What Hardware Should I Use?

What would my experience be like if I transitioned from exclusive use of Apple hardware products to Google hardware and software (i.e., MacBook Air to Chromebook, to iPhone to Android)?

• I use Apple hardware products exclusively. Any disadvantages to making the switch? Additional Details: -I already use the obvious Google products (Gmail, Reader, Calendar, ect.) -I currently do not use Office, but on occasion run into a job that requires it. This has proven difficult in the past. What are the chances Google Docs will improve enough for me to use it exclusively?

• Answer:

  Let's break this up into two portions. The Laptop With a Chromebook, you're essentially buying a linux machine that strictly runs Chrome (with, of course, a few UI niceties to round out the login, file system, etc. experience). When I was an early tester for them, the trackpad driver/hardware was so bad that I wanted to throw it out the window many times. It's difficult to describe what the issues were outside of that it was simply unpredictable where the pointer would end up. For such a fundamental interaction you take for granted on any other platform, it was extremely jarring and frustrating to have it not work even close to well when I was using it. This was the number one complaint they got, though, so it may have gotten better since then. I haven't booted up my Chromebook in a long time, though, so I can't verify if it has gotten better. I would encourage you to check it out for yourself on the latest models if you can. The advantage that you have is that (I'm assuming) you already own a Macbook, so you can do your own testing to see whether the platform will work for you. Simply use Chrome exclusively in full-screen mode. No other apps, no other functionality that a Chromebook wouldn't provide you. It's a semi-perfect litmus test as to whether you'd be willing to make the switch to Chromebook full-time. There are some tighter-integration points (chat, for example) with a Chromebook that would be disingenuous for me to omit, but overall I think you get my point. Your Google Docs use-cases are important as well. While Docs has done a fantastic job of showcasing the capabilities of the web, the functionality is still limited by the existing APIs provided by it. I don't know the state of offline docs/custom font usage/fine-grained layout or whether you need any of these things in the first place, but again, you have the advantage of being to able to try it out for yourself before you pull the trigger. From my own experience, a Chromebook did not provide anything to me that a Macbook/PC laptop with Chrome installed already does (aside from a seemingly lower price point). The inverse was clearly not true as I have Chrome in addition to the myriad of native apps that provide the functionality that web apps do not. I love my Mac and can extol the virtues of it any day, but that's me, not you. You've been warned about the trackpad, though :) The Phone Ah the stuff of religious wars. I own (count it) four Android Phones and four iPhones. I used to have lunch with the Android team when they were a small startup that was just acquired by big G. I think that what they've done for the mobile landscape (most importantly keeping Apple on its toes) has been great. ICS is a great leap forward from what I've used so far. That said, I still use an iPhone 4S as my primary device. Once again, that's me, though, and not you. I like being able to AirPlay a movie on my phone to my Apple TV, but that's a myopic use-case to justify picking one over the other. The things I care about within a mobile experience may be far different than those you care about, so I'm not going to impose my beliefs on you. The iPhone has really tight integration with other mac software/hardware while Android has really tight integration with Google services. Google does not invest heavily in iPhone apps/integration because, well, they're a competitor and the level of access that the apps would require to gain the best experience would violate Apple's app store guidelines. The inverse is also true. Apple makes none of their functionality (AirPlay, iCloud, etc.) available on Android devices. You pick one form-factor (assuming you aren't getting a 3GS) for the iPhone. No physical keyboard, minimal hardware buttons, etc. With Android you're up to your ears in choices (though, at the moment if you want to run their latest OS, I think you're relegated to two models but I hear more vendors are promising ICS upgrades soon). The app ecosystem on the iPhone is larger and arguably higher quality. Android is quickly catching up, but I'm simply giving you the current state of things. The iOS app store is a closed ecosystem while you can install any apps that you like on your Android device. This comes down to a matter of preference and priorities. I do not like the closed eco-system of Apple's app store and would love to be able to install unsigned apps, but I'm willing to give that up for the other advantages that the ecosystem and integration provides me for the time being. The iPhone adheres to a simplified but arguably long-in-tooth UI standard and does not allow replacement of any core OS features. If you want heavy customization of the core OS functionality (like replacing the lock screen), then Android wins this point. iOS is designed to be responsive. Android is 90% there but not all the way yet. Scrolling performance has been a hot item for Android and also been the source of many arguments, but launch Twitter on an iPhone 4S and a Galaxy Nexus side by side, scroll, then make your own decision. This may not mean a lick to you, but to me these types of interactions matter a lot as they build up over time. Little touches (http://littlebigdetails.com/). In my opinion, point-for-point, Apple wins this hands down. Android does not. Hope this helps, and whatever decision you make, don't let some idiot fanboy tell you that it was the wrong decision. Android is great for many reasons and iOS is great for many reasons. They also both suck for many reasons. Just buy what you want.