3 ms·

Isn't that a whole other level though? Google is being asked to stop forcing distribution of their software so other Android software can compete. Either way,

Isn't that a whole other level though? Google is being asked to stop forcing distribution of their software so other Android software can compete. Either way, you're still going to have 2 operating systems: Android and iOS.

kube-system 4y ago
It’s a bit of a self reinforcing loop, though. Top apps are all on Google Play because everyone using Android (on this side of the GFW) is all but forced to stay in Google’s ecosystem. The diversity of *nix based OSes are a testament to what could happen in the absence of monopolistic powers. If it weren’t for Google’s stranglehold, Android probably would already be #2 to a fork made by Samsung.
- wvenable 4y ago
  > The diversity of *nix based OSes are a testament to what could happen in the absence of monopolistic powers. You mean how they all died and Linux became king? The market cannot support diversity of operating systems -- users will flock to where the applications are and developers flock to where the users are. Only a small number of choices are ever sustainable. If Android disappeared tomorrow and 10 operating systems were designed to replace it eventually there would be only 1 or 2 surviving. If Samsung forked Android it will still need to run Android apps and therefore be Android. That's pretty much exactly what they do now.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    Darwin and FreeBSD have huge install bases, and can run many *nix applications, as android can too. OS developers often think about compatibility, at least, when they’re not contractually prohibited from creating their own OS to begin with. There’s no technological reason that you can’t run popular Android apps on other OSes. Other OSes already support running Android apps. The primary reason this isn’t more common is anticompetitive.

3 ms·

Isn't that a whole other level though? Google is being asked to stop forcing distribution of their software so other Android software can compete. Either way,

by wvenable 4y ago

kube-system 4y ago
It’s a bit of a self reinforcing loop, though. Top apps are all on Google Play because everyone using Android (on this side of the GFW) is all but forced to stay in Google’s ecosystem. The diversity of *nix based OSes are a testament to what could happen in the absence of monopolistic powers. If it weren’t for Google’s stranglehold, Android probably would already be #2 to a fork made by Samsung.
- wvenable 4y ago
  > The diversity of *nix based OSes are a testament to what could happen in the absence of monopolistic powers. You mean how they all died and Linux became king? The market cannot support diversity of operating systems -- users will flock to where the applications are and developers flock to where the users are. Only a small number of choices are ever sustainable. If Android disappeared tomorrow and 10 operating systems were designed to replace it eventually there would be only 1 or 2 surviving. If Samsung forked Android it will still need to run Android apps and therefore be Android. That's pretty much exactly what they do now.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    Darwin and FreeBSD have huge install bases, and can run many *nix applications, as android can too. OS developers often think about compatibility, at least, when they’re not contractually prohibited from creating their own OS to begin with. There’s no technological reason that you can’t run popular Android apps on other OSes. Other OSes already support running Android apps. The primary reason this isn’t more common is anticompetitive.