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Google Android — a Universe of Incompatible Devices
snydeq writes "Galen Gruman writes about the dark side of the recent flood of Android smartphones: versions run amok. 'That flood of options should be a good thing — but it's not. In fact, it's a self-destruction derby in action, as phones come out with different versions of the Android OS, with no clear upgrade strategy for either the operating system or the applications users have installed, and with inconsistent deployment of core features. In short, the Android platform is turning out not to be a platform at all, but merely a starting point for a universe of incompatible devices,' Gruman writes. 'This mess leaves developers and users in an unstable position, as each new Android device adds another variation and compatibility question.' In the end, Google's naive approach to open sourcing Android may in fact be precipitating this free-for-all — one that might ultimately turn off both end-users and developers alike."
As reader donberryman points out, you can even put Android onto some Windows Mobile phones, now.
Right - because a plethora of unique PC machines hasn't worked out as well as apple's - more-expensive-all-the-time strategy.
I thought fragmentation didn't matter because it was OPEN? Damn Apple and their walled garden that works well every time because of centralized, well thought out control.
Turns out OPEN doesn't necessarily mean better (or worse), it just means OPEN.
just because /. is a technical site does not mean that everyone's opinions have to be the same on all topics. Maybe it does for you, but not for me here.
I don't care I don't CARE about ANY features of a mobile phone except for one (1) - calls over phone network. Imagine that. But I don't listen to music, so to me an mp3 player is useless - and note, this has nothing to do with me being technical or not, I don't listen to music - it is not a technical issue.
I did play a few games on one of the old phones I had while on a plane, that's about it. The phone for me is a nuisance that is somewhat useful, I need it unfortunately, to communicate with people.. I have a camera in one of the older phones, in the new one I do not - it always brakes and takes pictures of my pockets and sends that to people, fuck that. Don't need a camera in the phone, I have a camera.
I don't talk into my camera and I don't take pictures with my book reader. Get over yourself, just because you like the latest gadget does not make you the authority on what people on /. should be like.
You can't handle the truth.
That is a hardware issue, not an operating system.
Android 2.1 has parts that are incompatible with a version that is less than 6 months old and which can not be upgraded to 2.1. .Net 3 is not supported on a 10 year old version of Windows, but the system can be upgraded to a newer version of Windows.
See?
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
> What the hell are you talking about with dependencies on a Mac?
> They're built into the app.
That is certainly the propaganda.
It doesn't always work out that way.
> And no, Linux doesn't yet have a system to just "sort out the rest of the details for you". Any more than MacPorts does.
Yes it does. It's had this for quite a long time.
> And yet again, you still miss the point. The apps ARE what matters for most people - they want iMovie or
> Movie Maker. They don't know what kdenlive is, and they won't remember even if you tell them.
No they don't. This is just more mindless Mac fanboy propaganda.
End users don't want iMovie. They just use what's there. If it meets their requirements then fine.
Otherwise they replace the shovelware.
Most normal people don't have strong brand attachments to tools unless there are artificial compatibility barriers involved.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Wait a sec - did you just list 3 versions of Windows?
Yes, I did. Please list all distros of Linux and we'll compare the size of the lists shall we?
It doesn't matter how many versions exist. All it matters is that I'm using the version supported. In that regard, Linux is Linux just as much as Windows is Windows.
That is because your Droid came with 2.0, dumbass. Try upgrading something that has Android 1.x on it to 2.x and get back to me.
No, dumbass, it is that:
Oh, and about that "Windows versions have been 10 years old before a new one can rightfully take it's place", if you want to be a liar, fine but I am going to call you on it. There has been Win2K, WinXP, Vista, and now Windows 7. That is 4 Generation where most of the apps for one can be run on all and if an app doesn't run one's current version of Windows, one can upgrade to a newer version. But, as it has been said and you have completely fucking ignored, one can not upgrade from Android 1.x to 2.x on most, if not all devices.
Now, then, are you done showing your ignorance?
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
From: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=products_connect
"5 GB (5,120 MB) of data usage for Internet access through your notebook or Netbook. $0.05/MB after allowance."
This is for the "capable smartphones and blackberries"
Yes they do charge overages. They added that in May of 2009 (which dropping it from $0.40 to 0.05)
There is no contest in life for which the unprepared have the advantage.
Apple approves all devices that are approved under industry specs that their hardware also supports (USB, SATA, 1394, VGA, DisplaytPort, etc). Whether or not that device has Mac software is not apple's concern, the OS WILL detect it. in many cases, apple partners with the distributor and controls driver roll outs automatically (as Microsoft also does, as does Ubuntu and others).
An anticompetitive club? What dream land are you in? What app has apple rejected that they COMPETE with, or that approving would have reduced their revenue? none. The SDK simply states apps cant duplicate the functionality (aka operate as a complete replacement for) a default built-in app.
Swimsuits are not porn, they're not age 4+. Those apps can all be resubmistted as soon as they change the image in the APP STORE, not inside the app, not any of the code, just the AD in the store's content. All the "adult" apps in the world except outright porn are approved, but they simply can not use images or language in the DESCRIPTION that is not age 4+. That's all that changed. Of these 5,00 apps, 4900 of them will be back in a week or two (and the rest will try sneaky changes when they repost that will get caught and blocked until they comply with other policy). Apple's prevention of outright porn has to do with complying with some state laws, not a specific choice of their own (though they are openly against adult uses of the device). nothing prevents you from getting porn using Safari...
There is no contest in life for which the unprepared have the advantage.