Google clamps down on handset makers to stem Android fragmentation

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 144
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    But "open" is Android's claim to fame! Welcome to reality Google! Open leads to fragmentation.
  • Reply 22 of 144
    insikeinsike Posts: 188member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTom View Post


    Seems like Google is learning that user experience becomes much more important than openness. There are always trade-offs, but keeping the customer happy should be the most important.



    You can still fork Android, though, can't you?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by benanderson89 View Post


    I see Google have finally realised what a mistake it was to make the system 100% open source.



    Like WebKit?
  • Reply 23 of 144
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by insike View Post


    You can still fork Android, though, can't you?





    Like WebKit?



    The open source pre-gingerbread parts yes.
  • Reply 24 of 144
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Paul94544 View Post


    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



    Everyone here complains about the GPL vs. BSD/ASL2. Now that you just witnessed what people can do with this BSD like license, you all are complaining?



    I'll remember that the next time someone comes in here calling the FSF a bunch of religious zealots or freetards.
  • Reply 25 of 144
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jd_in_sb View Post


    But "open" is Android's claim to fame! Welcome to reality Google! Open leads to fragmentation.



    Open/Closed whatever



    a new word - Android is Clopen
  • Reply 26 of 144
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by insike View Post


    You can still fork Android, though, can't you?





    Like WebKit?



    I?m not sure I follow. Is WebKit closed in any way?
  • Reply 27 of 144
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Smallwheels View Post




    Why doesn't Sony, Toshiba, Dell, or any other computer manufacturer create their own OS for their computers and phones?



    I think it's bc they would produce something like Symbian. Ugh!
  • Reply 28 of 144
    jacksonsjacksons Posts: 244member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jd_in_sb View Post


    But "open" is Android's claim to fame! Welcome to reality Google! Open leads to fragmentation.



    And tomorrow is the first of the month. The day we get the next batch of monthly data on how poorly that strategy is going for them. Can't wait to see them fall on their face as they do every month. Oh wait... \
  • Reply 29 of 144
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Webkit isn't an operating system and development platform its just a rendering engine. What is done is done for a reason.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by insike View Post


    Like WebKit?



  • Reply 30 of 144
    I am an OLD dude and I remember this fragmentation with DOS (sorry). If you wrote DOS apps and you had an IBM PC it sometimes did not work on a Compaq PC.

    History repeats itself. \
  • Reply 31 of 144
    ahmlcoahmlco Posts: 432member
    All laudable goals. And, truth be told, probably needed. But the very idea of Android "standardization" could backfire.



    You can read my blog link for the breakdown, but with no significant differentiation, the majority of Android devices will end up being heavily discounted, or even given away as loss leaders by carriers and others attempting to lock subscribers into subscription plans.



    And the end of Android as a truly competitive platform.



    http://www.iSights.org/2011/03/googl...a-mistake.html
  • Reply 32 of 144
    starnycstarnyc Posts: 24member
    How will the partners differentiate if they are not able to take liberties?



    What happens to google when apple makes a bold new move into the cloud?
  • Reply 33 of 144
    bmoviebmovie Posts: 88member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Paul94544 View Post


    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



    This God promises all believers - seven virgins - that you now have to keep virgins.
  • Reply 34 of 144
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ahmlco View Post


    All laudable goals. And, truth be told, probably needed. But the very idea of Android "standardization" could backfire.



    You can read my blog link for the breakdown, but with no significant differentiation, the majority of Android devices will end up being heavily discounted, or even given away as loss leaders by carriers and others attempting to lock subscribers into subscription plans.



    And the end of Android as a truly competitive platform.



    http://www.iSights.org/2011/03/googl...a-mistake.html



    Uh, maybe instead of competing with themselves they will compete with WP7, RIM, Apple, webOS???
  • Reply 35 of 144
    vvswarupvvswarup Posts: 336member
    An open-source software program is one where the end user has unfettered access to the source code. By contract, a closed-source program is where the user does not have access to the source code. By "unfettered," I mean that access to the source is not encumbered in any way (e.g. license agreements).



    Android is "open-source" to OEMs since they can pretty much put whatever skins they want on the products. However, if what Andy Rubin says is true, that Google is not changing the rules and that the custom required approval from Google, then the "open-source" label is questionable. By definition, if a developer distributes a piece of open-source software, the developer relinquishes control over what the end user does with it. When Google gives away Android to OEMs under an open-source license, Google relinquishes control over what OEMs do with it.



    If Google is going to require approval for the skins OEMs put on Android devices, then Android is no longer open-source. Android is a closed-source operating system that has a wider range of acceptable uses than Apple's iOS, but it's not open-source.



    All the talk by Google about "open" is nothing more than smoke-and-mirrors.
  • Reply 36 of 144
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    So Google is now moving to make its Android platform more like Apple's iOS platform. How ironical.



    What is ironic about that? They aspire to have a mobile platform like Apple's iOS, but they aren't vertically integrated like Apple. What is a company to do? Partner with a few "select" hardware makers, screw the rest. They can have the leftover market share when Google's anointed partners have eaten their fill.
  • Reply 37 of 144
    rbryanhrbryanh Posts: 263member
    No, no... It's all a dirty lie. [Mary had a little lamb... la la la la la la... Four score and seven versions ago... la la la dee dah...]



    Everyone knows Google and Android are Champions of Freedom and Openness and Apple and its diabolical iOS are the Evil Insular Empire. Google wants each and every one of us to get down, get down and boogie however we like, and Apple wants to strap us into their fascist robot exoskeleton and make us all dance to the same monotonous tune.



    Google told me so and it must be true. After all, their motto is "Don't Be Evil."
  • Reply 38 of 144
    bmoviebmovie Posts: 88member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Paul94544 View Post


    Open/Closed whatever



    a new word - Android is Clopen



    Did you just make that up?

    Great.

    I'm adding it to my other new vocabulary word of the month ? "fugly".



    Who says English is a dead language?
  • Reply 39 of 144
    swiftswift Posts: 436member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by insike View Post


    You can still fork Android, though, can't you?



    It remains to be seen. Adding a few interface flourishes isn't a meaningful fork.
  • Reply 40 of 144
    ...with finally, if not admitting to, dealing with the issues that their WOS (wide open source) created for them.



    They never opened up their critical code of course, and they will leverage this for all their worth against competitors like Facebook, but at least my Android-using friends can see some relief as users of the Android OS. However, as I have mentioned before this may also be the first step in supplanting Android with the ChromeOS - especially for tablets. ChromeOS has much more versatility for a tablet framework than Android if they can nail down a proper touch interface to replace the keyboard/pointing device interface currently native to ChromeOS.



    But we still haven't seen the ravening hords of Android apologists trooping in to proclaim this was the plan all along (well except for sprokkets, but since I have him ignored, I can't really use him as an example in good faith now can I?).



    Perhaps we need to revisit the Android (Open) Rules:



    Whatever is closed, curated or controlled is bad.

    Whatever is open unfettered and free is good.

    No app shall be fee'd.

    No app shall be judged.

    No app shall restricted.

    No app shall be without ad.

    All ads are good.



    because they are changing or weren't really what you thought they were:



    Android Real Rules:



    Open is good in theory and in press, but must be...directed.

    Closed curated or controlled is only good when it reinforces Google apps and prevents fragmentation.

    No app shall compete with a Google app.

    Some apps are bad.

    Some apps need to be restricted

    Google's needs trump user's needs, handset makers' needs and carriers' needs.





    (credit to Animal Farm)



    Palm slaps head - I wonder, how does Amazons App Market factor into this decision - after all, this sort of thing rarely happens in a vaccuum?
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