Update from the CEO • Hacker News Board

Re: Update from the CEO

#41

Post by ConstantineXVI » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:44 PM UTC

nollidge wrote: post #37

jmillikin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. If Google can start pushing auto-updates to all of its devices, that would be one of the greatest improvements ever made to Android. Also, one of Chrome's most touted features is performance, which has always been Android's weakest point. Hopefully he'll be willing to a…

Are you talking updates without prompting the user? My Nexus (original) updates itself every so often with a prompt.

I'm led to believe there's some kind of regulation preventing phones from updating without user intervention, given the 'you will not be able to make emergency calls' prompt most phones seem to show on an update.

Re: Update from the CEO

#42

Post by snowwrestler » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:45 PM UTC

outside1234 wrote: post #35

eitally wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be, or he could be moving into a hardware role at Motorola Mobility.

Could be. Would be a great pick to drive Glass. Or build robots.

Seems to me that if he were moving to head another high-profile project at Google, it would have been part of this announcement.

Re: Update from the CEO

#43

Post by chaz » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:45 PM UTC

laureny wrote: post #27

jmillikin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. If Google can start pushing auto-updates to all of its devices, that would be one of the greatest improvements ever made to Android. Also, one of Chrome's most touted features is performance, which has always been Android's weakest point. Hopefully he'll be willing to a…

> Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. The reason for the hold out is the carriers, not Google. Google is very good at pushing updates to phones when it's not limited by the carriers (and Android implemented over the air updates years before anyone else did. iPhones still require cables to be updated).

> The reason for the hold out is the carriers, not Google

For a Google SVP, much of the role is external. If getting partners on board is important and it hasn't happened, then you're out.

Re: Update from the CEO

#44

Post by MatthewPhillips » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:47 PM UTC

laureny wrote: post #30

recoiledsnake wrote: post #11

Since Sundar Pichai is the head of ChromeOS, perhaps this move is part of a larger move to unify Android and ChromeOS.

> Since Sundar Pichai is the head of ChromeOS, perhaps this move is part of a larger move to unify Android and ChromeOS. I can't see both exist at the same time for much longer, and Android is encroaching on ChromeOS' domain much faster than the other way around. I'm predicting that ChromeOS will be shut down within a couple of years.

I'll take that bet. Instead I think it's going to happen the other way. Chrome is going to be more tightly integrated into Android. Eventually the Play store will contain Chrome Packaged Apps that appear to the user no different than the Java apps. Chromebooks will remain untainted. They'd be giving up too much security wise by allowing native apps on Chrome OS, one of its biggest selling points.

Re: Update from the CEO

#45

Post by MatthewPhillips » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:49 PM UTC

hugoc wrote: post #19

recoiledsnake wrote: post #11

Since Sundar Pichai is the head of ChromeOS, perhaps this move is part of a larger move to unify Android and ChromeOS.

How would that work? What would it be like? Android is powered by native apps, Chrome by cloud apps. Chrome already runs on Android. They have different approaches and I don't see how they how they could form a coherent whole or how one would benefit from a merger with the other. :/

> Android is powered by native apps, Chrome by cloud apps.

Android is powered by Java apps (mostly). Java apps run in a virtual machine, just like web apps. Java apps are no more native than Chrome packaged apps.

Re: Update from the CEO

#46

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:49 PM UTC

laureny wrote: post #27

jmillikin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. If Google can start pushing auto-updates to all of its devices, that would be one of the greatest improvements ever made to Android. Also, one of Chrome's most touted features is performance, which has always been Android's weakest point. Hopefully he'll be willing to a…

> Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. The reason for the hold out is the carriers, not Google. Google is very good at pushing updates to phones when it's not limited by the carriers (and Android implemented over the air updates years before anyone else did. iPhones still require cables to be updated).

[deleted]

Re: Update from the CEO

#47

Post by mtgx » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:49 PM UTC

I would've preferred Vic Gundotra to take the lead of Android. He's a much more "experience" kind of guy, and a great speaker, too.

But I guess Sundar Pichai isn't a bad choice, either, especially if they plan on unifying the 2 platforms. But he's still more of a "core" product guy, than a human interface guy. I just hope he at least leaves Matias Duarte enough independence.

Re: Update from the CEO

#48

Post by wmf » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:50 PM UTC

nollidge wrote: post #37

jmillikin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that Chrome has figured out how to push updates, while a majority of Androids are still running a version released over two years ago. If Google can start pushing auto-updates to all of its devices, that would be one of the greatest improvements ever made to Android. Also, one of Chrome's most touted features is performance, which has always been Android's weakest point. Hopefully he'll be willing to a…

Are you talking updates without prompting the user? My Nexus (original) updates itself every so often with a prompt.

No, we're talking about any updates, which is more than most Android phones receive.

Re: Update from the CEO

#49

Post by MatthewPhillips » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:50 PM UTC

outside1234 wrote: post #35

eitally wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be, or he could be moving into a hardware role at Motorola Mobility.

Could be. Would be a great pick to drive Glass. Or build robots.

I was under the impression that Sergey was heading Glass.

Re: Update from the CEO

#50

Post by pinaceae » Wed, Mar 13, 2013, 5:51 PM UTC

Observation by Benedict Evans: almost all key divisional leads at Google were born in India. Android, Engineering, Advertising, Youtube…

Polar opposite to Apple, which is a white boys club.