Taxi apps pre-date Uber too

Did you expect it to turn up in 3 minutes, be clean and responsible and cost half of what it used to?

I sometimes feel as if people who criticize Uber didn't ever use taxi services in the pre-Uber times.

Not everywhere around the world taxis are so awful as in USA. In my town, for example, Uber is both slower and usually more expensive than taxis.

Personally, I was talking about my experience in Russia and Israel. Where do you live?

I don't know where you live, but here in Berlin taxis come quickly, are clean, and you pay what the meter states. I never had trouble with a driver. They could be cheaper, but I don't think that lowering prices by increasing competition is revolutionary.

Uber is not really cheaper, they are just burning their investors cash to project the illusion. When a) that runs out and b) they have to pay the same fees and taxes and follow the same regulations as other taxi companies, the true cost will be revealed

You're speculating. As it stands right now, Uber is absolutely cheaper than taxi's (at least where I am from). What they have to do in the future is anyone's guess.

Have they figured a way to get cheaper cars and fuel then? And are their drivers willing to work for lower pay than any other drivers?

At the end of the day, you can't sustain charging less for a service than it costs to provide, and make it up on volume.

That is only because Uber is currently subsidising the rides. This is well known.