Think Carefully Before Changing Mobile Platforms

Good stuff as usual from Donald. Some useful advice in Think Carefully Before Changing Mobile Platforms.

When considering changing mobile platforms, it really is necessary to consider carefully the gains versus the losses. It’s not just about which platform has the better hardware or the greater specs – it’s also about the entire ecosystem that’s tied to that platform and the programs available.

Comments

[David Green]

When I chose to leave Windows Mobile, I spent ages considering between iOS and Android, and the functional solutions between them.
Android, as it turned out, was the only option for me.
But the bottom line was that neither was ideal, but a compromise against the least loss of sought after functionality.

[Gavin]

Good article.

[Jaam Gans]

Great article, though his issues are surrounding a very limited field indeed, but the point of the story is really what it is about.

In reality it is the old canon/nikon debate - great hardware doesn't really matter which camera you get they are both going to take great shots and get the job down - it really is more about the eco system in both cases - and the eco system with canon/nikon is the lenses.

It is costly to replace lenses when moving from one system to another (at least you can get some money back by selling them unlike apps) and you might not be able to replace one lens with another directly within the lens system i.e. Nikon's great 18-70AFS which had no equivalent in the Canon range. You could equate tameron, sigma and other 3rd party lenses with apps that are available on both eco systems.

This will always mean that it is difficult and costly to move from one eco system to another.