Here we are, a few days after Google convinced the entire web that Froyo had Apple running scared to catch up, and some publications, such as PocketNow, are actually using Froyo in the wild.

To say that the difference between Google’s claims and this video is rather large would be an understatement.

Interestingly, though, it’s not really the browser in Android that is failing to deliver here. Instead, it’s our old friend Flash. PocketNow tried the browser again after uninstalling the flash plugin, and the browser in Android indeed started besting the iPhone for most things. Of course, this is on the current iPhone, not the one that will be announced in a few weeks.

Still, the mere PRESENCE of that Flash plugin, even when rendering the initial site that didn’t have any flash on it, had a HUGE impact on the speed of the browser. When flash ads were littered all over the page, it literally turned the browser into a dog.

Yet another affirmation of Jobs’ Thoughts on Flash piece.

“But it’s still a beta” I can hear you say. Okay. Fair enough. But it’s been more than 3 years since the iPhone was announced. If Adobe hasn’t worked out the speed issues in all this time, what are the chances it’s going to get them fixed in the next couple of months? Do we really expect this dog to turn into a Gazelle anytime soon?

Another thing I find interesting is this idea that the flash bits on the page need to be tapped and held in order to be brought into a full screen view in order to manipulate them. How exactly will this work for sites that use flash for navigation? Will you have to tap and hold the nav bar, let it come into full screen, and then tap on the link you want? Seems like a UI nightmare to me.

> Turns out, Apple’s run of incredible products (and growth) has been achieved with a staggeringly low R&D spend. How low? Apple only spent $4.6 billion on R&D over the past four years, while revenues soared from $25 billion to $43 billion. > > In contrast, Microsoft spent 700% that amount on R&D during the same period, a whopping $31 billion, while growing at an anemic pace, despite flippant M&A. Likewise Cisco and Intel spent about 400% as much as Apple on R&D – $19 billion and  $23 billion respectively. These are astounding differences above Apple’s research and development spend, especially considering that during this period Apple developed the iPhone and iPad. > > In fact it’s rumored that Apple brought the iPhone to market for a mere $150 million, doing so organically without acquisition outside of a touch gesture recognition company named FingerWorks. Apple is doing more with less, and growing from within instead of acquiring from without. That takes clear leadership and singleness of vision, which is what all of Apple’s competitors seem to lack.

It’s all about focus.

Google seems to be following Microsoft’s strategies much more than Apple’s lately. They acquired 40 companies in the last four years, spread their product base all over the map, launched a few epic duds, all in pursuit of the “all or nothing” approach. They are literally buying companies just to keep them away from competitors. And none of it brings them any income. I wouldn’t call that leadership or focus.

> You can see the tethering and wifi hotspot features in the screenshots above. One thing that isn’t clear from the information we’ve received is whether carriers can turn this feature off, or even charge for it, unless they break away from the standard Android build. > > This is, of course, terrific news for Android users. I still believe Android phones, [paired with Google Voice](http://techcrunch.com/2009/08/09/how-i-learned-to-quit-the-iphone-and-love-google-voice/), are the closest thing to mobile nirvana to date. With tethering and wifi hotspot features, Apple and others have some serious catching up to do. So Froyo will have the capability to tether, just like the iPhone OS has been able to for a year now. And whether or not you will ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO USE that tethering will depend on your carrier, just as with the iPhone for the past year.

And Arrington’s conclusion: “Apple and others have some serious catching up to do.”

Ok. Just making sure I’m reading that right.

Prediction: No carrier will allow tethering for free. At the very least, AT&T won’t allow tethering on Android devices at all.

What am I saying? None of the AT&T Android phones are going to be able to run Froyo, anyway.

Verizon is up for grabs. If they allow tethering, it will come at the same ridiculous price that everyone else pays.

So what’s the big news here again?

> **Apple is losing on two fronts** > > Apple is fighting two wars and losing both. > > It’s losing in the fight for market share. With Android shipping on a myriad of phones and Apple’s growth limited to its own devices, Google seems destined to win the numbers game. > > By providing more fertile ground for developers, meanwhile, Google is winning the hearts and minds of app makers. Google’s mastery of the mobile space appears imminent. What was this guy smoking this morning?

Apple is losing market share? The iPhone has steadily gained market share since its debut in 2007. When you have a market that is still growing, it is entirely possible that two different companies can gain market share at once, you know. The math isn’t all that complicated.

Google winning the hearts and minds of developers? Show me evidence of this. I hear a lot of talk about green pastures and the wonderful open world of Android development, but I have yet to hear about any happy Android Entrepreneurs making millions from a coffee shop in Seattle. I don’t hear any stories about Android developers at all, in fact. Is anyone making a living with Android apps right now? I seriously would like to know.

> **Developers jump ship?** > > There’s another reason the iPhone is losing its edge. Developers may be switching to Android. > > The iPhone’s appeal is in large part tied to the hundreds of thousands of applications available in the App Store. But Apple’s controlling nature has frustrated developers. Its esoteric App Store rules mean that applications can be rejected for all manner of reasons, creating a strong disincentive to develop on the platform. > > Apple has earned enemies, too, in its battle against Adobe Flash. By essentially banning Flash from the iPhone, Apple has provided fuel to critics who say the iPhone is a “closed” platform: You can play in Apple’s sandbox, but only if you abide by their rules. The rules, it seems, become stricter every day. > > No wonder, then, that Google’s I/O conference this week hinged around one word: “open.” Developers audibly cheered, writes Mashable’s [Jolie O’Dell](http://mashable.com/2010/05/20/froyo-screws-apple/), as Google execs presented their latest creation, Android Froyo. > > To the delight of developers in attendance, Froyo supports Flash. Vic Gundotra, Google’s vice president of engineering, received enthusiastic applause as he quipped: “It turns out that on the Internet, people use Flash.” > > Amid the applause, there was laughter, too. A rebellion against Apple’s encumbered system. Name me one iPhone developer, one, that was previously making iPhone apps but is now making Android apps exclusively. There isn’t one. Because Android developers can’t make a living making Android apps.

The occasional grumbling you do hear about this or that app not being approved never leads to anyone “jumping ship” to Android. More often than not, it leads to Apple approving the app after all.

You can talk about disincentives all you want. The fact of the matter is, there’s only one incentive: money. And all the money is with Apple, while none is with Android. That isn’t going to change with Flash or Froyo.

Flash developers who are angry that they can’t make iPhone apps aren’t iPhone developers. They never were. In order to be an iPhone app developer, you have to actually write apps for the iPhone. Non-iPhone developers becoming non-iPhone developers isn’t a story. No ships. No jumping.

And anyone who puts “Flash” and “Open” in the same story without laughing is not a credible source of information.

You have to be delusional to think Apple is in trouble at this point.