[deleted]
Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
41–50 of 139 posts
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm one of those people who gladly use an iPhone with mostly Google apps (namely Chrome, Gmail and Maps). My little experience with Android has always been negative. The only real annoyance with iOS is you can't set Chrome nor Maps as default applications.
I'm in the same boat. My dream device would be iPhone HW with Android software. I like Android's flexibility, the replaceable home screen instead of the list of apps, the Intents system that lets you replace an app handler with another (Chrome & Maps for example), the much better notification system... I have an iPhone now (because work), and it took a few months to stop grumbling, but I definitely appreciated the ov…
On Android 6 at least, double tapping the home button brings up the camera immediately.
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
We all love Google's products but your comment is needlessly emotional. Google is not charity, it's always good to remember that. Google is not giving away the source code of Android for philanthropic reasons, it's just part of the business model, i.e. the process of money making to pay the employees and the shareholders. Oh and Apple is definitely not putting arbitrary restrictions to anything, all the restrictions…
I agree with some of your critique, but I also think you are giving Apple a little too much credit. Yes you can compile and install your own software, but AFAIK, you have to pay a yearly fee for the privilege of doing so. This isn't nearly as open as Android phones, where it is a simple matter of checking a box. I definitely agree with you that Google isn't giving away the code for philanthropic reasons, though. I ca…
[deleted]
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#44It's rather sad that Google needs to pay Android makers a fee for installing it's apps, given how Google gives away source code that makes Android exist in the first place. On the contrary, Apple's ecosystem is completely closed, app cut fairly high and non-negotiable at 30% and app store rejections arbitrary at best and blatantly anti competitive at worst. In the name of user centricity, their platform places arbitr…
Apple sells Apple phones with Apple iOS. Notgoogle sells Notgoogle phones with Google Android. Futzing with what another company does with it's product can get you anticompetitive interest. If you want to talk about Apple being anticompetetive talk about how you can't buy/rent movies on Google Play, Amazon, etc. apps on iOS. Even so, Apple has a much better legal stance for curating it's own market than Google (Alpha…
The reason Apple's actions aren't terribly anticompetitive is because the Android ecosystem is the competitor. Plus, while Apple is no doubt a major player in the phone business, they don't have anywhere near a majority market share.
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#45It's rather sad that Google needs to pay Android makers a fee for installing it's apps, given how Google gives away source code that makes Android exist in the first place. On the contrary, Apple's ecosystem is completely closed, app cut fairly high and non-negotiable at 30% and app store rejections arbitrary at best and blatantly anti competitive at worst. In the name of user centricity, their platform places arbitr…
We all love Google's products but your comment is needlessly emotional. Google is not charity, it's always good to remember that. Google is not giving away the source code of Android for philanthropic reasons, it's just part of the business model, i.e. the process of money making to pay the employees and the shareholders. Oh and Apple is definitely not putting arbitrary restrictions to anything, all the restrictions…
[deleted]
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#46$19bn. We all knew about Google paying Apple to stay on the iPhone. That's $3bn.[1]
There's the old deal with Mozilla to be the default search engine in Firefox, but that's over. But there must be a lot of other deals to add up to $19 billion.
That Google has to pay to be on the front of Android handsets is surprising. Isn't that enforced by the bundling agreement Google requires to use the Google-proprietary parts of Android? That's how Microsoft forces their stuff onto PCs; they don't pay PC vendors.
The non-Google Android phone business is pretty dead outside China.
[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/google-paying-apple-3-billio...
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
We all love Google's products but your comment is needlessly emotional. Google is not charity, it's always good to remember that. Google is not giving away the source code of Android for philanthropic reasons, it's just part of the business model, i.e. the process of money making to pay the employees and the shareholders. Oh and Apple is definitely not putting arbitrary restrictions to anything, all the restrictions…
I agree with some of your critique, but I also think you are giving Apple a little too much credit. Yes you can compile and install your own software, but AFAIK, you have to pay a yearly fee for the privilege of doing so. This isn't nearly as open as Android phones, where it is a simple matter of checking a box. I definitely agree with you that Google isn't giving away the code for philanthropic reasons, though. I ca…
>Yes you can compile and install your own software, but AFAIK, you have to pay a yearly fee for the privilege of doing so
Yes. And you have to own one of their overpriced computers too.
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#48Google may have expected the Android ecosystem to resemble the DOS/Windows ecosystem of the past ie many diverse companies competing for market share.
It hasn't turned out that way. A few major players have come to dominate the cell phone market and the also rans have mostly exited the market.
The major's market share now gives them the clout to demand higher fees from Google. And all of this has led Google to now compete seriously with it's Pixel line of phones against Samsung and Apple. Now the big boys will battle it out.
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree with some of your critique, but I also think you are giving Apple a little too much credit. Yes you can compile and install your own software, but AFAIK, you have to pay a yearly fee for the privilege of doing so. This isn't nearly as open as Android phones, where it is a simple matter of checking a box. I definitely agree with you that Google isn't giving away the code for philanthropic reasons, though. I ca…
>Yes you can compile and install your own software, but AFAIK, you have to pay a yearly fee for the privilege of doing so Yes. And you have to own one of their overpriced computers too.
Not necessarily. There are third-party tools (such as Cydia Impactor) that are cross-platform.
Re: Google's $19B Black Box Is Worrying Investors
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm in the same boat. My dream device would be iPhone HW with Android software. I like Android's flexibility, the replaceable home screen instead of the list of apps, the Intents system that lets you replace an app handler with another (Chrome & Maps for example), the much better notification system... I have an iPhone now (because work), and it took a few months to stop grumbling, but I definitely appreciated the ov…
On Android 6 at least, double tapping the home button brings up the camera immediately.
I'm thinking more of the hardware lag, especially the horror stories of the Nexus 6 and to a lesser extent Nexus 5X.