4 ms·

Imho Android has been successful because, until recently, it had no competition. Android came around at a time when the increasing complexity of building and ma

by inoop 15y ago

Imho Android has been successful because, until recently, it had no competition. Android came around at a time when the increasing complexity of building and maintaining a proprietary software stack was forcing handset builders to essentially become software companies. Android gave them the option to return to doing what they did best. Nokia and RIM tried to maintain their own stuff and suffered heavily for it. I think that Android's success is due to its business model, not the quality of the software itself. The Android team should take care to not become the next Netscape.

bad_user 15y ago
I think Microsoft taught us 3 valuable lessons: 1) distribution agreements and good relationships with hardware makers trumps quality - that's how they've beaten Apple and IBM (OS/2 Warp, launched in 1994 was better than Windows 95 and compatible with DOS and Win 16) 2) worse is better, a lesson they themselves took from Unix - timing is more important, you can always improve later 3) operating systems are natural monopolies - if you win the market of low-end PCs and keep growing, you'll eventually take over the whole market If anything, I fear Google is the next Microsoft. I hope not because I love Android.
- icebraining 15y ago
  Google is more open than Microsoft ever was, though. There's no Cyanogenmod of Windows.
  - bad_user 15y ago
    Thank god for that - however Microsoft was pretty open for its time, as being a pure software company and letting computer makers to bundle your OS was the exception, not the norm.
  - orangecat 15y ago
    On the other hand, there was no concept of "rooting" your Windows installation, and the idea that you could only run apps approved by Microsoft would have caused immediate outrage and accusations of anticompetitive behavior. It's amazing how quickly Apple has been able to shift the Overton window, to the point where there's barely any reaction to Microsoft requiring approval for Windows 8 Metro apps.
    - icebraining 15y ago
      True, but that's Apple, not Android. Sideloading on Android doesn't require rooting, at least for Google devices.
jrockway 15y ago
Android gave them the option to return to doing what they did best. Did any of them take that option? The first thing I do when I get a new Android phone is to re-image it with what Google provides. Samsung and HTC have shown that all the hardware makers can do is write crap software to replace the working software they got for free. And then never ever even think about updating it or fixing the bugs.
- inoop 15y ago
  Most handset makers already had large software departments at the time they made the switch to Android. I guess they needed to give them something to do? Either way, ZTE and Huawei seem to do pretty well with near-AOSP roms.

by inoop 15y ago

bad_user 15y ago

I think Microsoft taught us 3 valuable lessons: 1) distribution agreements and good relationships with hardware makers trumps quality - that's how they've beaten Apple and IBM (OS/2 Warp, launched in 1994 was better than Windows 95 and compatible with DOS and Win 16) 2) worse is better, a lesson they themselves took from Unix - timing is more important, you can always improve later 3) operating systems are natural monopolies - if you win the market of low-end PCs and keep growing, you'll eventually take over the whole market If anything, I fear Google is the next Microsoft. I hope not because I love Android.

icebraining 15y ago
Google is more open than Microsoft ever was, though. There's no Cyanogenmod of Windows.
- bad_user 15y ago
  Thank god for that - however Microsoft was pretty open for its time, as being a pure software company and letting computer makers to bundle your OS was the exception, not the norm.
- orangecat 15y ago
  On the other hand, there was no concept of "rooting" your Windows installation, and the idea that you could only run apps approved by Microsoft would have caused immediate outrage and accusations of anticompetitive behavior. It's amazing how quickly Apple has been able to shift the Overton window, to the point where there's barely any reaction to Microsoft requiring approval for Windows 8 Metro apps.
  - icebraining 15y ago
    True, but that's Apple, not Android. Sideloading on Android doesn't require rooting, at least for Google devices.

jrockway 15y ago

Android gave them the option to return to doing what they did best. Did any of them take that option? The first thing I do when I get a new Android phone is to re-image it with what Google provides. Samsung and HTC have shown that all the hardware makers can do is write crap software to replace the working software they got for free. And then never ever even think about updating it or fixing the bugs.

inoop 15y ago
Most handset makers already had large software departments at the time they made the switch to Android. I guess they needed to give them something to do? Either way, ZTE and Huawei seem to do pretty well with near-AOSP roms.