In a previous post I discussed the obsessive fanboyism of iPhone and Android users.

Despite how annoying the fanboys are, they are good for business. These users are fiercely loyal to their brand, and when it comes time to buy another device most are likely to stick with their preferred operating system.

A recent Nielsen survey confirms this. It found 71 percent of current Android users plan to get another Google-powered device come upgrade time, while 89 percent of iPhone owners plan the same. However, only 42 percent of BlackBerry owners want another model.

That is a huge problem for Research in Motion. The BlackBerry needs some defining features that set it apart from the competition. The iPhone has the best music player and zillions of apps. Android has excellent Google integration and plenty of options.

The BlackBerry has…a great keyboard. The OS in its current form is dated and still best suited to the corporate users who once made it a status symbol. An overhaul is underway with OS 6 with a needed focus on a vastly improved browser and its messaging strengths.

RIM knows there is an issue; several San Francisco BART stations are plastered with BlackBerry ads. At Union Square I discovered a large promotional tent featuring BlackBerry phones and an emcee leading volunteers in wacky games to win a Bold. Much of the promotional material included the BlackBerry’s best feature: BlackBerry Messenger. It is an always-on instant messaging service that could make text messaging obsolete if enough of your friends are fellow BlackBerry users.

The problem is they probably aren’t. RIM needs a bold new approach that focuses on its new browser and instant messaging options. Another me-too app-centric phone just won’t win any converts.

The battle is far from lost. Smartphones are currently less than one-fourth of the mobile market, but Nielsen predicts they will grow rapidly to half by the end of 2011. BlackBerry isn’t gone; but they have work to do.

Update: Looks like this is already underway as RIM announced the BlackBerry Torch today.

The irony here? I took this picture with my iPhone.

Look anywhere on the Internet for an article or blog post that mentions Android phones or the iPhone. Then, scroll down to the comments and duck as venom will begin to spew through your computer screen.

The vitriol, name-calling and idiocy that once were the hallmark of Mac vs. PC debates has been overtaken by fanboys of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android devices.

It is one thing to enjoy your favorite mobile platform. It is quite another to ridicule and throw insults at users of the competition. It seems that many people (mostly men) get a ridiculous, Alpha Male attachment to their phone and must defend its honor when any perceived criticism arises.

The reality is each device has its distinct advantages and weaknesses. The iPhone benefits from Apple’s maniacal focus on design and control to create a smooth and minimalistic user interface. Its control of the App Store prevents some buggy and unnecessary apps from making it onto the device. Of course in exchange you surrender some freedom: your choice is only one device on one network (and for now just one color).

Android offers more flexibility and choices of devices and carriers. There is a good Android phone now on all four of the major carriers. Some have keyboards, some don’t, and two even have enormous screens. Heavy users of Google products like Gmail get tight integration with those services and are not locked into iTunes. Yet more and more Android phones are getting loaded up with bloatware and have ugly skins like Motorola’s BLUR or HTC Sense running on top of them. This forces users to wait for the latest version of Android while the carriers and device makers figure out when it won’t break their software.

It’s a phone, not a religion. Just because I have an iPhone does not mean those who choose Android have done so unwisely. Interest in technology and mobile devices should be about discovering innovation and expanded knowledge. Instead many readers of the popular blogs have chosen sides and engage in all-out war.

So read and enjoy technology and gadget articles. Just skip the comments.

The irony is that the now infamous external antenna was supposed to be a breakthrough design that would end the misery of AT&T’s sometimes pitiful network coverage.

I have only been able to duplicate the signal loss issue in a few rare circumstances, and this Engadget post shares the experiences of various editors. While it is clear this issue is not experienced to the same degree by everyone, the Consumer Reports feature determined it is a problem with every Phone 4.

The real danger for Apple is the company is acting like a political team fighting off a scandal: deflect and deny. First it was Steve Jobs telling Ars Technica “avoid holding it that way.” A few days later the edict came down that it was a software issue.

There is a disconnect between the friendly Apple employees who casually help at the Genius Bar vs. the sketchy PR job underway now. These two sides of Apple are now colliding as frustrated consumers find they are forced to fix the issue themselves with a $29 Apple-branded bumper, a third-party case, or even duct tape.

At issue is how this will impact the buying habits of Apple’s fanbase. With 2 million iPhones sold the antenna issue may not matter. However, if loyal customers turn into disgruntled ones this could affect the iPhone update cycle. Less customers may be willing to stand in line for hours on launch day for a product that might include a major glitch.

This will be very interesting to watch as it plays out. Hold on – just not the wrong way.

That is why I’m excited to announce my forthcoming eBook: The App Store Survival Guide. The book will be an indispensable guide for iPhone/iPad newbies and veterans alike about navigating the jungle of the App Store.

The book will be available for download soon. I am holding off on putting a date on it yet because you never know when a white iPhone incident may happen. As I get closer to a release date I will announce it here. My expectation is the book will be easily accessible for your favorite eReader (including the iPad).

I am excited about this milestone and hope you will find The App Store Survival Guide a vital resource for making your favorite iDevice even more useful.

Sure, he took a couple of digs at Google (they made it easy with the recent Wi-Fi snafu) but largely resisted when Walt Mossberg continued to press him about the fact they now compete with their former ally. And Jobs even described how Apple lost the platform war to Microsoft – a pretty spin-free admission.

Most of the coverage overstated Jobs’ suggestion that we were beginning to see the end of the PC era. This wasn’t a proclamation that this would happen overnight. His argument, which is largely correct, is that over time many people will begin to rely more on lighter, touch-based devices and less on keyboard-and-mouse PCs. This is a challenge to both Apple and Microsoft who both have incredible resources invested in PC hardware and software.

The Apple-Google feud is only going to intensify with the unveiling of the next iPhone at WWDC next week. Expect Jobs to put on another good show filled with innovative design and plenty of hyperbole. And expect a green robot to be lurking around for the next move.

This chart has become one of the most discussed on the topic of iPads vs. netbooks.

Many pundits and commentators are debating whether or not the iPad is eating into netbook sales. Some studies indicate the iPad is the stake into the heart of the netbook (see here and here.) Others say this is typical Apple-inspired hyperbole (here and here).

Getting to the truth is tricky because tech commentary lately sounds too much like our political system: polarized into overly dogmatic camps who talk at, instead of to, each other. On the one hand are the Apple fanboys, who find Apple devices as items of worship and take pronouncements from Steve Jobs as if the Pope were speaking ex cathedra. Yet there are also the Apple haters, who compare every Apple product to a Fischer Price toy and think all Apple innovations were stolen from someone else.

Instead of listening to these warring factions we should interpret the data. It is fair to infer the massive growth experienced by netbooks is probably declining because most who wanted one have bought it. Most new products that achieve popularity have a spike in sales and then eventually decline.

So where does this leave the iPad? It would be naive to suggest the iPad is having zero effect on netbook sales. Many surveys and other anecdotes are suggesting that people are using it as a laptop replacement. The Apple haters refuse to acknowledge this is possible, but anecdotal evidence suggests also suggests it is so. Many conversations I have with those who see and use one are impressed with the form factor and ease of use. It especially makes sense for many consumers who use their notebooks for mostly consuming content instead of creating it. With the right applications, and an external keyboard, productivity is possible from the iPad.

My own experience is the iPad does some productivity well, though it’s far from where I would like it to be. For example, this entire blog post was written from the WordPress app on my iPad. The virtual keyboard isn’t bad with some practice, but I did use the backspace button more than I would on a physical keyboard. Also, I needed to hop on my Windows 7 desktop to add the necessary tweaks from the web version of WordPress before publishing. It’s a good example of how the iPad fares as a notebook replacement: close, but not quite there yet.

But then reality hit. We learn that Gizmodo paid $5,000 for the phone from someone who found it at a Silicon Valley bar. Its unfortunate owner apparently left it behind. Instead of giving it to the police or making a more concerted effort to give it back to Apple, it was sold to the highest bidder. This was after the Apple employee was identified through a Facebook app and the phone was remotely wiped by Apple. All clear evidence that the phone was property that should have been returned.

So this is what we have come to. If something comes into your hands that isn’t yours, resort to the playground ethics of “finder’s keepers.”

This is why when someone returns money that is not theirs or engages in some other act of unforeseen honesty people are shocked. Too many share the view that if the world is ruthless and cutthroat, then we should be too.

There is an old saying about how each of us needs to have a moral compass to serve as a guide when we face such situations. Unfortunately we have another case where it just didn’t work. Maybe there’s an app for that.

For

With the early reviews in, the iPad just looks downright fun. The apps seem amazing and are far deeper and more immersive than what is on the iPhone. One thing I was already sold on was the form factor: I believe the nature of the web and media make a slate-device a welcome addition. The web is now something we read, watch, and interact with throughout the day. This very well could be an enjoyable way to consume media content. Many reviews also indicate that light productivity is possible, and that the keyboard doesn’t totally suck. I’m still skeptical of that one (oh sorry, this is supposed to be the For section).

Also, the 3G pricing scheme is very tempting. The flexibility of ordering 3G coverage for just a month is outstanding and just right for travel bugs such as myself. If I do decide to get one, it would definitely be a 3G iPad (which of course means waiting until the end of April, sigh).

Against

The iPad is an Apple product, so of course that means some mind-boggling limitations. And as expected, there are plenty. The most glaring being the lack of multitasking or Flash support. As I type this blog post on my Windows 7 desktop, I can’t help but think the way the iPad functions is a bit counter-intuitive to how I use the web. Being able to quickly flip through tabs in Google Chrome to access new content, respond to an email, IM, etc. will be hard to live without. I can live with the iPhone’s limitations because it’s a phone. But I wonder how limiting this will feel on a larger device. Apple claims the iPad is the best way to surf the web and experience e-mail. It will have to do a phenomenal job to complete with my 23-inch Samsung LCD monitor.

Finally, I already have a mid-range device in a 12-inch ultraportable laptop. It’s starting to show its age, but I’m not sure replacing it with an iPad would be enough. With a wonderful desktop display and a laptop, both running Windows 7, I currently have no restrictions on content. For all the wonderful things an Apple device can do, it always comes with trade-offs. And by the looks of things, there are many.

Wrap-up

The final thing to remember is that comparing the iPad to a notebook is not necessarily accurate. Steve Jobs placed this device as its own category, between a notebook and iPhone (of course I’m not sure where that leaves us who use a desktop and ultra-portable notebook). The idea is that the iPad will excel at activities that may be too small on an iPhone, yet be more comfortable and fun on a slate computer. I believe it is a great device, I’m just not sold that I need another gadget to haul around.

Those are my thoughts for now. I’ll update this post after having some hands-on time.

It was a marriage of convenience. But like most such marriages, there comes a time when it just doesn’t work anymore.

So has been the case with Google and Apple. Despite the recent Steve Jobs-Eric Schmidt coffee date, the companies are going in two diametrically opposed directions – punctuated by Apple’s lawsuit against HTC.

Google’s primary aim is to get everyone on the web through its services to increase use of its search engine, thereby benefiting its online ad business. Hence the push for Google’s Chrome browser, Chrome OS, and Android. Apple’s cash cow comes through its proprietary hardware and software via iPad, iPhone, and iPod. If you use those devices, all official software comes exclusively through the Apple-controlled App Store.

To illustrate the point further, consider how both companies are working in the mobile space. If Google has its way by the end of the year many netbooks will be running its Chrome OS, which is essentially based on the Chrome browser. All data will live on the web, which means that developers are free to make anything they want for it as long as it’s accessible by a browser. Of course, most of your data will probably end up on Google’s servers in the form of Gmail, Docs, Calendar, etc. (I have already discussed how Google owns my soul.)

Apple, on the other hand, has created what will likely be another very popular device in the iPad. By all accounts it will have excellent apps and create a great user experience. The catch: everything goes through Cupertino. Developers from The Wall Street Journal to The White House must submit all their apps for approval.

No one vision is necessarily right, although Apple’s penchant for control raises some concerns for both users and developers. Getting data from iTunes to the iPhone is not exactly the most streamlined experience. Juggling data between an iPhone, iPad, and my PC is not a pleasant thought. Steve Jobs’s stubborn refusal to allow any Flash on the iPad has sent developers scrambling so their content is available. So instead of visiting Hulu in your browser, there will be an Apple-sanctioned app.

The web has created an expectation of liberty and openness. Let’s hope Apple’s modus operandi doesn’t change that. Not that any of  such concerns will stop the iHordes from lining up outside Apple Stores nationwide tomorrow. Of course, there is always a decent chance I will be one of them.

Despite its unfortunate name this new mobile operating system may actually hold some promise for resurrecting Microsoft in the mobile space.  For a company often criticized for it’s failure to innovate, Microsoft looks like it really got it this time.

However, Redmond may have to fight the too-little-too-late feeling from many consumers. Apple, Google and Palm all have mature operating systems with a couple of years’ worth head start. Android releases a new device hourly and has won the hearts of most major phone manufacturers an many users with a deepening collection of apps. Palm has developed a core group of followers. And we don’t even need to go into Apple’s success.

However, I still think there is hope for Microsoft in mobile by playing up to how our business and personal lives intersect. Steve Ballmer talked up this very idea at Mobile World Congress.  I know plenty of people who carry a BlackBerry for work but then an iPhone for personal use. The lines between work and personal contacts and tasks are often blurry, so having a device that can be your music player, Internet device, office contacts and documents (and if you’re into it, your Xbox Live friends) might be attractive.

Then again, many people already have such a device. They call it an iPhone. And even with some of its glaring omissions, it still offers the best mobile experience – with some new functionality likely coming before the new Windows phones even hit the market late this year.

While it is encouraging to see Microsoft take bold leaps forward, it’s time to be a major player in the mobile space may be winnowing. This year will tell us if this bold move will succeed.