Android has come a long way. There isn't a person on this planet that could sit across from you and, with a straight face and in a serious tone, tell you that Android 4.2 isn't drastically different compared to Android 1.0. Those changes have been sweeping, and over the years even more welcomed. We have watched as Android not only caught up to Apple's iOS, but in some people's eyes actually surpassed it in a lot of ways. Android isn't the underdog anymore.

But the software is only part of the story. One of the biggest differences between Android and iOS, other than the software, is the stark difference in hardware. Android has caused a literal arm's race for hardware manufacturers. They all tried to outpace and out maneuver their competitors to the "best of" in practically every single hardware category there is. Displays. Processors. Available RAM. Cameras.

Thanks to Android, we have the hardware we do today. We have devices like the HTC One, and we get excited about the potential awesomeness that Samsung's Galaxy S IV will bring to the table.

If I asked my mom, my uncle, or just a random stranger on the street if they cared which version of Android they are on, I think the answer would be pretty straightforward: no. As long as it does what it is supposed to do, why should they? More to the point, if they are not made aware that another version exists, or that it has a legitimate number of new features, how would they ever know they should care?

I think this state of mind has a lot to do with the hardware. Unlike Apple, Google's army of hardware partners makes the story of Android just a deeply embedded chapter. It isn't the leading, bold text. For Apple, the version of iOS you are running is one of the most important parts of your phone. iOS is the foreward by the author, the first chapter, and maybe even the epilogue.

All wrapped up in a nice, yearly-refreshed piece of hardware.

With a device like the HTC One, and its plethora of hardware features, just knowing it is launching with expectations of being upgraded to Android 4.2 should be good enough. Actually, the device launching with Google Now on board should be the only thing you really care about. Why would the general owner need to worry about updates that aren't meant to fix bugs, or seal security issues?

Unfortunately, I've learned to not care about which version of Android I'm running on a device for far worse reasons. It doesn't seem to matter which version my phone is using. I'll always see the same thing:

An unknown error has occurred.

I saw it multiple times with the last Galaxy S III I was using. I saw it a couple times with the Galaxy Note II. I've even seen it once or twice on the Nexus 4. It doesn't matter what I do, that warning will eventually pop-up.

And, worse, sometimes I'm informed that an application has Force Closed. Or, has failed to respond and I'm given options, like to wait and see what happens.

These things are annoying. They are more annoying to me because I've seen them in every single iteration of Android. It doesn't even matter how great I think Android is now, or how much I love Google Now. If certain areas of my phone just refuse to work, then my happiness gets a bit deflated.

I know that I'm not the only one this happens to, but at the same time I know I'm a rarity. The majority doesn't seem to have these issues. Or, maybe it's just the fact that when these things do happen, it isn't a big deal. Easily overlooked, even. And that's understandable. As long as it doesn't break the phone, or lock everything up permanently, maybe it is worth ignoring.

But I know I can't. I try, but then it happens again and I can't help but ask myself, Why did I switch?

But the truth is, I won't stop trying. Yeah, I will gladly fill the description box for insanity, because I have blind hope that a phone I fall in love with won't commit apparent seppuku at random moments in a day. Because I do love the new Android. The changes are amazing. And, yes, a lot of that love focuses on Google Now. But I'm okay with that.

So tell me if you've had these same issues. Have you left Android because they were too common? Or have you never seen any of those warnings before? If you do, do you just ignore them? Let me know!

image via ExtremeTech