5 ms·

Am I the only techie who DOESN'T want another totally open device? I have a mac, a windows pc, another mac laptop, my girlfriend's computer, my girlfriend's mo

Am I the only techie who DOESN'T want another totally open device? I have a mac, a windows pc, another mac laptop, my girlfriend's computer, my girlfriend's mom's linux system, etc. I already provide tech support to some degree or another for all of them. I don't want another device I have to understand to the core in order to avoid viruses, trojan apps, and other mundane problems. I want a damn phone that runs a few apps. I like that I can outsource most of my worries to Apple, and let them worry about it, and the price is that I don't have root. I wonder how we can make both sides happy: both my side of "I know what I'm doing, but I don't want to do it.", and "It's my toy, let me do what I want". I see the merits of both, but I worry even about putting a "unlock me please" button in the settings panes somewhere, since it will end up with phones trojaned, dialing 1-900 numbers so the owner could have a cute animated cat on their unlock screen.

jrockway 17y ago
The iPhone has more viruses than Android.
- mechanical_fish 17y ago
  Link, please.
  - cschneid 17y ago
    A quick google corraborates his argument, as long as you stick to a strict definition of virus (there was that SMS one for the iphone, none came up on google for the android), although the android has had trojan software in its marketplace.
- cschneid 17y ago
  I know there have been security holes in the iphone, and there will be in Android as well. The big thing I worry about are real trojans like: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/01/11/banking-trojan-hits-android/ http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/01/11/banking-trojan-... Beyond that, there's another article on HN front page that talks about the painfulness of upgrades to the android OS, and how various phones run different versions. My basic thing was that yes, I can understand it, but I don't want to worry. I just want a phone, that runs some chunk of apps. The lack of management capability is a feature, as well as a handcuff.
jherdman 17y ago
Pardon my confusion, but I fail to see how the openness of the device has anything to do with your experience with it. An open device merely ensures that you have the freedom to do with it what you want, not that you have to do anything with it, or that you even need to understand it. Consider the browser I'm using right now: Chrome. I don't understand how V8 or Webkit works, but my experience on Chrome isn't complicated, nor is it necessary that I understand these components. However, should I choose, I can educate myself and take control of my browser.
- cschneid 17y ago
  Turn that around, and you get a system like windows, where I can install, run, change anything (with the right permissions), and you end up with a mass of trojan software that installs itself at a low level, resists removal, and such. I like the fact I can hand an iphone (or ipad) to my mom, my grandma, or whatever, and be confident that they won't be "tricked" into installing malware that looks attractive. Don't get me wrong, I understand the appeal of an open system to us techies, but I like that I never have to worry, or manage the system myself. I do enough of it already.
  - jherdman 17y ago
    I think it's important that we draw a clear point about what you're talking about when you say "open". I must confess that I thought you were talking about open as in F/OSS. You're clearly talking about "Maury Povitch" open ("You don't know me! I'll do what I want!"). My guess is that you're pro the former, if even you have not stated it yet. I think it's pretty obvious to all involved that phones be moron proof by default. Phones after all, for the vast majority of the populace, are simply an appliance (off-on, simple functionality). This view of the phone as an appliance is not accurate any more. Whether or not the public realizes it, they're holding a computing device. In 5 years time, I expect one to be able to use their phone with an external monitor and keyboard and use it much like you would a Netbook today. So where does that leave us? We're headed towards a highly portable and compact computing device, that is currently a transitory species (if you will). I think this is an exciting time for computing. This is a bold challenge! How do you provide something that is safe by default, simple to use, and doesn't encumber the tinkerers that have been proven to time and again generate wonderful arenas of opportunity, wealth and societal change? Personally, I think a sort of middle solution is best. An opt-in for tinkering, perhaps. I think closing tinkering is just plain foolish. It's proven to be valuable and shouldn't be stopped.

jrockway 17y ago

The iPhone has more viruses than Android.

mechanical_fish 17y ago
Link, please.
- cschneid 17y ago
  A quick google corraborates his argument, as long as you stick to a strict definition of virus (there was that SMS one for the iphone, none came up on google for the android), although the android has had trojan software in its marketplace.
cschneid 17y ago
I know there have been security holes in the iphone, and there will be in Android as well. The big thing I worry about are real trojans like: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/01/11/banking-trojan-hits-android/ http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2010/01/11/banking-trojan-... Beyond that, there's another article on HN front page that talks about the painfulness of upgrades to the android OS, and how various phones run different versions. My basic thing was that yes, I can understand it, but I don't want to worry. I just want a phone, that runs some chunk of apps. The lack of management capability is a feature, as well as a handcuff.

jherdman 17y ago

Pardon my confusion, but I fail to see how the openness of the device has anything to do with your experience with it. An open device merely ensures that you have the freedom to do with it what you want, not that you have to do anything with it, or that you even need to understand it. Consider the browser I'm using right now: Chrome. I don't understand how V8 or Webkit works, but my experience on Chrome isn't complicated, nor is it necessary that I understand these components. However, should I choose, I can educate myself and take control of my browser.

cschneid 17y ago
Turn that around, and you get a system like windows, where I can install, run, change anything (with the right permissions), and you end up with a mass of trojan software that installs itself at a low level, resists removal, and such. I like the fact I can hand an iphone (or ipad) to my mom, my grandma, or whatever, and be confident that they won't be "tricked" into installing malware that looks attractive. Don't get me wrong, I understand the appeal of an open system to us techies, but I like that I never have to worry, or manage the system myself. I do enough of it already.
- jherdman 17y ago
  I think it's important that we draw a clear point about what you're talking about when you say "open". I must confess that I thought you were talking about open as in F/OSS. You're clearly talking about "Maury Povitch" open ("You don't know me! I'll do what I want!"). My guess is that you're pro the former, if even you have not stated it yet. I think it's pretty obvious to all involved that phones be moron proof by default. Phones after all, for the vast majority of the populace, are simply an appliance (off-on, simple functionality). This view of the phone as an appliance is not accurate any more. Whether or not the public realizes it, they're holding a computing device. In 5 years time, I expect one to be able to use their phone with an external monitor and keyboard and use it much like you would a Netbook today. So where does that leave us? We're headed towards a highly portable and compact computing device, that is currently a transitory species (if you will). I think this is an exciting time for computing. This is a bold challenge! How do you provide something that is safe by default, simple to use, and doesn't encumber the tinkerers that have been proven to time and again generate wonderful arenas of opportunity, wealth and societal change? Personally, I think a sort of middle solution is best. An opt-in for tinkering, perhaps. I think closing tinkering is just plain foolish. It's proven to be valuable and shouldn't be stopped.