Ports to non-Apple platforms?

[DAK]

I have been using both the desktop and mobile *Pedia's for a few years now and have been very happy with the experience. However, I am thinking about switching away from Apple for my mobile devices. So I'm going to throw this out there as a general question... is there any possibility that the *Pedia programs will be ported to platforms other than OSX and iOS? I'm guessing that the code base is pretty heavily tied to Apple's libraries and SDK, so the answer is probably 'no', but it would be nice to get a definitive response from the horse's (dog's?) mouth, so to speak.

[Conor]

Sorry to hear your moving away from iOS. Indeed the code is 100% Cocoa and would take huge amounts to translate to Android, especially given that our only expertise is Objective-C (Apple's language) and a few scribblings of web coding. So a definite "no" bark.

[whotony]

I wish there was an android app for this. I would rebuy the program again.

Currently I have Profiler which also has no android app and also no Mac version.

I really just wish one of these two would work on both iOS and android.

[Conor]

Our iPhone style HTML templates work well on Android screens due to the size and being WebKit compatible browser. However it's nothing like having Pocketpedia as a native app that is possible on iOS only.

[Ted]

I really find it curious that people are so willing to consider Android given that so many great programs (like PocketPedia) are iOS only, and so many others are so much better on iOS.

Look at something like the official Twitter app, particularly on the iPad: in order to make the Android version "equivalent" to the one on iOS, the iPad version was completely crippled -- it went from an elegant, fully using the screen real-estate version of Tweetie (the app Twitter bought to be their official app), to today's ugly mess that looks like a blown up phone app. I and I'm sure many others fled to Tweetbot, which is an excellent, beautifully designed app that takes full advantage of the iPad screen. And of course Tweetbot is iOS only. On Android all too many apps are like today's Twitter. On iOS, the best apps are like Tweetbot or PocketPedia, or Djay or Paper or the DM1 - The Drum Machine - beautifully designed, an absolute delight and pleasure to use.
See:
http://www.fiftythree.com/paper
http://www.fingerlab.net/website/Fingerlab/DM1.html
http://tapbots.com/software/tweetbot/
http://www.algoriddim.com/djay-ipad

The best that can be said about Android is that via its market share it is on the way to becoming this decade's Windows. But that is unfair to Windows -- it did after all have many video games and many specialized programs that were missing from Mac OS. Now it is the exact opposite -- iOS has all the games and specialized apps. About all Android shares with Windows besides the large market share are poor app design and bad security.

[ragana]

Bad new....
I switched to Android and I will never have my collection in my smartphone.
Maybe you could consider that android has the 70% of the worlds market (and growing...)

[Ted]

Bad new....
I switched to Android and I will never have my collection in my smartphone.
Maybe you could consider that android has the 70% of the worlds market (and growing...)

You might want to read my post above yours -- as to Android having 70% of the world's market -- that's out and out false:

Official numbers from Google just the other day when they announced the firing ^H^H^H^H^H^H promotion of Android head Andy Rubin 750 million "activations" to date -- meanwhile 2 and a half months ago Apple announced over 500 million iOS sales. And of course aside all the iOS devices Apple has sold since there are a few other OSes limping along as well -- so Android is at best around 55%.

Then of course come those dreaded usage statistics -- as in are the devices sitting in a warehouse or in the back of a drawer or are they being actively used:
http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating ... &sample=29

iOS has double the usage of Android. And when it comes to tablets iOS is at over 90%. So, if you are a software developer, especially one making their living from this, which would you be targeting?

So to others considering switching to Android -- there are many good things about it, but don't expect the same level of software support from independent developers: it isn't there now, and won't be for the foreseeable future.

[FineWine]

This is an interesting article: Android_vs_iOS_User_Differences_Every_Developer_Should_Know

Here is the guts of the article: (I have underlined my points of interest)

By: Benjamin Travis

With Android and iPhone now combining for nearly 90 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, many app developers are concentrating their efforts on serving the majority of smartphone users through these two platforms. But there is an inherent tension when resources are limited and developers must choose one over the other, or decide which platform to develop for first. As a result, every app developer should be armed with some basic facts around the differences between Android and iPhone users when making these decisions.

According to comScore MobiLens data from December 2012, Android currently owns the larger market share at 53 percent, while iPhone holds a strong #2 position at 36 percent. However, market share alone is not sufficient for driving development decisions because iPhone users have different characteristics that often make them attractive from a development standpoint. Here are some key differences in user dynamics between Android and iPhone users that every developer should know.

iPhone Users are Slightly Younger and More Affluent

Android Users Have Broader Content Category Reach, Despite iOS Users’ Higher Propensity

iPhone Users More Likely to Engage in M-Commerce

iPhone Satisfaction Corresponds with High Device Loyalty

Developers Should Think About What’s Most Important Before Developing an App
Android and iPhone offer the two leading platforms today, and each one possesses its own unique characteristics and advantages. Android’s lead in market share often means the potential for app developers to reach a larger audience, but iPhone makes up for this by boasting an attractive audience to marketers that tends to reflect more highly engaged mobile media users with higher income. Their strong platform loyalty also bodes well for their ability to retain and expand market share over the long term. Understanding and quantifying the differences between the users of each device can help developers make smarter decisions about which audiences and platforms to focus on in order to attract users, drive engagement, generate sales, and ultimately achieve their strategic business objectives.

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However there is another point to be raised and this concerns the SECURITY of the two OS's. Here is an interesting graphic: android-ios-security.

The telling bit of that graphic from Symantec (a world leader in software security) is this concerning Android:

Wild West Application Marketplace
The application marketplace has limited (if any) security implementation. Instead Google chose to allow nearly any application presented to the market to be published for user consumption. Google does not check the security of applications prior to general availability.

I do not seem to remember reading any articles concerning security breaches in iOS devices but I have seen/read many articles concerning the security of Android based devices especially concerning Malware and stolen data and identity. (Nearly 35% of Android apps in China secretly steal user data; ‘Android is fragmenting beyond Google’s control)

The article that made me LOL is this one Android_Security_Six_Tips_to_Protect_Your_Google_Phone

but then to really ROFLOL:

" 5) Google Android Antivirus - A good mobile antivirus app scans new Android software downloads for obvious signs of tomfoolery, such as strange permissions- or download-requests. And a number of free and commercial, or paid, Android antivirus apps are currently available in the Android Market."

WTF - I have never heard of antivirus software for mobile devices. This is why Apple is a closed loop shopping experience. Yes they have made mistakes in their App store especially concerning In App purchases and young children, but I will take Apples "closed loop security" anytime over Googles or other android app market places "open and anything goes" atitude.

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Finally is my first underlined point above: "But there is an inherent tension when resources are limited and developers must choose one over the other, or decide which platform to develop for first." You must remember that Bruji and its four pedia's, Pocketpedia & the server side Doghouse are TOTALLY developed, coded & operated by the husband and wife team of Conor & Nora with Alex throwing his knowledge into the server side of things. Conor is the main coder and inspiration behind the pedia's (or should that be the good wife Nora being the inspiration behind the man ).

So to others considering switching to Android -- there are many good things about it, but don't expect the same level of software support from independent developers: it isn't there now, and won't be for the foreseeable future.

I belong to many computer and internet based forums and this forum is THE ONLY ONE which CONSISTENTLY has "within 24 hours replies" and more often than not within 24 hour bug rectification.

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@ragana: if you want to put the best in catalogue program data onto such an insecure device as Android read here: For Android users though this method may be out of date now.

Anyway END OF my rant.

P.S. The other underlined points are self explanatory.

Cheers

[ragana]

@finewine:
I didn't wanted to express something like "my phone or my OS it's better than yours..." I loved my iphone as I love my note2 now. both of them have something that could be improved, anyway it's a fact that Android get the most of the market, I just wanted to transmit that an Android version could be a good-selling app...
Thanks. Best regards

[kbarnes70]

Just to add my two cents to this thread, which hasn't had an update in a long time. I love DVDPedia. Have done from the first day I got it, years ago. But like a lot of people I have abandoned iOS devices and moved across to Android. I very much miss a portable version of DVDPedia and hope that some day the problem for us Android users is resolved.

[Alex]

While Bruji will not be making an Android version of Pocketpedia any time soon, we are working on a new feature which is the Online User's Library, in beta right now, that will allow you to view and share your collections online without much effort.

Granted, it's not Pocketpedia, but it might help Android users share their collections.

[kbarnes70]

While Bruji will not be making an Android version of Pocketpedia any time soon, we are working on a new feature which is the Online User's Library, in beta right now, that will allow you to view and share your collections online without much effort.

Granted, it's not Pocketpedia, but it might help Android users share their collections.

That would certainly be welcome, Alex. Just the ability to take my collection with me is all I need. I won't be adding to it or editing it other than on my desktop Mac.

[Alex]

That would certainly be welcome, Alex. Just the ability to take my collection with me is all I need. I won't be adding to it or editing it other than on my desktop Mac.

Take a look at the instructions page and give the feature a whirl, let me know if you run into any problems. I'm actually working on it right now but it should be in a very usable state.

[kbarnes70]

That would certainly be welcome, Alex. Just the ability to take my collection with me is all I need. I won't be adding to it or editing it other than on my desktop Mac.

Take a look at the instructions page and give the feature a whirl, let me know if you run into any problems. I'm actually working on it right now but it should be in a very usable state.

Hi Alex - just emailed you this:

I have followed every step precisely here (http://www.bruji.com/howto/online_library/) but when I try to access my Library I get a screen which says "Online Library is turned off. To Activate please visit Doghouse -> Settings Sync my library to Doghouse”. I have turned it on in Doghouse Settings of course, but still get the error message. I am using the latest 5.2.2 version of DVDPedia.

Any idea what I am doing wrong? Thanks.

[Alex]

Thanks kbarnes70, I was able to find the bug and it should be fixed now.

Do let me know if you run into further trouble.