Although the common suggestion is to only use Google Play, one of the biggest advantages given for Android is not having a walled garden so you can't have both advantages of freedom and security and ignore the problems.
I suspect that only the fringe users who are looking to pirate apps or hack their phones consider the ability to install non-google play apps as "one of the biggest advantages" of android. Neither google nor any of the major OEMs mention this ability. You see it trumpeted a lot because tech forums tend to attract the kind of people who care about it. The vast majority of android users with google play access probably don't even know that there exist software sources other than google play.
Marvin, if you read your own links you probably recognized they actually support my opinion that Android isn't riddled with malware, shouldn't be a major concern particularly for Western users, nor is it something that most users will ever encounter. Yup, Android users are more exposed to potential malware than iOS owners, but one guy who downloaded pirated apps gets a porn ad popup and you believe that's evidence of wide-spread and all-pervasive Android viruses?
So you're just rejecting the 1.08 million infections reported in the US? Here's an Android site that believes the malware infection 2012 report - do you still read 1.4 million as one guy?:
"According to NQ, 65% of malware discovered in 2012 were classified as Potentially Unwanted Programs. PUPs are program which aren’t malicious but could be annoying, for example those with aggressive advertising. So of all the “malware” found, only 45% of it is real malware."
They reach 1.4 million after cutting out the PUPs. The report define PUPs as "Potentially Unwanted Programs. PUPs include root exploits, spyware, pervasive adware and Trojans (surveillance hacks)". Some of that has to be considered malware. I consider Windows toolbars malware because they are things I did not intend to install and cause annoyance.
All mobile malware infects Android and Android alone so they really should be scared. . . along with those four Symbian users. Would that be an accurate description of your opinion? I wouldn't think so.
Actually yeah, that's pretty accurate and backed up by the stats I posted and the Android site above that recommends you install some security software and enable the wall:
"The best thing for every Android user is to install a mobile security suite (see our 2013 antivirus apps for Android roundup) and avoid suspect third party download sites."
I'd completely agree if you said that much more malware makes it to Android devices than those running iOS. That doesn't then mean that Android trojans and viruses are therefor prevalent and something all users should always be on guard against.
So what you're saying is that the millions of recorded infections in the US and the 51,000 new infections this year (minus a few percent) are no indication that people should be on guard against this? Sounds like good advice, let's hope the owners of the millions of infected devices read it so they know there's nothing to worry about and take no steps to prevent it in future.
I suspect that only the fringe users who are looking to pirate apps or hack their phones consider the ability to install non-google play apps as "one of the biggest advantages" of android. Neither google nor any of the major OEMs mention this ability. You see it trumpeted a lot because tech forums tend to attract the kind of people who care about it. The vast majority of android users with google play access probably don't even know that there exist software sources other than google play.
All those poor grandmothers just looking for some 50 Shades of Grey action and they get 50 shades of malware.
The Kindle Fire uses Amazon's own app store as its primary software repository. You install Amazon apps on a Kindle Fire just like you would Google apps on tablets that use google play. There is no need to enable third-party app installations.
The Kindle Fire uses Amazon's own app store as its primary software repository. You install Amazon apps on a Kindle Fire just like you would Google apps on tablets that use google play. There is no need to enable third-party app installations.
So that's only if you want the Amazon store on a non-Amazon device?
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
Although the common suggestion is to only use Google Play, one of the biggest advantages given for Android is not having a walled garden so you can't have both advantages of freedom and security and ignore the problems.
I suspect that only the fringe users who are looking to pirate apps or hack their phones consider the ability to install non-google play apps as "one of the biggest advantages" of android. Neither google nor any of the major OEMs mention this ability. You see it trumpeted a lot because tech forums tend to attract the kind of people who care about it. The vast majority of android users with google play access probably don't even know that there exist software sources other than google play.
So you're just rejecting the 1.08 million infections reported in the US? Here's an Android site that believes the malware infection 2012 report - do you still read 1.4 million as one guy?:
http://www.androidauthority.com/1-4-million-real-malware-infections-204748/
They also say the same thing you did:
"According to NQ, 65% of malware discovered in 2012 were classified as Potentially Unwanted Programs. PUPs are program which aren’t malicious but could be annoying, for example those with aggressive advertising. So of all the “malware” found, only 45% of it is real malware."
They reach 1.4 million after cutting out the PUPs. The report define PUPs as "Potentially Unwanted Programs. PUPs include root exploits, spyware, pervasive adware and Trojans (surveillance hacks)". Some of that has to be considered malware. I consider Windows toolbars malware because they are things I did not intend to install and cause annoyance.
It only came out in June, give it time to work its magic.
Because there's hardly any malware for iOS, unlike Android.
Actually yeah, that's pretty accurate and backed up by the stats I posted and the Android site above that recommends you install some security software and enable the wall:
"The best thing for every Android user is to install a mobile security suite (see our 2013 antivirus apps for Android roundup) and avoid suspect third party download sites."
So what you're saying is that the millions of recorded infections in the US and the 51,000 new infections this year (minus a few percent) are no indication that people should be on guard against this? Sounds like good advice, let's hope the owners of the millions of infected devices read it so they know there's nothing to worry about and take no steps to prevent it in future.
What about all those Kindle users?
http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240162449/Amazon-Appstore-opens-up-Android-to-attack
That's a few million people right there. Most Android tablets in the US are Kindle Fires - some reports say 7 million:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/02/04/kindle-fire-dominates-us-android-market-but-seemingly-non-existent-outside-the-us/
All those poor grandmothers just looking for some 50 Shades of Grey action and they get 50 shades of malware.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
What about all those Kindle users?
http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240162449/Amazon-Appstore-opens-up-Android-to-attack
That's a few million people right there. Most Android tablets in the US are Kindle Fires - some reports say 7 million:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/02/04/kindle-fire-dominates-us-android-market-but-seemingly-non-existent-outside-the-us/
All those poor grandmothers just looking for some 50 Shades of Grey action and they get 50 shades of malware.
The Kindle Fire uses Amazon's own app store as its primary software repository. You install Amazon apps on a Kindle Fire just like you would Google apps on tablets that use google play. There is no need to enable third-party app installations.
So that's only if you want the Amazon store on a non-Amazon device?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/android
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
So that's only if you want the Amazon store on a non-Amazon device?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/get/android
Yes. The computerweekly article you provided refers to those people who want to cross over to the amazon app store on non-Amazon devices.