Android debate came to the fore when Steve Wozniak -- the man who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs back in 1976 -- told the Daily Beast that despite loving the simplicity and beauty of the iPhone, he thinks that in some respects the Android just works better.
Sacrilege!
The Beast made the absolute most of the news by slapping a controversial headline on the story: ‘Even Woz Thinks the Android Bests the iPhone.’
The truth, of course, is a little more nuanced than that.
For starters, keep in mind that this is a man who stood outside an Apple store in Los Gatos for 18 hours just a few months ago in order to be first in line when the iPhone 4S was released.
Wozniak’s main issue with the iPhone is Siri, which he said no longer works as well as it once did.
“I used to ask Siri, ‘What are the five biggest lakes in California?’ and it would come back with the answer,’ he told the Beast. ‘Now it just misses. It gives me real estate listings. I used to ask, ‘What are the prime numbers greater than 87?’ and it would answer. Now instead of getting prime numbers, I get listings for prime rib, or prime real estate.”
He also said GPS navigation is better on Android phones, and that the battery life on the iPhone is frustrating.
Still, Wozniak said he still thinks most users would prefer the iPhone to the Android because, in the end, it’s easier to use.
“The people I recommend the iPhone 4S for are the ones who are already in the Mac world, because it’s so compatible, and people who are just scared of computers altogether and don’t want to use them,’ he said. ‘The iPhone is the least frightening thing. For that kind of person who is scared of complexity, well, here’s a phone that is simple to use and does what you need it to do.”
Not so sacrilegious after all.
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-- Deborah Netburn
