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Android may be open source but realistically how far can anyone diverge while maintaing compatibility, consistency, and the ability to push updates out in a tim
by jsz0 16y ago
Android may be open source but realistically how far can anyone diverge while maintaing compatibility, consistency, and the ability to push updates out in a timely fashion? At least with Microsoft they are entering a formal agreement. All these details have probably been worked out. Microsoft may have offered to let Nokia into the inner-circle of WM development. They may have agreed to have MS developers work very closely with Nokia for customizations. Hard to say without knowing all the details but it's doubtful Google would have agreed to the same terms since they simply don't need Nokia.
It reminds me of this story about K-9 developers wanting to re-integrate some of their enhancements back into ASOP and Google's response was basically 'nahhh' or Google giving Motorola sweetheart access to Honeycomb while leaving other tablet makers moaning & groaning on the CES floor. Those types of things probably contributed to Nokia's choice. Nokia wants to be actively involved in OS development. Their own efforts failed. Nokia being a somewhat old fashion sort of company was probably not comfortable with the uncertainty behind Google's rather blackbox-ish control of Android. In an ironic way Microsoft was actually offering more flexibility and openness of development plus all the perks of free marketing dollars, joint promotions, and generally being treated like a first class citizen with a contract to define the exact terms of the relationship.
- fungi 16y ago> They may have agreed to have MS developers work very closely with Nokia for customizations. Hard to say without knowing all the details if thats true > In an ironic way Microsoft was actually offering more flexibility and openness of development then yes that would be the case. personally i doubt that microsoft gave up any significant control of win mobile and there has been little evidence to suggest it has. that said microsoft would not want nokia going on about how they get to do what they want with ms win mobile as that would only discourage investment in the platform by Samsung/HTC/LG who ms still need as it will be a good 18~24 months before nokia is shipping significant volumes.
- ks 16y agoAccording to Engadget, "[Nokia] has been given the liberty to play around inside WP7 to its heart's content". http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2206238 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2206238
- joe_the_user 16y agoAndroid may be open source but realistically how far can anyone diverge while maintaing compatibility, consistency, and the ability to push updates out in a timely fashion? Maybe further than their competitors if they could have leveraged their Meego and general engineering expertise... but naturally we'll never know now.
- rbanffy 16y agoWell... Obviously, lots of MeeGo expertise will end up in Google and be incorporated into Android.