Google's Android platform: not so open after all

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080715-googles-android-platform-not-so-open-after-all.html

by nickb • 18 years ago

22 14 18 years ago

azharcs2• 18 years ago

I hate when Google acts democratic about web and its technologies when it clearly shows they are getting ready to be autocratic.

All Warfare is based on Deception - Sun Tzu, Art of War

ardit33• 18 years ago

Google = Microsoft 2.0

(same tactics)

I wonder in how many of those 50 finalists is google investing on, therefore giving them a huge leg up while the rest is left with outdated SDKs.

trenchfever• 18 years ago

Google obviously values the market more than the ethics. As any self respecting company should. Playing in the mobile arena is better for Google than not playing at all. We chose to allow service providers to arbitrate the network and it's not as if our loyalty has anything to do with Google's success?

Consumers are swines. The pile of crap that this world is today is testament enough.

wave2• 18 years ago

I don't know if Google is trying to test the new SDK on few developers before releasing it, but their development platform is not as open as they stated to be. Example: once I started developing and getting into details, I noticed applications are prevented from getting the current outgoing and incoming call data (http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thr...) This data is already available on other platforms.

tx• 18 years ago

Why would you even want to develop on someone's corporate platform to begin with? Apple or Adobe or Microsoft or Google or whoever... In the end, you always get fucked, either by your "patron" or by market forces, when your "platform" loses out.

This ain't 90s anymore.

elai• 18 years ago

Other than openmoko, that platform is???

mechanical_fish• 18 years ago

Whatever happened to openmoko? They appear to have released actual hardware while I wasn't looking! Does anybody have one, and how do they like it?

gamble• 18 years ago

'Openness' has always seemed like a fragile foundation for a mobile platform. Mobile operators are the least 'open' companies out there, and they hold all the keys in this market.

If Android apps really are going to be unrestricted, then the first applications everyone will download are VOIP and SMS gateways. Are mobile operators really going to tolerate a platform that circumvents long-distance and SMS surcharges?

If they don't allow applications like this, Android doesn't really have much going for it relative to the iPhone.

wave2• 18 years ago

Are mobile operators really going to tolerate a platform that circumvents long-distance and SMS surcharges?

You can use Skype on AT&T Tilt (or any Windows) mobile phones. It works with WiFi and 3G data network. People are downloading and using VOIP application on their mobile phones.

jcl2• 18 years ago

Are mobile operators really going to tolerate a platform that circumvents long-distance and SMS surcharges?

They might, if the alternative to losing surcharges is losing customers to the iPhone-exclusive carrier.

Google's Android platform: not so open after all

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