So can't any doofus write apps for Android and put them out into the market without any approval? I thought that was the big difference. If true, isn't it only a matter of time before someone writes an app that is designed to hack, break, corrupt or otherwise disrupt the cellular phone networks?
I'm happy they are taking some control back, Samsungs awful Touch-wiz, and Motorolas Moto-blur UI overlays suck and give Android a bad name. Pure Google Android all the way. Its not like Android is loosing market share. It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android.
"It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android."
Why? What possible personal deficiency would lead you to such a pointless and meaningless aspiration?
I'm happy they are taking some control back, Samsungs awful Touch-wiz, and Motorolas Moto-blur UI overlays suck and give Android a bad name. Pure Google Android all the way. Its not like Android is loosingmarket share. It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
GOOG is now determined to make billions out of Android. And the only way they could happen is to create exclusivity, just like what Apple/Facebook is doing. It's the right move from the shareholders' point of view. Not sure if the vendors would stay with GOOG or just move on to new platforms (or even just move to e.g. WP7) though.
So they can't make their own layer of UI crap on the handset. I guess all that leaves is the screen size, type, CPU, GPU, battery life, voice performance, hardware quality, form factor...
They can still use Android, but they know it isn't worth much without the Google services part to it.
Except every manufacturer is drawing from the same parts bin. How many Android phones have been or will shortly be released this year that have almost identical specs? 4" 480x 800 screen, dual core Tegra 1GHz CPU, a gig of RAM, 5MP front facing camera and HD video capable rear facing camera. Cases are interchangeable. And, except for for a few higher resolution screens, that's pretty much it for the current wave of Android phones. And when the hardware increments up they'll all use it. Not that most of these incremental, spec list changes actually make much of a difference to the user experience.
Without UI modifications, the average consumer would be hard pressed to tell an Optimus from an Atrix from a Thunderbolt from an Evo. The big choice is whether or not you want a slider. And of course that fact that the handset manufactures are releasing dozens of new handsets seemingly every few minutes just makes the whole market that much more of an undifferentiated mass. How many times can they push the "new greatest Android phone" button before it stops being very interesting?
What happens next is that there is really nothing to distinguish a marquee Samsung or Motorola phone from a Chinese label free on contract phone. Nobody makes enough money selling Android phones to do much in the way of basic R&D, and why should they? They're parts assemblers doing Google's work. There aren't going to be any substantial breakthroughs or innovations in the Android handset space, there's only going to be whatever Google is shipping currently as an OS (maybe, if you're lucky) and a million cookie cutter touchscreens.
Since google is now God it has redefined what the word "open" means
Remember the word "free" used to mean free before the Internet came along lol
We are living in George Orwell 1984 after all where the elite redefines language for us
I believe Google has realized that 100 different versions of their OS configured for hundreds more devices creates problems when trying to program for Android. The more customized versions of android there are, the more test devices a developer has to buy in order to assure his application is going to work.
I think at this point, a unified Android is much more important than "openness" in order to ensure stability of the operating system.
all major Android OEM's - and Facebook - will "fork" Android in the next year or so. coming up with their own unique versions of the OS. independent of Google control. just one sucker will be left as the "official" OEM.
Amazon made this possible. Google's real control point was the Android app store. now there is a better alternative, free of any customization limits.
Google set up Android to work for the telcos, not the OEM's. now it's payback time.
Comments
Can anything really be less than 100% GPL? I thought you either have to make it 100% GPL or 0% GPL.
Not all all. Plenty of stuff is GPL, LGPL and BSD. Look at OSX and its associated apps, protocols, etc.
I'm happy they are taking some control back, Samsungs awful Touch-wiz, and Motorolas Moto-blur UI overlays suck and give Android a bad name. Pure Google Android all the way. Its not like Android is loosing market share. It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android.
"It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android."
Why? What possible personal deficiency would lead you to such a pointless and meaningless aspiration?
"It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android."
Why? What possible personal deficiency would lead you to such a pointless and meaningless aspiration?
Sorry for the almost duplicate post.
I'm happy they are taking some control back, Samsungs awful Touch-wiz, and Motorolas Moto-blur UI overlays suck and give Android a bad name. Pure Google Android all the way. Its not like Android is loosing market share. It's number one but I want ultimate world dominance for Android.
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Is there any sane person here who didn?t see this coming?
How should I know?
GOOG is now determined to make billions out of Android. And the only way they could happen is to create exclusivity, just like what Apple/Facebook is doing. It's the right move from the shareholders' point of view. Not sure if the vendors would stay with GOOG or just move on to new platforms (or even just move to e.g. WP7) though.
So they can't make their own layer of UI crap on the handset. I guess all that leaves is the screen size, type, CPU, GPU, battery life, voice performance, hardware quality, form factor...
They can still use Android, but they know it isn't worth much without the Google services part to it.
Except every manufacturer is drawing from the same parts bin. How many Android phones have been or will shortly be released this year that have almost identical specs? 4" 480x 800 screen, dual core Tegra 1GHz CPU, a gig of RAM, 5MP front facing camera and HD video capable rear facing camera. Cases are interchangeable. And, except for for a few higher resolution screens, that's pretty much it for the current wave of Android phones. And when the hardware increments up they'll all use it. Not that most of these incremental, spec list changes actually make much of a difference to the user experience.
Without UI modifications, the average consumer would be hard pressed to tell an Optimus from an Atrix from a Thunderbolt from an Evo. The big choice is whether or not you want a slider. And of course that fact that the handset manufactures are releasing dozens of new handsets seemingly every few minutes just makes the whole market that much more of an undifferentiated mass. How many times can they push the "new greatest Android phone" button before it stops being very interesting?
What happens next is that there is really nothing to distinguish a marquee Samsung or Motorola phone from a Chinese label free on contract phone. Nobody makes enough money selling Android phones to do much in the way of basic R&D, and why should they? They're parts assemblers doing Google's work. There aren't going to be any substantial breakthroughs or innovations in the Android handset space, there's only going to be whatever Google is shipping currently as an OS (maybe, if you're lucky) and a million cookie cutter touchscreens.
Google:
So if you believe in openness, if you believe in choice, if you believe in innovation from everyone, then welcome to Android.
Unless your innovation and choice are in Google's best interest then that open door will be slammed shut in your face.
It's easy to judge from an armchair. I doubt me or anyone else would behave any differently if they have a chance to make billions.
Apple makes billions .... and it doesn't behave like Google in any way, shape or form. Do no evil, indeed !
Remember this?!
So if you believe in openness, if you believe in choice, if you believe in innovation from everyone, then welcome to Android.
Unless your innovation and choice are in Google's best interest then that open door will be slammed shut in your face.
Gruber's latest post makes nice use of that very quotation.
Yep, everyone but Apple is just plain stupid.
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS22762811
I has nice picture too:
Yep, everyone but Apple is just plain stupid.
http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS22762811
Now look at how much money any given handset manufacturer is making off Android and get back to us.
EDIT: Ha, pipped by Sennen.
Since google is now God it has redefined what the word "open" means
Remember the word "free" used to mean free before the Internet came along lol
We are living in George Orwell 1984 after all where the elite redefines language for us
I believe Google has realized that 100 different versions of their OS configured for hundreds more devices creates problems when trying to program for Android. The more customized versions of android there are, the more test devices a developer has to buy in order to assure his application is going to work.
I think at this point, a unified Android is much more important than "openness" in order to ensure stability of the operating system.
I think this is a good move by google.
all major Android OEM's - and Facebook - will "fork" Android in the next year or so. coming up with their own unique versions of the OS. independent of Google control. just one sucker will be left as the "official" OEM.
Amazon made this possible. Google's real control point was the Android app store. now there is a better alternative, free of any customization limits.
Google set up Android to work for the telcos, not the OEM's. now it's payback time.
fragmentation? you ain't seen nothin' yet!