Breaking up with Google
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a hardware refresh, and it’s been even longer that I’ve been sucked into the world of Google. For a while it’s been good, but I’ve struggled at times, especially as I’ve started to make more complex things. I’ve been a Google defender for years, not worried about data harvesting, made cases for Chrome OS, and it’s future. I’ve plugged myself into Google and nigh all of my actions in “cyberspace” (god it’s been ages since I’ve heard that!) have gone through one of their servers.
I have enjoyed Google products, software and hardware. Ever since I moved to Android back in 2013, I wanted a Google branded phone. Their Nexus line showed me pure stock Android and I really liked it. When the Pixel Phone was first announced, I pre-ordered it the first moment I was able to. When they announced their laptop the Pixelbook — I bought it. Smart Speakers? Bam! Even an online gaming service — I’ll try it. My files, spreadsheets, documents, pictures are all stored in Google Drive and all of my emails and receipts for the past 12 years are in Gmail. You know what? They make some nice stuff… but lately all of that stuff has just started to frustrate and stress me out.
Hardly Hardware
I’ve had two Pixel phones — I’ve had to send both of them back for repairs. One stopped working and started “bootlooping”, the second the face unlock stopped working less than 6 months after getting it. Then, the back panel started peeling off within a month of the replacement phone getting to me. I mean… come on… That’s just bad quality control or bad design or something! It’s so frustrating that a company I had complete faith in, and had excitement about their products supplied me with hardware that just didn’t last.
Using my Pixelbook I bought fully into the vision, buying the Pixelbook Pen alongside the laptop. I was excited to get using the pen and seeing what I could do with it, and it was… fine. Nothing special — it worked, but didn’t blow me away, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. It’s not the most comfortable to use for longform notes — besides, why would you when you can type them out? It didn’t stick anywhere and just kinda rattled around — until I got a free stretchy loop thing to hold it to the laptop. For drawing, it was ok, but the software didn’t back the hardware up, and it just felt a bit pointless.
Then it got a crack on it and snapped in half. So I bought another one… and then wondered why as I barely used it anyway. What a waste of money!
After a few more years of using the Pixelbook — it just started to feel a bit dated. Huge bezels and a form factor that wasn’t supported particularly well (more on that later). This makes sense for a 3-year-old laptop, but Google had outright given up on it at this point and weren’t going to make another one.
Well — if Google can’t be bothered with their own hardware — why should I?
Then came the death knell for me using their software.
Software Problems
I had a huge panic recently when a game developer had a problem with their Google account. I won’t get into the specifics — if you’re interested, read about it here.
The overarching idea though was that suddenly — and without warning — they were locked out of their Google account, losing access to everything. Reading this (and I’ll admit that I may have over-reacted a little) my mind started ticking and the idea that so much of my life was in the Google Ecosystem, and it could just disappear straight away. On top of this that there would be little to no way to get any of it back.
It could be something I’ve done wrong on YouTube and I could lose my Google Photos. Unlikely? Yes, but you know what? It scared me.
I didn’t want to lose anything, let alone potentially everything. Emails, photos, files, receipts (and any warranties I’d need given the hardware issues) could be all gone. It really got me thinking about how much I use Google.
I had high hopes for Chromebooks as Android tablets. When Google announced the Pixelbook, I thought it would be a renaissance for Android Apps on tablets. I imagined working on my phone and picking it up on my laptop. Getting up at the end of the day and walking away with my tablet (that I’d flipped from being a laptop 2 seconds ago) and watching a film on the sofa. I could quickly send an email and do everything from a single device. My phone adding functionality through the cloud. I could use apps on both my phone or my laptop, and they’d work just as well.
But people didn’t really do much with it, the apps never really worked well, the weird sizing of apps felt strange, and even Google gave up on it far too quickly by canceling their Pixel Slate. Yes you can run apps — but what about illustrations or note taking? What about chilling on the sofa? I don’t need a keyboard when watching a movie.
Now — you can do most of things you need to do on a Chromebook. There’s very little you can’t do if you try hard enough. The problem though is that last bit — “if you try hard enough”. You have to figure out workarounds, or play around with Linux apps, or find some esoteric Android app that kind of works, but not really because you’re on a laptop and not a phone, so there’s some kind of permission that doesn’t quite work. It can be a challenge to do it, but you can get things done — no matter what “the critics” say.
The issue I’ve started to have is that I don’t want to have to think about “getting it to work” anymore — I just want a tool that works for the job. Sure there might be the odd occasion I have to figure something out, but I want that to be a minority of the time rather than half or most of it.
Goodbye, Google Hardware, Hello Apple!
Standardisation
The best way to make hardware work as effectively as possible — is to tune your software to work well with that specific hardware. There is no one that does this better than Apple. Recently they’ve really started to show that this is the case with their M1 Macs.
By limiting the amount of devices you have to optimise for — you get better apps, that take less time to develop because you don’t need to optimise them for 6 or 7 different device manufacturers (and hundreds of devices). By limiting the hardware the apps use what they have available to them (such as the Apple Pencil) really effectively.
This ends up meaning that the app selection is just better on Apple Hardware. There are a lot of Apps that I want to try out, that just aren’t on Android. The apps on iPad are optimised brilliantly and a lot are better than desktop apps.
Connectivity
Apple’s Ecosystem is unparalleled, everything just works together. I will be able to Airdrop files between my phone and my iPad. The seamless switching between apps in the Apple ecosystem is brilliant. You can be reviewing a document on your phone, and jump onto an iPad to draw all over it. Then, when you need to type things up, just jump onto your Mac and get in some Deep/Higher End Work.
Being able to use one pair of earphones across all your devices as well is brilliant.
Consistency
I tinker with my tech, and you know what? As fun as it is — I’m so tired of playing around with settings and making things “Just right”. I just want an experience that works and one that works consistently across platforms. The iPhone, iPad, and Mac all work in their own way — but there’s a consistent design language across them. There is less friction switching between them than switching between any other Operating Systems.
Reliability
I’m starting to see computers as a tool rather than a hobby. I don’t want to pick up my phone and think about how I can get a task done, or how I can get the apps to do what I need. I just want to be able to just do the task and the operating system to get out of the way.
I also want hardware that doesn’t break itself or fall to pieces. Apple know what they’re doing with this, they’ve been doing it for years.
Power
As I mentioned earlier the transition to Apple Silicon will make this switch more enticing for the future. And while I’m not expecting this to change anything straight away (aside from spec bumps). I can only see this being a good thing for Apple consumers.
iPads, even a basic iPad Air, can run things that Android tablets/Chromebooks/Phones just struggle with. Chromebooks are great “Light” computing devices, and as I’ve said they can do things if you try hard enough — but the experience is nowhere near as smooth as it is on an Apple device. Desktop class software on a tablet is just too enticing to miss.
Privacy
Google Apps are private. I’m not going to be one of those guys on the net that rants about how Google is stealing your data and following your every move. I mean — they are — that’s not up for debate, but that’s part of the deal, and it’s not like someone is checking out my browsing history line by line. It’s all algorithmic, and I don’t really care.
But then — why wouldn’t I choose to protect my data a bit better if I can? Having that bit of disconnect is probably not a bad thing, and I can’t say I’d miss being tracked wherever I go and whatever I’m doing. I’m certainly not getting much out of it currently — at least not directly.
The freedom to not choose.
This is something slightly more intangible, but can be narrowed down to Decision Fatigue. Year-on-year, when I buy a new phone or tablet or laptop, I don’t want to be thinking about which one to get, or if Samsung has actually made a nicer phone than Google or if the iPhone is worth switching everything over to it. I just want the decision to be made for me.
I just want to get the new iPhone, whatever it is and not worry about it. Being a tech enthusiast is great — but not something I want to spend most of my life thinking about. It is incredibly time-consuming, and it’s not something I find enjoyment in anymore.
What I’ll Miss
Google Camera
Recently Phone cameras have all trended to a signature “Look”. For Phone cameras I have always preferred the “Look” of the Pixel Phone to iPhone. There’s something I don’t like about the iPhone camera, and I can’t put my finger on what it is. Something a bit too warm and “soft”.
That said — for a snapshot camera, I don’t mind. Losing that “Look” is an incredibly small price to pay for the other benefits I pick up.
Configurability of Android
Android can really be made into what you want it to be — I’ve got my phone set up so that the wallpaper scrolls through a gallery of my photography — which is really nice. I can use Nova Launcher to make my home screen look, feel, and do exactly what I want it to. It’s all little hacky though — and it takes a bit of trial and error. Which I just can’t be bothered with anymore.
Holdouts
There are one or two items I’m not switching over to Apple (not yet at least).
Watch — Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (for now)
This one is really tough, because I can see the utility of the Apple Watch — but this watch is a tank. I’ve smacked it off of doors, tables, desks, walls, you name it — and although a little bashed — it’s not cracked, broken, or unusable. It’s got a Sapphire screen that will not break, no matter how clumsy I am, and it works just as well as the day I got it.
Battery wise — it lasts me a week easily — and that is with tracking some GPS activities. It’s an absolute beast. I once went on a two-week holiday to Croatia and forgot my watch charger. I whacked it in low power mode (No phone notifications or GPS tracking essentially) and it lasted the entire time. I’m not going to be able to get that out of an Apple Watch.
Tangentially linked is sleep tracking. Without good battery life, Sleep Tracking becomes nigh on impossible. I’m well aware you can now track your sleep on an Apple Watch — but that comes at the cost of charging it overnight. Meaning I’d have to track when I was up and about — which would mean missing data. I currently miss about an hour or twos worth of data every week with my Fenix. This is trivial in the grand scheme of things. If I had to lose that every single day though, then that’s a lot more data that I miss out on. I’m also awful at remembering to put my watch back on.
I like the design of the Garmin Fenix Series — plain and simple. I like the round display of the watch, and think it looks nicer than a square display.
I also quite like the chunky rugged look — but that is purely personal preference. Display quality wise I think it’s good enough, and doesn’t need to show me photography on my wrist. It gives me the info I need and works well night or day.
Despite all this, I’ll admit that the Apple Watch is incredibly tempting. From a simple point of having a microphone on your wrist that can connect to other services. If you ask me in a year or so, I can genuinely see myself having switched over. If Apple address both Battery Life and Durability I would do it, but until then — not yet.
Smart Speakers — Google Home
I’ve got Google Home (or Nest Home Minis, or whatever!) speakers all around my house. They work really well, and do the job I want — some light home automation, music, the occasional search/query, and timers — all for a relatively cheap price. I don’t see these transitioning over any time soon.
Homepods I’m sure sound better on the music front — but I don’t listen to music on my smart speakers because I want the best sound, I listen to music on them for some background noise. Sure, better sound is nice — but it doesn’t need to be the highest possible quality for what I want. Plus — Spotify works great on them and there’s not going to be any weirdness when Spotify and Apple get into a disagreement.
Google is better for search — it answers questions quickly and easily.
Homepods are way more expensive — for not much extra really. If I’m buying these for all around my house, why spend £500 when I can spend £150?
I don’t feel like Homekit has really taken off enough to be a viable option. Google Assistant works with so many more services and connects really easily to them. Not there yet, although heading in the right direction. If I was going to switch, it’d likely be to Alexa instead — but that’s another article entirely!
Single Function Devices
I have some devices that don’t really fit into the Apple Ecosystem and can be defined as “Single Function Devices”. Devices that do one thing, and do it really well. By consolidating some of my activities into a certain device — I can get a better experience out of them. Also — I can make things of a higher quality with some more professional devices. On top of that — it reduces the very real risk of me getting distracted and doing something else entirely!
Kindle
For reading articles I tend to use Instapaper. I find highlighting and making notes works really well there. However, for reading longform Fiction/Non-Fiction books, I find it a nicer experience to use a Kindle. It’s more portable, the battery is great, it’s waterproof the screen is less reflective than a phone or iPad. It syncs really nicely with Audible for any audiobooks I’m listening to. Any basic notes I make can get pulled out into Readwise where I can review them later. All in all — it works pretty damn well at what it does and I feel no need to get rid of it.
Sony A7iii
This isn’t so much a holdout as a difference in quality. I have always considered my phone camera a snapshot camera — it takes nice photos yes, but it’s not for making higher quality photography. It’s for some quick snapshots with family and friends, and taking pictures of things I need to remember. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen what some people can get out of these cameras, and some of it is absolutely stunning, but that isn’t for me. If I take my camera out, I’m trying to create artwork/photography I can be proud of, and I personally am not going to get something I’m happy with out of a phone camera.
Playstation
Once again, not so much a holdout — as more of a specific device to do a thing. I’m ditching Stadia from Google mostly due to the fact I’m not gaming as much as I used to. The gaming that I do, tends to be on a few specific titles anyway. I’ve always preferred Playstation to Xbox, and their Single Player Narrative games are just what I enjoy. I don’t have a need for multiple services for gaming. [1]
Software — Mixing it up a bit
Hey
Hey has been a relatively new addition to my arsenal and one I’m still evaluating. It’s a bit of a new way of working with email — and it’s taking some adjusting but I can see it being good. Splitting out newsletter and receipts from the rest of your email just makes sense.
It could do with some refinement — but it’s pretty nice so far. Privacy driven, and being a paid for service — I can’t imagine them just cutting me off without warning. At least not as much!
Cloud Storage
iCloud
Alongside moving my email out of Gmail — I’m taking my files out of Google Drive. I’ve been a user of them for years — but the scare that all of my data could disappear really worried me. iCloud feels more secure to me as it’s not linked to a Google account that gets used for plenty of other things. Besides syncing on Mac is getting a bit weird with me using an app that I don’t think technically exists anymore to upload things. Moving over to iCloud syncing on the rest of my devices should get a lot easier.
With Google Photos losing free storage it kind of means that there’s no point keeping my photos in there. Especially as Apple is implementing a lot of the features, with privacy more in mind.
Office Apps — GSuite
Now, I’m not cutting back on this one just yet, but it’s something I’m thinking of for the future. GSuite is great — and for a free service, does everything I need it to. But I must admit their apps can be lacking in some annoying ways. There are a few things that can be irksome (Lack of Apple Pencil support for Google Sheets), but overall, for small, relatively simple spreadsheets, they do the job.
Microsoft Office apps are better on your desktop — especially on Windows, which I use at work. They are more powerful and can do a lot more (I’m looking at you VBA and Macros!). The price-tag, however, for what I need spreadsheets for — is just not worth it. Not yet at least.
Moving On
It’s going to be a bit weird but as I mentioned in my Yearly Theme 2021, this is setting my Technological Foundation for the foreseeable future. It will mean less “tinkering” and tweaking things until they’re “just right”, and more getting shit done. Technology becoming more of a tool than a toy — which is my ultimate goal.
Goodbye Google, I’ll still be around, but you’ll be seeing a lot less of me. It’s been good, but I think we both know it’s for the best.
- While I’m on the subject — Stadia works really well, and I mean really well. The technology is groundbreaking, and if Playstation made their own service, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. I fundamentally believe it’s where console gaming is heading — I just don’t need it right now, especially not from Google. ↩︎
