Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Is the Samsung Galaxy the iPhone 4 of Android-powered phones?

After having reached 200,000 units sold in South Korea in ten days, one could make that argument.

For reference, the Apple iPhone 4 sold 1.7 million units in the first weekend of availability, but this was in several countries including the US, which alone is six times the population of the Republic of Korea.

I like my iPhone 4, so I honestly don't know much about the appeal of Android or Droid or whatever (which is not to say there isn't any, just that I don't know what it is). Anyone care to enlighten me?

5 comments:

AnonymousMonday, July 05, 2010 2:46:00 PM
I have the Galaxy S, ordered it from the UK. It certainly is the iphone 4 in terms of hardware and interface. In some ways it is superior. The main advantage for the iphone is the apps, more so, the number, and the fact they are all guaranteed to work on this singular platform. For Android this can be an issue - but overtime, especially with the HTC Desire, EVO, and now the Galaxy making good strides in handset sales I imagine we will get much more interest in the apps market, especially since development is open source and not constrained by Apple's limitations.

I have downloaded a number of excellent working apps however, all of them free. There are only a couple on the Iphone that aren't on the android that I would want (hoping only a matter of time), and there a fair number coming through that will not be available on the iphone but on Android (like Firefox, a true and free GPS app).

That said, the iphone is simple to use, and, er, mostly guaranteed to work well, recent issues notwithstanding.
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John from DaejeonMonday, July 05, 2010 10:08:00 PM
I can't believe you haven't made a post about the latest episode of "Futurama." They skewered Apple and its Kool-Aid drinking followers perfectly; however, it does seem that Apple might have forced some editing of "Futurama's" eyephone episode after all.
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kushiboTuesday, July 06, 2010 12:18:00 AM
Thanks for the insight sigma1.

You wrote:
especially since development is open source and not constrained by Apple's limitations.

I know some developers grouse about the "limitations," but with just a few exceptions, the efforts at ensuring quality product among the apps doesn't seem to me all that much of a negative.
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kushiboTuesday, July 06, 2010 12:20:00 AM
John from Taejŏn wrote:
I can't believe you haven't made a post about the latest episode of "Futurama." They skewered Apple and its Kool-Aid drinking followers perfectly

After clicking YES to the OSX and iOS4 user agreements, I'm not allowed to.
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AnonymousWednesday, July 07, 2010 6:17:00 AM
kush,

An android phone can mow your lawn or, if you don't have a lawn, it can water your plants. Didn't you get the memo?... ;)
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Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

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九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.