11–20 of 26 posts
What does being open have to do with Motorola not updating one of their phones?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I read it as the opposite: Android users can update their software regardless of what their manufacturer does.
I think you missed the irony. Such a small percentage of people will ever type something into a terminal that it's irrelevant.
You would still have to root it and get a rom that works on that model.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So are iPhone users. The difference being that Apple has shown a track record of updating their older phones, while Motorola is developing a track record of the opposite. There's nothing stopping a manufacturer from developing a good track record with an Android phone, but so far most haven't. Developing such a reputation could be a strong competitive advantage for someone making Android phones.
so, what would be the advantage of being "open"?
What does being open have to do with Motorola not updating one of their phones?
Being open means that someone technically proficient could then update it themselves. Gruber is arguing that most users aren't that proficient, so being open doesn't compensate well for a manufacturer, like Motorola, failing to update their phones themselves.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I read it as the opposite: Android users can update their software regardless of what their manufacturer does.
I think you missed the irony. Such a small percentage of people will ever type something into a terminal that it's irrelevant.
What does being open have to do with Motorola not updating one of their phones?
Being open means that someone technically proficient could then update it themselves. Gruber is arguing that most users aren't that proficient, so being open doesn't compensate well for a manufacturer, like Motorola, failing to update their phones themselves.
Take for example CyanogenMod - the guys involved in the project don't get paid by any of the manufacturers, but they are able to build ROMs that can run on a host of devices while providing a consistent stock-Android user experience. How is that for being open.
List of devices with nightly CM7 (Gingerbread) builds: http://mirror.teamdouche.net/?type=nightly
Translation: Android users are at the mercy of hardware manufacturers and carriers.
So are iPhone users. The difference being that Apple has shown a track record of updating their older phones, while Motorola is developing a track record of the opposite. There's nothing stopping a manufacturer from developing a good track record with an Android phone, but so far most haven't. Developing such a reputation could be a strong competitive advantage for someone making Android phones.
Apple can do that with the iPhone and Google can do it with their Nexus models probably because they don't release a bazillion different phone models in a year (like HTC/Motorola/etc...).
i.e. Don't trust Motorola to update their phones.