3 ms·
Whether the modern Android experience has roots as a free/open source system is becoming a bit of an academic exercise. In a practical sense, useful distributio
by sjwright 10y ago
Whether the modern Android experience has roots as a free/open source system is becoming a bit of an academic exercise. In a practical sense, useful distributions of Android and iOS are both combinations of open and closed source components.
- jhasse 10y agoAndroid is a lot more open though.
- sjwright 10y agoMy point is that, for some people, anything which is not fully open source might as well be closed source and arguing about percentages is academic.
- xyzzy_plugh 10y agoThe point is that it is a benefit to society as a whole. Android being open source as-is today is hugely beneficial. It has transformed the mobile and embedded/consumer device landscape. I have a hard time believing that the impact to everyone would be the same if it was closed source.
- sjwright 10y agoI agree that society benefits from freer software. But transformed the landscape? It's unquestionable that the iPhone truly transformed the mobile landscape. Closed-source Android has eaten up a huge amount of market share across the spectrum (particularly in low-cost high-volume sales). Open-source AOSP is a relative footnote. It has barely transformed anything.