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I'm sick to death of Android

zdnet.com

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Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#51

Post by CrazedGeek »

wladimir wrote: post #44

I'm sick of Android's permissions system. As you can't reject individual permissions it suffers from permission creep. In their first versions, applications tended to request only permissions they really need. Then every update they request more and more, usually wildly different from the purpose of the application. For example, Google Maps requires "Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervent…

If anyone's interested, on CyanogenMod 7.2 the relevant setting's in Settings -> CyanogenMod settings -> Application -> Permission management. After that, you can turn permissions on and off from the app manager. (As far as I can tell, this hasn't been implemented in any of the CM9 nightlies.)

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#52

Post by avens19 »

What we have to think about here is that this guy, and probably anyone reading this blog (myself included), is a nerd. The average consumer doesn't give a f* about Ice Cream Sandwich. If their phone does what it needs to do on a daily basis they are happy. It has the same features as it did when they bought it and new apps come out every day. It's not much different with Apple, aside from a few minor features, updates are merely bug fixes. As for us nerds, the internet is crawling with custom roms and custom updates that allow us to fiddle to our heart's content. So no, I don't think Android has much to worry about.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#53

Post by jakeonthemove »

wladimir wrote: post #44

I'm sick of Android's permissions system. As you can't reject individual permissions it suffers from permission creep. In their first versions, applications tended to request only permissions they really need. Then every update they request more and more, usually wildly different from the purpose of the application. For example, Google Maps requires "Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervent…

CM and DroidWall it - no more problems with apps using your bandwidth without your permission...

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#54

Post by inoop »

wladimir wrote: post #44

I'm sick of Android's permissions system. As you can't reject individual permissions it suffers from permission creep. In their first versions, applications tended to request only permissions they really need. Then every update they request more and more, usually wildly different from the purpose of the application. For example, Google Maps requires "Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervent…

Afaik, the way permissions work on Android is that each application is its own user, and each permission is a group. If you have a rooted device, you can simply log in and remove the user from the group to un-grant that permission.

I doubt it will help you though, because it will most likely cause some function somewhere to throw an exception which will in turn cause the app to crash.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#55

Post by wladimir »

nextparadigms wrote: post #48
wladimir wrote: post #44

I'm sick of Android's permissions system. As you can't reject individual permissions it suffers from permission creep. In their first versions, applications tended to request only permissions they really need. Then every update they request more and more, usually wildly different from the purpose of the application. For example, Google Maps requires "Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervent…

That's probably so you can call phone numbers for businesses from inside Google Maps, without having to ask for permission at that point each time. I doubt it means it can call on its own. But even so, I agree that the permission system is so generic and creepy, and sometimes you freak out when you see some (probably harmless) permissions, because you don't really know what to expect, and you don't know what kind of…

Yes that's what it's probably for, I've found this discussion: http://www.wirelessforums.org/uk-telecom-mobile/latest-googl...

Though others claim that for calling it launches the phone app, and doesn't call out itself...

Anyway -- it is just a pretty harmless example. Some games are much worse. I don't have time to research or decompile all interesting apps to see what they are doing with a certain permission.

I never call from my map, so don't want to grant it. It may also use the permission for calling premium/foreign numbers behind my back and cramming my cellphone bill. I don't like the "Accept it all or leave" approach.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#56

Post by wladimir »

inoop wrote: post #54
wladimir wrote: post #44

I'm sick of Android's permissions system. As you can't reject individual permissions it suffers from permission creep. In their first versions, applications tended to request only permissions they really need. Then every update they request more and more, usually wildly different from the purpose of the application. For example, Google Maps requires "Allows the application to call phone numbers without your intervent…

Afaik, the way permissions work on Android is that each application is its own user, and each permission is a group. If you have a rooted device, you can simply log in and remove the user from the group to un-grant that permission. I doubt it will help you though, because it will most likely cause some function somewhere to throw an exception which will in turn cause the app to crash.

Thanks.

I doubt it will help you though, because it will most likely cause some function somewhere to throw an exception which will in turn cause the app to crash.

That's why I blame the Android platform and not just the apps. If Android made it clear from the start that permissions are optional, and that requests for them can be rejected, applications would be written to cope with that. It would also force developers to explain why they need a certain permission.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#57

Post by silon3 »

makecheck wrote: post #5

I had an Android phone for roughly a year, after having a not-smart flip-phone for about 7 years! And even though I found real value in my old phone for 7 years, I tossed the Android for an iPhone 4S almost as soon as the new iPhone came out. When I first bought the Android phone (HTC Hero) I thought it was amazing. It really had some neat features, and there were things the iPhone couldn't do (like totally change th…

I still have the HTC Hero (EU). I put custom rom on it (currently VillainROM, I think) and it's still usable. And it's bulletproof, even more than most Nokias which would always chip in the corner if you dropped (had 3 different ones). I dropped it about 5-6 times and not a scratch (it does fall apart everytime, which is probably the reason it's undamaged).

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#58

Post by cageface »

jerlam wrote: post #37
tensor wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The update situation has improved quite a bit since the early days of Android. I don't see any reason to think that "all of a sudden now" the market will shift entirely to Apple. The new iPhone caused some market shift, and new Android handsets and OS version will likely cause some shift back. Hopefully Google's new "streamlined and integrated" philosophy will continue to reduce update times and further polish and un…

In regards to regular updates, Windows Phone is looking more and more like Android. Even on Microsoft's "preferred" US carrier, smaller bugfix updates are being delayed or skipped by AT&T: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/20178567... Previously, Microsoft provided exact details on when specific phones on specific carriers would be getting software updates, but this policy ended in January 2012: htt…

Quoting from the original article:

I’ll point them towards Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone instead. At least with these platforms, you’re guaranteed core OS updates and bugfixes for the length of your contract.

I think this just isn't true. Maybe WP is currently more homogeneous than Android but clearly MS is somewhat at the mercy of the carriers here too.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#59

Post by jay_kyburz »

damian2000 wrote: post #8

If you want an update just root it download the update. People who are wanting the latest greatest incremental release are usually a bit techie anyway, so its not that hard is it?

I'm pretty techie and I can't do it for my Galaxy Tab GT-P1000. At least 10 minuets of searching Google has failed to show me how.

Re: I'm sick to death of Android

#60

Post by chubot »

JoshTriplett wrote: post #36
ilamont wrote: post #16

iOS (iPod and iPad2) and Android user (Samsung Exhibit II) here. The OP brings up many valid concerns, and asks, as a consumer, how much is one willing to tolerate this? My answer: A very long time, as long as Android phones and plans continue to smoke iPhone on price and provide an "almost iOS" experience. The Exhibit II has Android 2.3.5 installed. T-Mobile charges US$30 per month for 100 minutes of talk, unlimited…

> iOS (iPod and iPad2) and Android user (Samsung Exhibit II) here. When I first read your post, I thought you intended this as a snarky remark about the ongoing lawsuits, until I looked it up and found that Samsung really does have a phone named the "Exhibit II". Why do phone manufacturers in particular have such poor taste in naming, and keep picking names with no obvious naming scheme or consistency?

I would be very curious to know the history of this phenomenon (product naming, and in particular electronic product naming). It seems like Sony electronics in the 80's followed this pattern. It was always like the Trinitron DX-3095 and the DX-2085.

Cell phones also follow this throwaway name pattern. I guess there are brands like the RAZR and Droid, but the individual models have throwaway names.

Where do those numbers come from? Does some one just make up some nonsense? Sometimes they put the screen diagonal in there but I think more often than not they have no bearing on the product.

Is it because finding trademarks is hard? After all, Apple paid a ton of money for the iPhone trademark.

Was there a time, like back in the 50's, where companies used normal names for electronic products like stereos?

Software used to follow version numbers, like 1.0, 2.0, etc. But then Microsoft changed it to 95, 98, 2000, XP, etc. And then Apple changed it to Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, etc. Which I think are more friendly names. Ubuntu seemed to follow in Apple's lead with Hardy Haron and so forth.

I guess with software you have a linear sequence of products. With hardware, they seem to produce a lot of useless variants (except Apple), so you can't number them 1,2,3 / A,B,C.

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