I think this author and a lot of other bloggers are missing the point. Android was Google's attempt to get people on the web (an Internet where Google controls

I think this author and a lot of other bloggers are missing the point. Android was Google's attempt to get people on the web (an Internet where Google controls the lion's share of the ad market) with their phones. Google doesn't care about "liberating the masses" from the shackles of the carriers. The reason why Google went with Android and didn't stick to Apple was because Apple didn't really share that interest. Apple wanted to sell iPhones and apps, so they were okay with reducing their market by charging a premium price. That wouldn't get as many people onto the web as a free/cheap, widely available and customizable OS that appeals to carriers and hardware manufacturers. If you look at the Nexus One through this prism, it also kind of makes sense. The N1 was designed to push hardware specs to a point where multimedia on the Web could function at a satisfactory level, so then people would have more of a reason to buy a smartphone.