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Let's cut the crap. What are these 'pros' of an open platform for the average user? You know, 95% of users who don't even know what the hell closed and open mean. Let's face it- for most people, the 'benefits' of an open system are nil. Nada. You think the vast majority of people aren't satisfied with the close to half-million apps on the appstore? They're dying to get those handful of apps which are rejected for various reasons? They want to modify their kernels? No, they don't give a ****. The one who can provide the easiest and best user experience wins.

This. But that takes attention to detail, planning, learning to say no to a thousand things, courage, etc.

I'm not sure Google and the also-rans have the guts for it.
 
2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xc_1Vv69k

"If Google didn’t act, it faced a draconian future where one man, one phone, one carrier were our choice. That’s a future we don’t want. […]
So if you believe in openness, if you believe in choice, if you believe in innovation from everyone, then welcome to Android."

- Vic Gundotra, Vice-President of Engineering for Google, formerly a general manager at Microsoft.

2011

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_15/b4223041200216.htm
Playtime is over in Android Land. Over the last couple of months Google (GOOG) has reached out to the major carriers and device makers backing its mobile operating system with a message: There will be no more willy-nilly tweaks to the software. No more partnerships formed outside of Google's purview. From now on, companies hoping to receive early access to Google's most up-to-date software will need approval of their plans. And they will seek that approval from Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group.

Lord Rubin, meet Lord Jobs. The two of you have much to discuss. Please check your police batons at the the door.

Agreed. Most people, I think, will gloss over your bold points so they can attempt to make an irrational counterpoint.
 
Well said. I'm waiting for HTC to release 2.3 update for my Desire sometime in the next 3 months :(

They should be able to do it with a couple of days - they probably could access to the earlier unofficial releases to test everything and do it.

Problem is providers don't care about devices that are already sold - they are not investing any money in anything that is already payed for.

And yes, this is not Android specific - the same story repeat right now with the windows mobile 7 update .... Apple made a smart decision that they didn't allow any providers to customize/cripple iOS.
 
At least, that's what the Fandroids wanted us to believe when Android fragmentation started being tossed around as a problem. Where are those guys now that Google is actually acknowledging that it's a problem? :eek:

an idea for a portmanteau: androidmentation = too many cooks in teh technology kitchen.
 
Strangely honest/frank comments by Rubin there. 'We took a shortcut'. 'We have no idea if it'll work on phones'.

Even if 100% true, it's hard to see Apple execs/engineers ever making comments like that; which would reflect badly, or indicate weakness/uncertainty on the product. Apple manage the image of themselves and the product much, much more tightly.
 
Again, fanbois on rampage don't get the point. Honeycomb is a release that is not suitable for open source - YET. It is an interim release that needs fixes to actually become useful as open source.

If this is true, and like Winni said above, Homeycomb is not ready for release yet, them why is Motorola charging $800 for the Xoom running said "not ready" operating system?

I'm sorry, but Andy Rubin is a fraud. Check my comments, when All Things D hosted Rubin showcasing the Xoom before release, I commented how he was clearly hiding something, it was not going to be ready for release in time for the Moto launch, and all that was missing was the flop-sweat, much to the shegrin of some Android fans around here.

Turns out I was right.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, Honeycomb users, the OS you use on your tablet is a half-baked cludge, and it would be embarrassing to Android if the chewing gum and scotch tape holding it all together were to be exposed publicly."

They've clearly painted themselves into a corner on this one, and time is of the essence if they are to slow the juggernaut that is the iPad. Apple is expecting to sell 40 million of those things this year, add to the15 million last year, and that is a huge entrenched number to try and overcome.
 
I'm just displeased with how Google claims it's taking the higher moral ground when all along it wasn't.

Anyone who still in 2011 believes that Google is 'one of the good guys' must have had the head buried up waaay too deep.

Industrial espionage, password theft, antitrust violations, keylogging, and personal information sold to the highest bidders..and that's just the story so far....
 
I prefer the closed system..

The so called closed system Apple insists on is why we all have a platform that works 99% of the time.. Android may very well gain more users in the short/mid term, but unless they assume a more hands on role with the end user experience, I suspect the platform will earn Microsoft like reputation with the masses....

:apple: rules..
 
Open or Open Source

This wont end androids openness. It will make is so that there is more of a consistent experience amung all android devices.

We will still be able to install from "unknown sources" for example.

Relaz macrumors.. not as big as deal as you are making it.

It appears that "open" as in "jailbroken" and "open source" get mixed up. Google has always claimed that Android would be open source when iOS is not using that to make iOS appear as (subjectively) inferior.
Fact is, Android has so far been only in part open source as in you can watch at the source code. Part has always been closed source (most Google specific stuff). The source code has always been released to the public way after the big phone manufacturers like HTC could play with it. There is no roadmap officially available and so forth. If I remember correctly Google's Rubin defined open source as "you can download and compile the source code by your own", which is not even true for Android as a whole. Now this definition is not even in part true for honeycomb and therefore no claims of openness can right now be made. Trusting in Google that they will at some unknown point in the future release at least part of the source code seems a bit risky if not naive to me.
I am sorry for the Android fans, that their dream shattered so hard. But then again, trusting in Google after all that has been done...
 
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Open source fails again...

Much like Linux, which is in development forever...

Glad at least Google realized it on time. Hopefully they'll get serious about it.

A mass product must be closed source to be successful, allow some customizations like themes, etc... but deep changes should closed off and controlled from one source cause otherwise you get a salad of mess... which Android is.
 
Open source fails again...

Much like Linux, which is in development forever...

Glad at least Google realized it on time. Hopefully they'll get serious about it.

A mass product must be closed source to be successful, allow some customizations like themes, etc... but deep changes should closed off and controlled from one source cause otherwise you get a salad of mess... which Android is.

NotSureIfSerious.jpg
 
True - but what happend to the 'open is good', 'everyone can customize as they want', 'open is the freedom to do with it what you want'. The one big argument that was always made for Android is gone - it is no longer as open as people think. Anyway, 'open' was in this context anyway a hyped up buzzword ... I understood the 'open' argument since (with exception of the Nexus) everyone got dependent on what the provider chooses to adopt and what not. It is not good if the provider decides what to remove or add on top of the OS.

IMO, Google saw Andriod going the way of the Palm OS with it's "mass customization" and third party apps breaking. However, Google has the money and labor to stop this in its tracks and put it on line. Palm never had the hutzpah to make a move like this for fear of loosing hardware manufacturers.
 
Open source fails again...

Much like Linux, which is in development forever...

Much like Windows, which is in development forever...
Much like OS X, which is in development forever...
Much like HP-UX, which is in development forever...

What does this have to do with the source being open or not ? If you're really serious with your post, you are in real need of reading about the subject before you comment.
 
No...polished like Android 2.2 vs. 1.0. I think my Droid had 2.0 when I got it, and just going from 2.0 to 2.1 to 2.2 they made huge strides. Google will get it right, and this is just another step towards that. Has iOS always had the polish that it has currently? (Asking honestly, I'm new to iPhone).

I can honestly say yes. But obviously its feature set has been rather slowly built up.

Personally I prefer the polish, mostly due to time contrstaints. If I was 16, I'd think differently I'd bet. But as it is, anything I pick up requires me to put something else down.
 
Please, enlighten us, how does fragmentation bite Android's ass when it is the #1 smartphone OS. Regardless what you think, Android and iOS are by far the most successful OS in the last 5 years.
Google sold the manufacturers at "free," by using a linux kernel, keeping app dev nice and cheap (i.e. let someone else do it) and you've got pretty much the only reasons why Android is #1 right now. Could it be really be anyone else at this point? It was the most cost-effective way to compete with each other and Apple.

It's a great OS, don't get me wrong - but they just couldn't say no to that deal. If Apple gave or maybe even licensed IOS to other manufacturers they'd be all over it like stink on ****. The #1 spot could be split either way if that was the case IMO.

As for the fragmentation biting anything in the ass it will be the end users most. Manufacturers will continue to push one - maybe two - major updates if you're lucky, before they give up on your handset to focus on new products, with the exception of more expensive flagship-type models; just like they've always done.

Also if the updates stagnate too much, Google can't exactly update their ad-delivering code and software to those older handsets, so it's not good for them either. They obviously want to hit as many people as possible. That's the whole reason why they're in this game. Most people don't upgrade their smartphone every year. And not everyone buys a smartphone. Those reasons are why Symbian is still a healthy #2.

If I was going to buy any Android phone it would be the Nexus line. Less dependence on manufacturers for my updates (incidentally I am happy doing just that with my iPhone.) Listening to friends bitch about how long it has taken for their particular handset to get an official upgrade from Froyo to Gingerbread is both annoying and sad.

Considering how hardware restricted IOS it it speaks volumes as to where it sits at #3.
 
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