[Mimouille]

Hey James, as you might know, I organized a vision ears tour, so please add your impressions on the VE thread I thought the Stage 2 were a bit bassy too. The Stage 4 are even bassier, but more refined. However you have to consider that the Stage 2 are around 1k$ and the Stage 4 maybe 1.5k$...

 

[Coq de Combat]

   
That was a very nicely written comparison!  
 

 
I'm happy with Android at this point, but I wouldn't rule out iOS next time around...assuming funds permit it. I inquired about iPhone 5 when I got my current phone and it would have cost me 3 times as much up front for half the storage capacity, so I couldn't do it. But I'm sure I would like the device if I actually had it to use.

Wow, a Neil's Two Thumbs Up! Thank you, my friend!
 
Yeah, they're more expensive than Android devices, but not really all that much more expensive, when you compare flagship devices. I suppose the 5S is Apple's flagship, now that they have the cheaper, inferior 5C. One thing I do like about some Android devices is the ability to have SD cards and expand the storage ability. That's something that isn't on the iPhone, and seemingly, according to interviews, won't be for some time due to Apple being committed to the experience factor. With SD card support, they wouldn't be able to keep their promise about the experience with the different kinds of SD card speeds, quality and lastly, opening the system up for the risk of getting malware. To be honest, the first two points sound like BS to me, but I guess that last point is a legit one. I haven't seen malware on Android devices through SD cards, but I suppose it's possible (although, I have been infected myself through their Play Store).
 
iOS is a bit different from Android, but it really only takes a week or so to get used to it, and once you do -- depending on your preferences and requirements obviously (YMMV) -- you'll notice the superiority. In both app quality -- there are some really, really good apps, for instance IFTTT: https://ifttt.com/What (putting the smart in smartphone) -- and the way you use the system. There are obviously still some quirks to iOS, for instance the filesystem and the inability to share files freely between apps, and the chore of having to sync with iTunes. There's also the fact that my slow-motion videos are only displayed in slow-motion in my gallery app, and are displayed as 120 fps videos in regular speed in other apps (such as instagram). What were they thinking there!? Those quirks are more chores rather than negatives though, and once you get over those tresholds, it really becomes that premium devices you want it to be...
 
A last point that I forgot to mention is the ridiculous amount of accessories to Apples devices: docks, cases, speakers, cables, adapters and so on. This is especially true for iPhone, but also for my iPad. For instance, I have a simple camera-to-usb-adapter, where I plug my DSLR to my iPad and with two "clicks" can import my DSLR photos to my iPad. With the myriad of photo manipulation apps out there, adjusting photos on the go is a breeze. I do it in café's at times, while drinking a good cup of cappuccino. Not only handy, but arousingly so (to tech-geeks, I suppose, LOL). 
 
Android is a really good OS though. If you are happy with Android, then by all means, stick to it. There's nothing wrong with Google's vision of Android as a smartphone OS. I still like some of the aspects of Android, however, I just prefer iOS after having lived with both for a while.
 

  Since finding the program AnyTrans I've warmed up to my iphone4 again. I haven't updated it since iOS5. See no reason to update it and everything works just fine so I'll be sticking to that OS. Not sure if I'll upgrade to an iphone5 anytime soon but apple is a viable options again if I can easily load my music and videos via this program without deleting my data . Honestly apple should just cut out the **** and get with the program. They are only pushing people away with such practices. Simply being able to add music or any media for that matter without having to re-sync everything is not rocket science.

What is this wizardry? Does it work well? Is it worth $39?

 

[drez]

  Wow, a Neil's Two Thumbs Up! Thank you, my friend!
 
Yeah, they're more expensive than Android devices, but not really all that much more expensive, when you compare flagship devices. I suppose the 5S is Apple's flagship, now that they have the cheaper, inferior 5C. One thing I do like about some Android devices is the ability to have SD cards and expand the storage ability. That's something that isn't on the iPhone, and seemingly, according to interviews, won't be for some time due to Apple being committed to the experience factor. With SD card support, they wouldn't be able to keep their promise about the experience with the different kinds of SD card speeds, quality and lastly, opening the system up for the risk of getting malware. To be honest, the first two points sound like BS to me, but I guess that last point is a legit one. I haven't seen malware on Android devices through SD cards, but I suppose it's possible (although, I have been infected myself through their Play Store).
 
iOS is a bit different from Android, but it really only takes a week or so to get used to it, and once you do -- depending on your preferences and requirements obviously (YMMV) -- you'll notice the superiority. In both app quality -- there are some really, really good apps, for instance IFTTT: https://ifttt.com/What (putting the smart in smartphone) -- and the way you use the system. There are obviously still some quirks to iOS, for instance the filesystem and the inability to share files freely between apps, and the chore of having to sync with iTunes. There's also the fact that my slow-motion videos are only displayed in slow-motion in my gallery app, and are displayed as 120 fps videos in regular speed in other apps (such as instagram). What were they thinking there!? Those quirks are more chores rather than negatives though, and once you get over those tresholds, it really becomes that premium devices you want it to be...
 
A last point that I forgot to mention is the ridiculous amount of accessories to Apples devices: docks, cases, speakers, cables, adapters and so on. This is especially true for iPhone, but also for my iPad. For instance, I have a simple camera-to-usb-adapter, where I plug my DSLR to my iPad and with two "clicks" can import my DSLR photos to my iPad. With the myriad of photo manipulation apps out there, adjusting photos on the go is a breeze. I do it in café's at times, while drinking a good cup of cappuccino. Not only handy, but arousingly so (to tech-geeks, I suppose, LOL). 
 
Android is a really good OS though. If you are happy with Android, then by all means, stick to it. There's nothing wrong with Google's vision of Android as a smartphone OS. I still like some of the aspects of Android, however, I just prefer iOS after having lived with both for a while.
 
What is this wizardry? Does it work well? Is it worth $39?

 
I guess the old joke about apple simplifying to the point of absurdity still holds true, but I'm not sure if it's that simple.  For example they could be so consumed by their own conceptual vision for their products that they are not willing to compromise even if it improves functionality.  Minimalism is hardly ever practical.
 
I don't buy the SD card argument though - it's 100% bull.  Everything is about the product line.  I bet a big part of why they don't currently make a bigger smartphone is because they feel it would detract from their tablet sales, not because of some magical mean hand size (which strangely changed over the last year with the iPhone 4-5).  Ultimately it's not a big deal as the ecosystem works quite well.

 

[ardgedee]

 
Guys, cut it out with the headphone porn. You're overwhelming poor Neil Patrick Harris.

 

[ardgedee]

Oh crap it's too late.
 

 

[ardgedee]

We've got to go deeper...
 

 

[eke2k6]

  Since finding the program AnyTrans I've warmed up to my iphone4 again. I haven't updated it since iOS5. See no reason to update it and everything works just fine so I'll be sticking to that OS. Not sure if I'll upgrade to an iphone5 anytime soon but apple is a viable options again if I can easily load my music and videos via this program without deleting my data . Honestly apple should just cut out the **** and get with the program. They are only pushing people away with such practices. Simply being able to add music or any media for that matter without having to re-sync everything is not rocket science.

 
The level of ignorance is startling 

 
All you do in itunes is add the file/folder to the library, much like you'd do in foobar or any other media program. Itunes only then adds the new files to your device. You can also opt to manually manage which files are sent to your devices by unchecking one little box. It's not that hard.
 
If you're worried about deleting your data, there's an option to transfer it to your computer by selecting Transfer New Purchases from "device".

 

[jgray91]

We've got to go deeper...

 

[lee730]

  What is this wizardry? Does it work well? Is it worth $39?

 
So far yes. It's as easy as drag and drop literally. Syncs the songs or video to your device. Without having to resync all your data. So it is now just drag and drop on my iphone4 which is such a basic concept . You can also make playlists for your music and sync that way as well without losing any data. It's also a more responsive program without all the bloatware. I think it's definitely worth it to bypass apples dumb itunes. It also works with all idevices to my knowledge.

 

[shotgunshane]

iTunes doesn't resync all your data, only the changes. You must be confusing a backup with syncing all data. Besides who still uses iTunes for anything but music files? The cloud is where all my data backup goes, iTunes is mearly the tool to get my music files on my device and I use playlists for that. Best of all, no extra costs. And the cloud allows me to share my data with all my apple devices.

 

[lee730]

   
The level of ignorance is startling 

 
All you do in itunes is add the file/folder to the library, much like you'd do in foobar or any other media program. Itunes only then adds the new files to your device. You can also opt to manually manage which files are sent to your devices by unchecking one little box. It's not that hard.
 
If you're worried about deleting your data, there's an option to transfer it to your computer by selecting Transfer New Purchases from "device".

 
That never worked for me. When I simply added a new song via itunes it deleted all my music from the device.. This was when syncing everything to the device (including the music added previously). Even when I created a back up. I'm not the only one to find apples software to be controlling and counterintuitive. Now I can just simply drag and drop without the risk of losing data. Hell I can now even create my own custom ringtones and simply drag and drop them and it works.

 

[lee730]

iTunes doesn't resync all your data, only the changes. You must be confusing a backup with syncing all data. Besides who still uses iTunes for anything but music files? The cloud is where all my data backup goes, iTunes is mearly the tool to get my music files on my device and I use playlists for that. Best of all, no extra costs. And the cloud allows me to share my data with all my apple devices.

 
I also use cloud to backup my contacts and apps. The problem for me still stemmed from syncing music to the device. I can't be bothered to go through that hassle. 

 

[eke2k6]

   
I'm not the only one to find apples software to be controlling and counterintuitive.

 
And those people are the ones who know the least.
 
The apple ecosystem is one of the most beautiful there is, and I can acknowledge that even though I'm a Mac OSX hater myself. iTunes is at the center of that hub. Don't blame the software for not knowing how to work it.
 
It's like saying that torrents are evil because that 8kb Avatar movie you downloaded turned out to be a virus.

 

[Achmedisdead]

   
The level of ignorance is startling 

 
All you do in itunes is add the file/folder to the library, much like you'd do in foobar or any other media program. Itunes only then adds the new files to your device. You can also opt to manually manage which files are sent to your devices by unchecking one little box. It's not that hard.
 
If you're worried about deleting your data, there's an option to transfer it to your computer by selecting Transfer New Purchases from "device".

 
Yeah, when I had my Touch, that was what I eventually discovered worked best for me.....just treat the iTunes library like it was the iPod memory, and copy and paste only what I wanted on the device. My current iPods are Rockboxed, so no iTunes required at all.

 

[vwinter]

The level of ignorance is startling 

All you do in itunes is add the file/folder to the library, much like you'd do in foobar or any other media program. Itunes only then adds the new files to your device. You can also opt to manually manage which files are sent to your devices by unchecking one little box. It's not that hard.

If you're worried about deleting your data, there's an option to transfer it to your computer by selecting Transfer New Purchases from "device".

That little box is like magic. Uncheck it, drag and drop. Poof, rabbit.

Ringtones are less magic but the few times people likely do it in a phones life it's hardly a crisis: convert sound file to AAC (.m4a) [iTunes can do this], rename the extension to .m4r, drag and drop.