android

Estimated Reading Time: 7min

If you ask people this question, it can sometimes elicit some very serious reactions.

People on the side of Android will swear black and blue that the operating systems, hardware and tech in general are better on all fronts. Apple people will have pretty much all the products, have them all able to link together and point out the good features of theirs while pointing out that more people have apple chargers hanging around their homes rather than android… So, who’s right?

Well, when it comes to things like this it’s always going to be personal preference, but let’s look at some of the reasons why this is such a highly debated idea…

My very first phone was android – though it wasn’t called that at the time. The debate over which was better was still in infancy as flip phones had become the major players (boy, I’m old). But as the iPhone 3 came out and we all decided if it was worth paying the money for an iPhone, that’s what I started with.

People who have android phones, LOVE android phones. I have heard people (and people very close to me, let me tell you!) who will absolutely to their dying breath claim that android is better. The main reasons I hear is the camera is much better quality, the operating system is better, more intuitive and easier to use, and that the phone’s themselves actually change and have more variety (opposed to Apple and their tendency to release an almost exactly the same phone every year).

While I can see the reasoning behind these claims, I have yet to really see that much of a difference in terms of how easy an operating system is to use. This is something that is always going to be a challenge to learn when you first switch between (even going from Apple to Android requires learning a new system). I could believe the camera part and even agree the range is definitely better for Android. But is that worth swapping everything you own so that your phone will no longer link with your other devices?

Apple

Apple was the first phone I ever got that was a plan, rather than Pre-Paid. It was a heck of a lot of money, and it was only when I got my first real, full time job that I could afford it. But man, I loved it at first setup. I have no shame admitting that I am an Apple person. I have computers, phones, tablets, watches and TV devices…. yeah, I’m one of those.

Some Android people have told me to come over to their side, trying to convince me it’s better over there, but I just don’t want to make the leap. Let me be clear, I’m not one of those people who has to have the newest model the day it comes out – actually I’m usually quite a few models behind (right now I am about 4 models behind the new release and very happy with the phone I have). But, I do like my Apple products.

Some of the main reasons people claim Apple is better, include the ability to link all your devices and having access to the same chargers for multiple products. Yes, you can do that in some form with Android, but Apple seems to do it really well. Apple is sleek, has a certain look about it that I just like. It is just as pricey as Android these days (sorry guys, but have you seen the prices on some of those Samsung and other Android models!?) and I am willing to forego as good of a camera, for the familiar operating system and sleek synchronicity. It also does actually have a great and easy to use operating system, hardware and overall look that I think is what you want from a phone!

Outcome

Until one or both of these go out of business (unlikely on both fronts really), I think we’ll be having this debate until the end of technology…. whatever side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you have your own reasons that each is good (or bad!).

So, to keep the debate rolling, share in the comments which side you’re on – Apple or Android… Make your case!

See You in the Adventures
Christy Grace

Post apocalyptic world with androids, owls, and Harrison Ford. What else do you need? I’ll bet you didn’t realise that Blade Runner was actually a BOOK first…

Estimated Reading Time 6min

I recently discovered that Blade Runner was actually based on a book. That book is Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which is admittedly a much longer title and probably one of the reasons the film ended up being called Blade Runner instead. After watching the 1982 movie and then reading the novel, I had a lot of thoughts. And for once, this isn’t one of those adaptations where a few details were changed here and there. This felt like an entirely different story.

As always, spoilers ahead.

The Movie Assumes You’ve Read the Book

One of my biggest frustrations with Blade Runner was that it seemed to expect the audience to already know things that were never explained.

The concept itself is fantastic. Deckard’s job is to hunt down androids that look so human they can only be identified through specialised testing. Earth has been largely abandoned in favour of off-world colonies, and androids aren’t supposed to be here. Great premise. The problem is that the movie never properly explains the world surrounding that premise.

Why is Earth in such terrible condition?

Why have people left?

What happened to society?

The book answers all of these questions. The movie largely doesn’t.

The Missing Worldbuilding

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is how much context it provides. In the book, we learn about wars, radioactive fallout, colonisation of other planets, and the environmental collapse that left Earth bleak and sparsely populated.

There are reasons the world looks the way it does.

There are reasons people have left.

There are reasons entire apartment blocks sit almost empty.

The movie gives us the visuals but not the explanations. Even a few lines of dialogue could have helped bridge that gap. Instead, the audience is simply expected to accept the setting without understanding how it got there.

The Importance of Animals

One of the strangest omissions from the film was the significance of animals. In the book, many species have gone extinct. Owls are gone. Many other animals are gone. Owning a real animal has become a symbol of status, empathy, and humanity.

This isn’t a minor detail. It’s woven into the themes of the story. The novel repeatedly explores the connection between empathy and what it means to be human. The movie touches on some of these ideas but never develops them in the same way. As a result, a major layer of the story disappears.

The Moral Questions Were More Interesting Than the Action

Before reading the book, I was warned that it contained a lot of introspection. That warning was accurate. There are pages dedicated to characters questioning themselves, their choices, and their place in the world. At times it can feel slow. At times it can even feel a little dry. But those moments are also what make the story memorable.

The novel constantly asks difficult questions:

What makes someone human?
Can empathy be measured?
Is killing an android morally different from killing a person?
If something thinks and feels like a human, does the distinction even matter?

The movie touches on some of these ideas, but the book dives into them much more deeply. The Characters Were Completely Different This was probably the biggest surprise. Many of the characters share names between the book and movie, but that’s often where the similarities end.

Deckard’s circumstances are different.

The androids are different.C

haracter motivations are different.

Relationships are different.

The endings are different.

In some places, it almost felt as though the filmmakers took a handful of ideas from the novel and built an entirely new story around them. Some changes made sense. Others left me wondering why they were changed at all.

The Character the Movie Barely Used

One of the biggest losses was J.R. Isidore. In the novel, he’s a major character. In the movie, his role is significantly reduced. The book spends time exploring his loneliness, his struggles, and his place in a world that often dismisses him. His storyline adds another perspective on what it means to be human in a society obsessed with measuring worth. The film could have done so much more with him. Instead, one of the novel’s most important characters is largely pushed aside.

The Empathy Box and the Theme of Loneliness

Perhaps the most unusual concept in the book is the empathy box. It’s difficult to explain because it’s unlike almost anything else I’ve read. People connect to a shared experience through a figure called Mercer. When they do, they become part of a collective struggle, sharing emotions and experiences with others.

It sounds strange.

It is strange.

But it’s also one of the ways the book explores loneliness.

And loneliness is everywhere in this story. Earth is mostly empty. People are isolated. Communities are fractured. Characters desperately search for connection. The empathy box may be odd, but it serves an important purpose in reinforcing those themes. The movie removes it entirely.

Why the Book Worked Better

There were parts of Blade Runner that I enjoyed. The concept is excellent, the atmosphere is memorable, and considering it was made in 1982, the visuals were ambitious. But the movie left too many gaps.

Important pieces of worldbuilding were missing however. Major character arcs were reduced or removed. Some of the story’s most interesting themes barely made it onto the screen. Meanwhile, the novel explored morality, loneliness, empathy, identity, and humanity in ways that felt thoughtful and surprisingly relevant.

It wasn’t always an easy read. Philip K. Dick can be incredibly wordy, and at times the book feels more like literature than a straightforward sci-fi adventure. But for me, that depth was exactly what made it worthwhile.

Book vs Movie: Which Wins?

For this one, the winner is easy.

The book.

While Blade Runner remains a sci-fi classic, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? provided the context, character depth, and thematic exploration that the movie simply couldn’t match. The film gave me questions. The book gave me answers. And in this case, those answers made all the difference.

Grab the book Here

Have you read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? or only seen Blade Runner? Which version did you prefer?

See You in The Adventures!
Christy Grace