Google Tightening Its Grip on Android Openness

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Yuka

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That's one of the negative effects of being on and "extreme" approach...

Like it or not, being closed (key functionality/components that make the OS what it is) but letting 3rd parties develop for your system (maybe without fees, why not? there has to be a model for that) it's gonna ensure market dominance in the long run. Just review history.

Android was the worst of openness, just like the rest Linux system is; that's not a virtue, that's a flaw when you want to develop for it. And Apple is the other side of the coin. Wonder what is the MS strategy in all this...

Cheers!
 

LuckyDucky7

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It's about time.

I mean, Bing or any other non-Google crapware doesn't belong on a Google phone.

The name "Android" needs to have a common interface attached to it (rather than addons that detract from the experience) and this is the only way to do it.

Also, it's about time that Google controls the update process and not the carriers- since they can't ever be relied on to push updates in a timely fashion.
 

nekoangel

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Its got to be done or otherwise the cell makers and carriers will essentially drive customers away from android and towards apple all due to the inconsistency of apps and updates between android phones. The purpose of being open is to allow for flexibility, removed the flexibility then no purpose in having it open.
 

agnickolov

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Actually, the problem here is not openness - the problem is frequency of releases. For the period of time Microsoft makes one release, Google makes 5 to 10. The flip side of frequent updates is management of multiple versions simultaneously. This problem wouldn't have existed if they could force upgrades on their customers. Of course that's not an option in an open environment as they are suddenly finding out. Microsoft has (perhaps accidentally) figured this one out long ago...
 

alidan

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hint to google.
make the os releases more spread out. and none of this point crap. if the os changes the number changes too, not the .X that apple does. if its a security flaw thats patched, than great, if it has to be formated and re installed, like ios (the reason i don't get new versions of ios) than its a new os. CHANGE THE NUMBER. you sound like someone complaining because people arent installing new patches, not people don't want to be inconsistence by a new os.

and spread them out a bit more. make it a half year cycle, not what, did they put out 3 versions in the christmas season alone?
 

f-14

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HAPPY APRIL FOOLS TOMS HARDWARE
microsoft out did you changing my date to may 1st when the clock rolled over, was trying to figure out how microsoft security essentials said its virus definition was out of date and hadn't been scanned in 7 days yet it had the same definition number when i hit update and had just let it scan the previous night!
ooh hahahahaha very funny microsoft!
 

Griffolion

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Do an Android release once a year instead of twice a year and make sure that OEM's are obligated to make their phones work with the vanilla versions of Android so they can be updated as soon as one comes available. On the side, they can then give the option to use their own skinned ROM's at whatever OS iteration they want. I personally think that's the best way. I also don't really mind that Google is taking the reigns a little more on Android, i actually think it's needed.
 

guruofchem

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The explosive growth of the OS guaranteed that fragmentation would occur. Now that they are past the exponential growth phase, Google needs to inject a little stability into Android, but I don't see them locking it down like Apple does with iOS.
 

eddieroolz

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Ah, classic bait and switch by Google. Get the manufacturers hooked, and then change the terms significantly.

Don't be evil. Yeah, right.
 

belardo

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The title is a bit mis-leading. Google MUST get on the ball with updates... as an Android user - I am not pleased with how updates are rolled out... scratch that, I'm VERY pissed OFF!

This sort of control DOESN'T effect the ability for openness or allowing other to root their own phones.

I just checked for updates on my OCT-2010 Samsung Galaxy. "No updates".
I bought this damn phone with Android 2.1, thinking 2.2 is out and should be available ANY time. Nope. at&t, nothing. Go to the Samsung website - NOTHING! Just their CRAPPY useless USB driver and sync software that DO NOT WORK. DOES NOT WORK!!

Where is 2.2 much less 2.3? It fixes the GPS glitch which has messed me up when going to other cities. It improves the battery life, I hope it improves the interface a bit. After using a friends WP7 phone - I would like to see something more like that... these TINY iphone close buttons are a bit too small. I only had 2 choices at that time, SONY with 1.6 (which has had 2.2 support for a while) or the Samsung with the better screen.

I just bought an iPad specifically because Samsungs / Google's issue with their ability to update. I plug the sucker in, and guess what - there is an OS update - it does its thing for a few minutes and that's it. I still hate iTunes and I kill that sucker from doing updates.

So yeah, Google needs to make some RULES: To use our FREE OS, YOU must #(^@#$ update your phones within XXX days or you're kicked out of the party.

If a company, like Samsung CANNOT do such a simple thing as providing me with updates directly and have software that works - they should get out of the phone business. (I love their monitors and TVs, a different division)

So I will have to ROOT my phone and install 2.2 or 2.3 myself. Thank you - Samsung for making it a shitty experience. What should be a single button press for a PHONE, requires me to do research, install various tools, hope I don't frack-up my phone or that at&t never cares because of crap support.

Google : Time to stop the launch-partners with new OS releases. Seriously, I bought an iPad1 (wish I could have gotten the iPad2 - but needed it now for business) because of the issues above. Its been a joy to work with compared to my own phone.

Google : Seriously - you guys need to overhaul the entire GUI for Android phones. I'd rather have bigger ICONS/buttons on the home screen (like 3x3) - I and others have made our main screens bare so we can easily click on WHAT we need the most. That is: Call / Contacts / Messaging / Camera / email / browser. Off by a bit on these tiny buttons - and you have to try again and again to make something happen. Make it a choice.

I don't like MS and WP7 is too restrictive for my needs, but I do love its interface. I can't say that about Android - but I'll deal with it. And that, is NOT good for business.
 

everygamer

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I really get tired each time they say each version of android is a different OS, they are not different OSs. They are the same OS where each newer version has more functionality to make use of. If you can build your app right now for the 2.1 version your app will run on more than 95% of all android devices without modification. If you want to make use of features in 2.2 or 2.3 it will only work on those versions because those features don't exist in the older version.

You do not need to re-write your app for each version, just pick the lowest version you can build for and it will work on all future versions. That is much different than say developing for Android and then iOS, those are different OS's and have completely different development tools and languages.

They can stop talking about 1.5 and 1.6 devices, they make up less than 1% of the android market at this point, they are old devices from the starting days of android. Its like comparing windows 7 to windows 95.
 

STravis

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About freaking time - all the garbage that HTC and Samsung put on top of Android reduce the phone's functionality and are making Android look bad.

Google needs to reign this in if Android is to be successful.
 

dffeitlstp

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The real problem here is that no phone oem has attempted to create a phone with a true Linux distribution, like Ubuntu or Redhat. As long as we are dependent on Google to set the rules, we will be stymied by there control. Since Android is built on top of Linux, shouldn't Android (Google) be open by default?
Here is my main gripe. I am one of those Android customers who bought a Samsung Moment just months after it was released. It came with Android 2.0, and months after they released the Android 2.1 update, with the added comment that that was it for Android updates. The phone wasn't even out of manufacturer's warranty when they made this announcement. FAIL Samsung, FAIL Google.
Controlling customers is not the goal of open source software, instead it is supposed to open up our liberties on internet systems and content. An OEM with any brains will bring that product to market after Android has had its run. There will be a huge vacuum created when Android customers realize that they are being played and want something better. And don't point to Apple or HP or Sony Ericson as the answer either, they are close beyond belief when it comes to development.
 
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