It's interesting to compare with other devices. Consumers buy: - a Windows (version) machine. Not Microsoft, not just Windows. But Windows 98, Windows XP, Wind

It's interesting to compare with other devices. Consumers buy: - a Windows (version) machine. Not Microsoft, not just Windows. But Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows 8 - A (hardware manufacter), with Windows (version), like a Dell PC with Windows XP. Few buy an specific hardware manufacturer brand without caring for the operating system. - A Mac. Not a Mac OS X, not an Apple machine. Some do know the feline - An iPhone (model), an iPad - A Blackberry. Not RIM, not Blackberry (version) - A Nokia (model) The only operating system there is Windows, along with its version. Maybe because only Samsung managed to be seen as a quality product using Android, Google is killing the brand. The different apps, settings and behaviour depending on the hardware manufacturer and carrier only make the situation worse. My Android, version whatever, is very different from my friend's Android. Maybe if Google had enforced uniformity, things would have been different. There's no Windows XP from IBM, or Windows XP from Dell. On the other hand, maybe fewer companies would have shipped Android if they could not customize it. This looks like a business failure to me. It would be better for Google to have its operating system installed in as many devices as possible, and consumers actually buying it because they specifically want Android, with its Google apps and services. MS managed to do it, and I bet Google wanted, but they are giving up. But unlike MS, Google does not sell software, so I guess as long as people are still providing information for ads, it's a good situation for Google.