So the UI is very consistent. That's a good thing.
I've toyed with some Windows Phone devices and I found the UI nice but didn't think it was better than those of Android or iOS. Maybe I used it too little time.
What I don't get is the "home screen shows all kinds of information at a glance". Android can also do that via widgets. Most apps have them
Seems like Google did a great work with project Treble but the cynic in me thinks many manufacturers won't take advantage of it as a way to make obsolete their "old" phones.
Hardware progress isn't as dramatic as it was just a few years ago and if a device gets fast updates and for a long time it's one less reason to buy a new phone. I would reward manufacturers that gave such great support for their phones but I'm not sure many are willing to do that. I hope time will prove me wrong
I bought a then-pretty-new Galaxy S2 in 2011 for about 550 €. My last phone cost 270€. I just can't justify spending 800+ € on a phone when there're others that cost 300€ and do 99% of things the expensive ones do. I just don't see the point.
I some day smartphones use a "real" OS (regular Linux for example) and I were to use them as a primary computing device (i.e. a PC) I would spend more on a more powerful device.
Yes, it's not ideal but it will get the latest version in the next few months and it's not like running the next to last version will prevent you from running any apps.
Also most regular Joes don't really care what version of Android their phone is running.
It's clearly much better on the Apple camp with Apple supporting their hardware for a long time.
I guess it's the price to pay for having so many manufacturers and devices to choose from.
I think I read somewhere that all those runtimes aren't allowed by Microsoft to be run in an OS that's not Windows. It may be a technicality but it will surely be brought up in court should ReactOS ever pose a threat to Microsoft
They won't remove the classic licensing options. At least not right away. They're not THAT stupid.
Look at what they did with Office: They heavily push subcriptions because that's what they want but there's still the option of buying classic licenses for the people who want them. They'll probably do the same with Windows. Of course they hope more and more people will go for the subscription model as time goes on.
It'd be nice if there was competition, that is a 99% compatible OS made by a third party. ReactOS is very far away from being that and either improving it or starting from zero it would require a huge investment of money and time to make such an OS.
Microsoft are doing this because they can and they know the vast majority of their customers can't live without Windows so they'll just play along. Adobe had many more competitors than Microsoft and still made their software subscription only...so it seems unlikely Microsoft won't go through with their plan (eventually).
I agree. Using Linux was a big advantadge at the beginning since they didn't have to develop a kernel from scratch. That what I meant in my last sentence. My argument is that nowadays the kernel underneath the Android APIs is not too relevant
I feel like an old fart regarding the social networks (37, heh) but it seems kids don't really use Facebook these days. If a social network loses its luster with the young people they're in deep trouble. Anyway, it may be just my perception but it seems most of my friends (25-45 age range) are losing it less than before.
I disagree that Linux is what makes/might make Android special. For most apps the fact that the device runs Linux is completely irrelevant. Most only use the Android level APIs so they don't care what's underneath.
In fact Google are developing a new kernel (Magenta) and will likely replace Linux in future Google OS (Chrome OS and Android).
Of course using Linux was a pretty sensible option when Android was first developed but it might be replaced in the future with few consequences
Yeah well, that's only an option if the device you need isn't running Windows. The article includes medical devices and some others that are very specialized and you might not be able to get with an OS of your choosing.
I guess the only way to secure them would be to isolate the machines as much as possible. The other one would be to pressure the vendors to include long term software support for their hardware
It seems to me that Google is overstepping their duties. It's logical to ban apps that use the device to mine without telling the user but I don't see any reason to ban apps where the user willingly mines.
Maybe -as they say in the article- they're doing it to prevent device damage...but still.
The problem is that we're giving Apple and Google too much power over our devices. They can basically do whatever they want. I wish an open OS had survived the smartphone wars but, alas, it seems we're stuck with iOS and Android for the foreseable future
Sadly they are. PCs are the only place where users have a decent control about their computer. There's no reason for smartphones not to be this way..save for the fact that the companies that control them make more money if the users have less control over the device
Probably someone did point it..but it was shut down by the marketing and or UX teams. Nowadays, everything must have soft colors and barely visible borders so... be awful to use. I hope this is just a temporary fashion but I'm losing hope day by day
Yep, exactly why I don't like Windows 10 either. It may be a technical marvel but it's ruined by publicity, telemetry, tricking the user into using MS apps and services and so on.
I think you haven't understood the summary:
The objection is about forcing the install of Google Search in Android phones as a condition for being able to use Google Play (the app store) NOT about Google Search being available or installed by default in Android phones or Google being dominant in the search market.
The objections about the forks thing is that Google forbids brands who want to sell official (with Play store and other Google apps and services) Android devices to also sell devices with an Android fork. I don't know how strongly that is enforced but Google requires your company to sign that if it wants to release any Android devices with Google services/apps.
Anyway, I'm not sure the EU decision is the right one. I was just pointing out things aren't as you said.
Do other founders/CEOs really delegate work and "enjoy life"? Many seem to also be control freaks who enjoy being at the helm of their respective companies
200$? That's over 3 times the price of the used phone. Someone who has a low (by first world standards) wage isn't going to buy a 200$ phone when a 60$ one can do many of the tasks the expensive one does.
While I welcome these essential additions I don't agree with those who say it should be as good as Notepad++: This is a basic tool included in an OS. It's there for when you don't have anything else. If you want something better just install it.
That said, with what they've done to basic apps in Windows 10 (Solitaire having to be downloaded from the Windows Store and having ads anyone?) (and general user hostile changes through Win 10) I don't trust Microsoft to not fuck up Notepad. If those will be the only aditions I'll be happy.
It's a pretty logical move since as the summary says it's the fastest growing mobile market. It'll surely allow Samsung to sell the phones cheaper than if they brought them from abroad. Samsung it's still kind of pricy for what it offers compared to most other Android manufacturers and specially Xiaomi. Since India is such a price sensitive market I'm not sure Samsung will be able to turn the tide.
I live in Spain and we're richer than the indians but not rich by european standards and still many people buy Xiaomi phones (or BQ a local brand that makes pretty cheap phones too) so as I said, I'm not sure what this will do for Sams.
I tend to agree with this too.
I never really used Chrome so I don't know if at any point it was much better than Firefox. I think it used to be a lot faster than the fox but I still think that the omnipresent publicity may have helped a great deal in making Chrome the majority browser.
They're opening stores all over Europe and where I live (Spain) it's not very common to see stores for a single brand. Of the top of my head only Apple does it. Samsung has sections inside malls/phone stores but AFAIK no exclusive stores.
It certainly seems they're doing very well though I wonder if they have any help or ties with the Chinese government
At least, previously they only changed the UI between major versions, but since it seems there won't be any more major versions we can get changes in the UI whenever Microsoft feels like it.
Microsoft used not to be manipulative with UI in Windows but then they wanted to become the next Google and modified Windows in many ways so that you are likely to use the settings that most benefit them.
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So the UI is very consistent. That's a good thing.
I've toyed with some Windows Phone devices and I found the UI nice but didn't think it was better than those of Android or iOS. Maybe I used it too little time.
What I don't get is the "home screen shows all kinds of information at a glance". Android can also do that via widgets. Most apps have them
Seems like Google did a great work with project Treble but the cynic in me thinks many manufacturers won't take advantage of it as a way to make obsolete their "old" phones.
Hardware progress isn't as dramatic as it was just a few years ago and if a device gets fast updates and for a long time it's one less reason to buy a new phone. I would reward manufacturers that gave such great support for their phones but I'm not sure many are willing to do that. I hope time will prove me wrong
I bought a then-pretty-new Galaxy S2 in 2011 for about 550 €. My last phone cost 270€. I just can't justify spending 800+ € on a phone when there're others that cost 300€ and do 99% of things the expensive ones do. I just don't see the point.
I some day smartphones use a "real" OS (regular Linux for example) and I were to use them as a primary computing device (i.e. a PC) I would spend more on a more powerful device.
Yes, it's not ideal but it will get the latest version in the next few months and it's not like running the next to last version will prevent you from running any apps. Also most regular Joes don't really care what version of Android their phone is running.
It's clearly much better on the Apple camp with Apple supporting their hardware for a long time.
I guess it's the price to pay for having so many manufacturers and devices to choose from.
specially when they're trying to spin something bad as good. They're actually pretty inventive with their lies. It's funny
I think I read somewhere that all those runtimes aren't allowed by Microsoft to be run in an OS that's not Windows. It may be a technicality but it will surely be brought up in court should ReactOS ever pose a threat to Microsoft
They won't remove the classic licensing options. At least not right away. They're not THAT stupid.
Look at what they did with Office: They heavily push subcriptions because that's what they want but there's still the option of buying classic licenses for the people who want them. They'll probably do the same with Windows. Of course they hope more and more people will go for the subscription model as time goes on.
It'd be nice if there was competition, that is a 99% compatible OS made by a third party. ReactOS is very far away from being that and either improving it or starting from zero it would require a huge investment of money and time to make such an OS.
Microsoft are doing this because they can and they know the vast majority of their customers can't live without Windows so they'll just play along. Adobe had many more competitors than Microsoft and still made their software subscription only...so it seems unlikely Microsoft won't go through with their plan (eventually).
I agree. Using Linux was a big advantadge at the beginning since they didn't have to develop a kernel from scratch. That what I meant in my last sentence. My argument is that nowadays the kernel underneath the Android APIs is not too relevant
I feel like an old fart regarding the social networks (37, heh) but it seems kids don't really use Facebook these days. If a social network loses its luster with the young people they're in deep trouble. Anyway, it may be just my perception but it seems most of my friends (25-45 age range) are losing it less than before.
I disagree that Linux is what makes/might make Android special. For most apps the fact that the device runs Linux is completely irrelevant. Most only use the Android level APIs so they don't care what's underneath.
In fact Google are developing a new kernel (Magenta) and will likely replace Linux in future Google OS (Chrome OS and Android).
Of course using Linux was a pretty sensible option when Android was first developed but it might be replaced in the future with few consequences
Yeah well, that's only an option if the device you need isn't running Windows. The article includes medical devices and some others that are very specialized and you might not be able to get with an OS of your choosing.
I guess the only way to secure them would be to isolate the machines as much as possible. The other one would be to pressure the vendors to include long term software support for their hardware
It seems to me that Google is overstepping their duties. It's logical to ban apps that use the device to mine without telling the user but I don't see any reason to ban apps where the user willingly mines. ...but still.
Maybe -as they say in the article- they're doing it to prevent device damage
The problem is that we're giving Apple and Google too much power over our devices. They can basically do whatever they want. I wish an open OS had survived the smartphone wars but, alas, it seems we're stuck with iOS and Android for the foreseable future
Sadly they are. PCs are the only place where users have a decent control about their computer. There's no reason for smartphones not to be this way ..save for the fact that the companies that control them make more money if the users have less control over the device
Probably someone did point it ..but it was shut down by the marketing and or UX teams. Nowadays, everything must have soft colors and barely visible borders so... be awful to use. I hope this is just a temporary fashion but I'm losing hope day by day
Yep, exactly why I don't like Windows 10 either. It may be a technical marvel but it's ruined by publicity, telemetry, tricking the user into using MS apps and services and so on.
I think you haven't understood the summary:
The objection is about forcing the install of Google Search in Android phones as a condition for being able to use Google Play (the app store) NOT about Google Search being available or installed by default in Android phones or Google being dominant in the search market.
The objections about the forks thing is that Google forbids brands who want to sell official (with Play store and other Google apps and services) Android devices to also sell devices with an Android fork. I don't know how strongly that is enforced but Google requires your company to sign that if it wants to release any Android devices with Google services/apps.
Anyway, I'm not sure the EU decision is the right one. I was just pointing out things aren't as you said.
Do other founders/CEOs really delegate work and "enjoy life"? Many seem to also be control freaks who enjoy being at the helm of their respective companies
200$? That's over 3 times the price of the used phone. Someone who has a low (by first world standards) wage isn't going to buy a 200$ phone when a 60$ one can do many of the tasks the expensive one does.
While I welcome these essential additions I don't agree with those who say it should be as good as Notepad++: This is a basic tool included in an OS. It's there for when you don't have anything else. If you want something better just install it.
That said, with what they've done to basic apps in Windows 10 (Solitaire having to be downloaded from the Windows Store and having ads anyone?) (and general user hostile changes through Win 10) I don't trust Microsoft to not fuck up Notepad. If those will be the only aditions I'll be happy.
It's a pretty logical move since as the summary says it's the fastest growing mobile market. It'll surely allow Samsung to sell the phones cheaper than if they brought them from abroad. Samsung it's still kind of pricy for what it offers compared to most other Android manufacturers and specially Xiaomi. Since India is such a price sensitive market I'm not sure Samsung will be able to turn the tide.
I live in Spain and we're richer than the indians but not rich by european standards and still many people buy Xiaomi phones (or BQ a local brand that makes pretty cheap phones too) so as I said, I'm not sure what this will do for Sams.
I tend to agree with this too.
I never really used Chrome so I don't know if at any point it was much better than Firefox. I think it used to be a lot faster than the fox but I still think that the omnipresent publicity may have helped a great deal in making Chrome the majority browser.
They're opening stores all over Europe and where I live (Spain) it's not very common to see stores for a single brand. Of the top of my head only Apple does it. Samsung has sections inside malls/phone stores but AFAIK no exclusive stores.
It certainly seems they're doing very well though I wonder if they have any help or ties with the Chinese government
No, they should sound about the same since they both have been created from the same masters.
At least, previously they only changed the UI between major versions, but since it seems there won't be any more major versions we can get changes in the UI whenever Microsoft feels like it.
Microsoft used not to be manipulative with UI in Windows but then they wanted to become the next Google and modified Windows in many ways so that you are likely to use the settings that most benefit them.