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Google has too much authority over Android Platform itself like Apple and Microsoft : While Android remains free for anyone to use as they would like, only And

by caberus 13y ago

Google has too much authority over Android Platform itself like Apple and Microsoft : While Android remains free for anyone to use as they would like, only Android compatible devices benefit from the full Android ecosystem. By joining the Open Handset Alliance, each member contributes to and builds one Android platform—not a bunch of incompatible versions source : http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-benefits-importance-of-compatibility.html http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-benefits-imp...

AndrewDucker 13y ago
Google offer the Google Platform to people who agree to certain things. But anyone is free to fork Android at any point, if they choose - Amazon have done so, for instance, as well as many Chinese manufacturers.
- kevinh 13y ago
  They're free to fork the segment of android that google hasn't locked into their own closed-source ecosystem. Many AOSP applications have been abandoned by google in favor of their proprietary applications.
  - fidotron 13y ago
    And the reasoning is most of those apps (for better or worse) depend on Google's cloud services, so it makes no sense for them to be in AOSP. There remains nothing stopping you replacing all the Google stuff on Android, including the very parts that make them money. One of the sadder, non obvious, parts of the way mobile has developed is it is becoming synonymous with trivial front ends to cloud services, and not really smart client apps at all.
- Ambrosia 13y ago
  Not anyone -- if someone like Samsung decides to fork Android, people using their devices will suddenly find that their Google apps won't work anymore.
  - the_mitsuhiko 13y ago
    That's an argument against Open Source :(
    - ddebernardy 13y ago
      Err... Which Google apps are open source? Or maybe I'm just not getting the objection.
    - sp332 13y ago
      I think you misunderstand. Google's individual apps (like GMail) are closed-source, and only licensed for use on "official" Android builds.
- ronnier 13y ago
  Seems like Android really gave Chinese and Korean companies a lifeline in the mobile phone market. Those phones either wouldn't exist or would be running the windows phone software I assume. Chinese and Korean companies benefit from Android. Blackberry and Microsoft are losing as a result.
devx 13y ago
What do you mean too much freedom? From the user's and even developer's perspective, it's better for Android to be more like Windows (pre-Windows 8), than more like Linux (tons of different distros/forks).
aviraldg 13y ago
Replace "full Android ecosystem" with "Google services" to see why your point doesn't make sense. (and that's what they are)

by caberus 13y ago

AndrewDucker 13y ago

Google offer the Google Platform to people who agree to certain things. But anyone is free to fork Android at any point, if they choose - Amazon have done so, for instance, as well as many Chinese manufacturers.

kevinh 13y ago
They're free to fork the segment of android that google hasn't locked into their own closed-source ecosystem. Many AOSP applications have been abandoned by google in favor of their proprietary applications.
- fidotron 13y ago
  And the reasoning is most of those apps (for better or worse) depend on Google's cloud services, so it makes no sense for them to be in AOSP. There remains nothing stopping you replacing all the Google stuff on Android, including the very parts that make them money. One of the sadder, non obvious, parts of the way mobile has developed is it is becoming synonymous with trivial front ends to cloud services, and not really smart client apps at all.
Ambrosia 13y ago
Not anyone -- if someone like Samsung decides to fork Android, people using their devices will suddenly find that their Google apps won't work anymore.
- the_mitsuhiko 13y ago
  That's an argument against Open Source :(
  - ddebernardy 13y ago
    Err... Which Google apps are open source? Or maybe I'm just not getting the objection.
  - sp332 13y ago
    I think you misunderstand. Google's individual apps (like GMail) are closed-source, and only licensed for use on "official" Android builds.
ronnier 13y ago
Seems like Android really gave Chinese and Korean companies a lifeline in the mobile phone market. Those phones either wouldn't exist or would be running the windows phone software I assume. Chinese and Korean companies benefit from Android. Blackberry and Microsoft are losing as a result.

devx 13y ago

What do you mean too much freedom? From the user's and even developer's perspective, it's better for Android to be more like Windows (pre-Windows 8), than more like Linux (tons of different distros/forks).

aviraldg 13y ago

Replace "full Android ecosystem" with "Google services" to see why your point doesn't make sense. (and that's what they are)