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Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by gaius on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @09:43AM (#1435510)
I don't think that's true. People say "I love my BlackBerry". Regardless of where they got it, they form the emotional attachment to the brand. Jay-Z mentions his BlackBerry in his music. It's a lifestyle object, it says, I am taking care of business, baby. I am an insider, I have my act together, I make decisions. People call them CrackBerries because they're addictive.

But I've never heard anyone say "I love my Android", people talk about how clever it is, but the brand doesn't seem to resonate nearly as much, and it's not as clear what it says as a lifestyle accessory.

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by telemachos on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @10:10AM (#1435605)
First, I love my Eris. Love it, love it, love it. Would sleep with it under the pillow, if I weren't so worried about its well-being.

Second, in my experience, people react to it with a "So you're a DIY-er, huh?" That is, people are aware, however vaguely, of the opensource/hacker vibe that the brand carries. I'm not sure if that's what you meant by "what it says as a lifestyle accesory," but I think it is.

(Btw, you had your +1 at "Jay-Z mentions...")

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by bitwize on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @04:57PM (#1437014)
You live in the Bay area?

Up here in Mass, I tend to see Android devices being carried by unpleasant, street hoodlum types, which I guess to be a consequence of and reinforce the "iPhone knockoff" image associated with them.

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by zach on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @11:47PM (#1437875)
I see this got into the negative, so let me upvote and point out that this is totally expected.

This is exactly how it was with the Danger handsets 5-7 years ago, simply because they were great for power-texters, had a camera and were way, way cheaper than BlackBerries. And yes, as a result they were great for conducting street business -- don't be all shocked if that's true of Loopt as well.

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by cheald on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @03:20PM (#1436685)
I think a part of that is that "Android" is the software, and the hardware is all over the place. "iPhone" is a package deal - hardware and software. The brand means both at the same time. Same with Blackberry - there are lots of different blackberries, but when people mention the brand, they mean both hardware and software.

I love my Nexus One. I love the Android platform. I wouldn't say "I love my Android", because it doesn't make any more sense than saying "I love my Windows" (whereas a Mac user would easily say "I love my Mac", as the hardware and software are a deal package).

The "Droid" brand is starting to change that, though. People are referring to all manner of Android phones as "Droids". It's a name that is being used to refer to both the platform and the hardware. I could easily see it gaining the same kind of brand mindshare that the iPhone and Blackberry brands have.

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by elblanco on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @05:46PM (#1437135)
> I love my Android

That's because you don't buy an "Android". I've heard tons of people say "I love my Droid" or "I love my Nexus One".

Re:John Gruber: I'll Tell You What's Fair by Tichy on Wednesday June 16, 2010 @05:45PM (#1437130)
I love my Nexus One - and yes, it is an Android. It doesn't really make sense to say "I love my Android"