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That is until all the three (Apple, Google and Microsoft) decides to only allow installs from the maketplace, you know for "security" reasons. The problem is if

by nivla 14y ago

That is until all the three (Apple, Google and Microsoft) decides to only allow installs from the maketplace, you know for "security" reasons. The problem is if one company gets away with it, others follow suit.

adambyrtek 14y ago
I don't get your logic. Apple pretty much got away with it, Microsoft wasn't really in this space at that time, and still Google didn't follow.
stephengillie 14y ago
If Google decides to only allow installs from their market, someone will just fork android and change that.
- philwelch 14y ago
  And how will that fork get on any phones for customers to use? "People can just sideload the OS" is not a feasible answer here.
  - chimeracoder 14y ago
    > "People can just sideload the OS" is not a feasible answer here. Well, it's not feasible as long as bootloaders remain encrypted/non-unlockable. That's the problem with restricting the software that can run on hardware after the user has purchased the hardware and owns it.
  - fpgeek 14y ago
    People will just buy different Android phones from someone else. We've already been through this. AT&T (uniquely among US carriers, I believe) blocked non-Market applications on all of their devices. The success of the Amazon Appstore forced them to change that policy.
    - mcpherrinm 14y ago
      Saying "the success" was what caused it isn't really accurate, though. If it hadn't been for a large, US corporation lobbying AT&T to allow their product on the handsets, would it have gone through? A future where AT&T allows the Amazon and Google app stores only is still one that could happen.
- fulafel 14y ago
  Only a part of Android is open source.
untog 14y ago
I doubt that very much- Android has the perfect middle ground right now. Only installs from approved sources, but has a checkbox in the settings that basically allows you to say "I know what I'm doing, let me do whatever I want". I doubt they'll change that.
cheald 14y ago
How do you propose enforcing that on an open-source operating system?
- nivla 14y ago
  The same way chromium has become obsolete with chrome becoming less and less open-source. The same goes with MySQL. In case of android, most consumers will deal with what the manufacturers decides to put on their phones and less than 1% will resort to installing another O/S. Keep in mind even with Android you are forced to register a Google account. What if you din't want to use Google or worst case, they ban you from their network? The point is, just because something is open-source now doesn't mean it will remain that way in the future.
  - nivla 14y ago
    What is with the downvotes and no comment? I would love to hear your side of the argument too.
    - orangecat 14y ago
      It was a combination of FUD and objective falsehood. You presented no evidence that Google intends to close off Android source, and Android doesn't force users to create or use a Google account.
      - nivla 14y ago
        > You presented no evidence that Google intends to close off Android source. You are right, but the statement was meant to be more of a what-if situation and not a it is. Either-ways we all can agree that based on the past events that it is not in Google's priority list to keep the open-source community updated: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/googles-decision-to-delay-android-3-0-code-is-unacceptable/8559 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/googles-decision-to-de... http://www.itworld.com/open-source/164153/how-google-can-delay-android-source-code-releases http://www.itworld.com/open-source/164153/how-google-can-del... >and Android doesn't force users to create or use a Google account. If so, could you tell me how I could use an android phone without setting up a Google account? The first screen to hit you when you switch on a brand new android phone is the Google Login/Signup screen.
kcbanner 14y ago
From day one you could always install any .apk you wanted, I don't see that changing.
veidr 14y ago
It's not a very effective defense of Apple to say, "Yeah, Google's phones and tablets don't currently have the same central, fundamental limitation that all Apple's iOS devices do, but someday they probably will."
fpgeek 14y ago
Not really. The competition between Amazon and Google (and other app stores overseas) has made selling an Android device tied to a single app store untenable. For example, the volume of customer complaints about the Amazon Appstore even forced AT&T to give up on blocking non-Market applications.

by nivla 14y ago

adambyrtek 14y ago

I don't get your logic. Apple pretty much got away with it, Microsoft wasn't really in this space at that time, and still Google didn't follow.

stephengillie 14y ago

If Google decides to only allow installs from their market, someone will just fork android and change that.

philwelch 14y ago
And how will that fork get on any phones for customers to use? "People can just sideload the OS" is not a feasible answer here.
- chimeracoder 14y ago
  > "People can just sideload the OS" is not a feasible answer here. Well, it's not feasible as long as bootloaders remain encrypted/non-unlockable. That's the problem with restricting the software that can run on hardware after the user has purchased the hardware and owns it.
- fpgeek 14y ago
  People will just buy different Android phones from someone else. We've already been through this. AT&T (uniquely among US carriers, I believe) blocked non-Market applications on all of their devices. The success of the Amazon Appstore forced them to change that policy.
  - mcpherrinm 14y ago
    Saying "the success" was what caused it isn't really accurate, though. If it hadn't been for a large, US corporation lobbying AT&T to allow their product on the handsets, would it have gone through? A future where AT&T allows the Amazon and Google app stores only is still one that could happen.
fulafel 14y ago
Only a part of Android is open source.

untog 14y ago

I doubt that very much- Android has the perfect middle ground right now. Only installs from approved sources, but has a checkbox in the settings that basically allows you to say "I know what I'm doing, let me do whatever I want". I doubt they'll change that.

cheald 14y ago

How do you propose enforcing that on an open-source operating system?

nivla 14y ago
The same way chromium has become obsolete with chrome becoming less and less open-source. The same goes with MySQL. In case of android, most consumers will deal with what the manufacturers decides to put on their phones and less than 1% will resort to installing another O/S. Keep in mind even with Android you are forced to register a Google account. What if you din't want to use Google or worst case, they ban you from their network? The point is, just because something is open-source now doesn't mean it will remain that way in the future.
- nivla 14y ago
  What is with the downvotes and no comment? I would love to hear your side of the argument too.
  - orangecat 14y ago
    It was a combination of FUD and objective falsehood. You presented no evidence that Google intends to close off Android source, and Android doesn't force users to create or use a Google account.
    - nivla 14y ago
      > You presented no evidence that Google intends to close off Android source. You are right, but the statement was meant to be more of a what-if situation and not a it is. Either-ways we all can agree that based on the past events that it is not in Google's priority list to keep the open-source community updated: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/googles-decision-to-delay-android-3-0-code-is-unacceptable/8559 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/googles-decision-to-de... http://www.itworld.com/open-source/164153/how-google-can-delay-android-source-code-releases http://www.itworld.com/open-source/164153/how-google-can-del... >and Android doesn't force users to create or use a Google account. If so, could you tell me how I could use an android phone without setting up a Google account? The first screen to hit you when you switch on a brand new android phone is the Google Login/Signup screen.

kcbanner 14y ago

From day one you could always install any .apk you wanted, I don't see that changing.

veidr 14y ago

It's not a very effective defense of Apple to say, "Yeah, Google's phones and tablets don't currently have the same central, fundamental limitation that all Apple's iOS devices do, but someday they probably will."

fpgeek 14y ago

Not really. The competition between Amazon and Google (and other app stores overseas) has made selling an Android device tied to a single app store untenable. For example, the volume of customer complaints about the Amazon Appstore even forced AT&T to give up on blocking non-Market applications.