Android is praised as an open model, but criticised for being fragmented as a platform, and for the rapid pace of new releases. An iPad fan writes: Five things I love and hate about Android.

- Widgets - Android widgets are mini applications that live on the home screen and can deliver everything from time, weather, stock updates, social network status, and command and control of settings and services. Nothing else provides the personal customisation of the Android platform. This flexibility allows me to create the user interface I want to see, with the information I need always glanceable and accessible.

- Side-loading applications - means not being tied to a single source, store, or marketplace. From Amazon, get a free Android app of some value every day. Easily work with developers to test new applications. But beware of malicious stuff out there. You have to know what you are installing and where it came from. Yet the benefits of Android’s side-loading flexibility outweigh the risks.

- Huge phones - but a phone with a really large screen compromises the phone experience and falls short of the tablet experience. Yet you can’t call this a failing of Android. Some people will love those big screens. Android devices come in many sizes, some small enough.

- Keyboards and pens as input devices - a pen can be handy for taking notes. Some touch-screen keyboards are better than some tiny physical keyboards, but some people want a tiny keyboard on their phone. Android has a zillion form factors with options for everyone's needs (i.e. read that not locked in to limited choices).

- Geeky options - You can do some pretty wild things with Android, like hack a new version of the operating system onto your device even if your carrier or vendor doesn’t support it; even wearable computing. Open source opens the door to infinite possibilities that could not exist without Android.