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So I'm reading along... getting interested... sounds promising... purchase might be on the horizon... Amazon has painted over the rough surfaces of Google’s An
by cbs 15y ago
So I'm reading along... getting interested... sounds promising... purchase might be on the horizon...
Amazon has painted over the rough surfaces of Google’s Android operating system
Now I won't even consider buying it until the cyanogenmod port is in decent shape. Why do manufactures always do this to android? The custom UI looks nicer (arguable, roll with it), but always kill usability because they don't understand how to have their software play nice and feel right on android. It might be better on the kindle fire because the biggest offenders I see are the dialer and text message app, but I won't hold my breath.
- kyleslattery 15y agoThis is more than just a skin, like the handset manufacturers do. It's not supposed to be an Android device, it's an Amazon device.
- cbs 15y agobleh, thats even worse.
- smackfu 15y agoThey aren't making an Android table, they are making a Kindle tablet that runs some Android programs.
- dmix 15y agoI imagine thats what they said in the boardroom. But its still a layer ontop of Android.
- tjogin 15y agoIt isn't, really. They've built their Kindle product on the Android codebase, but it isn't Android and they won't be allowed to even call it an Android tablet, because they're not dancing to Google's tune. The new Kindle tablet may be sort-of compatible with Android today, but this isn't likely to remain the case since there is no feedback loop or collaboration between Google and Amazon in this.
- dmix 15y agoSo when Ubuntu releases their own app store combined with a new UI, it won't be "Linux" anymore? Just software built on top of the "Linux codebase"?
- tjogin 15y agoLinux is a kernel, not an OS or a UI. But whatever. Amazon isn't just putting their own UI over Android like Samsung and HTC are doing. They're forking it.
- bad_user 15y agoIf Ubuntu forks Linux substantially in the process, then it won't be Linux anymore.
- Kadin 15y agoThat doesn't make a ton of sense; Google's use of the "Android" trademark is closer to the OSG's use of "UNIX" than to how "Linux" is used.
- smackfu 15y agoTivo or Roku are a layer on top of Linux, but that doesn't mean they are fully capable Linux boxes. The OS is just a tool to build upon.
- rayiner 15y agoIf it can't access the Android app store (which I'd guess the Kindle Fire can't), then the customer won't be aware of that fact.
- orenmazor 15y agowhy do people get upset by this? Android is a nice baseline. Think of it as the tide that raises all ships. What's wrong with a manufacturer experimenting? NB. I don't support lock downs or anything like that, of course. my point is that there's nothing wrong with them customizing and branching it off into something else. isn't that the whole point?
- sgentle 15y agoI agree with you, except that years of painful Windows crapware experience has taught me that manufacturers don't often do a very good job at "value adding", unless you define value as meddling pointlessly with things that work, or lining their own pockets through pre-installed junk software partnerships. That said, Amazon have a solid reputation so I don't think any of that applies in this particular case.
- orenmazor 15y agoits true, once you throw in windows stuff (especially wm6), this sounds terrible. but the counter is that debian is really cool, but the ubuntu branch is a home run. so in conclusion… I dont know. but new is better than stagnate.
- cbs 15y agoYou have a point, and experimenting is a good thing. As I've seen it, the users they aren't afraid of change and are upset by the fact they're experimenting, the objections seem to be centered around not having the option to go back when they don't like it. And that the experimentation is often disliked in the first place because they're not less genuinely UX driven experiments, they're more of an attempt at uniqueness for the sake of branding.
- watty 15y agoYou're making assumptions about usability before using the product.
- cbs 15y agoI've been burned enough. Doctor, it hurts when I buy products from manufacturers that muck around with android....
- dlevine 15y agoThe difference between Amazon and the other manufacturers is that Amazon isn't selling this as Android. They are selling it as a proprietary tablet that they support as such. The other manufacturers sell "Android" devices, and when it doesn't work, they point fingers in all directions.