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Google Android 3.0 "Honeycomb": Open source no more
- Thread starter whs37
- Start date
Mostly Harmless
Android Expert
How? The open source doesn't affect anyone unless the choose to partake in it. Google can still release 4,5,6,35 updates a year if they want too and companies will still be able to release there own overlays (sense, blur, touchwiz) on there products.
All this does is make it harder for development community to develop different roms etc....The majority of people who root and install roms know what they are getting into and understand the risk. The others just got into something that is way over there head and didn't take the time to understand it.
Who does this benefit? Google and the companies who develop phones.
Who does this hurt? EVERY ANDROID USER.
I think this will kill Android as an OS for a tablet. The reason why an Android tablet would be more appealing than going to an ipad 2 is the ease of customization. Google must have forgotten how much they have relied on the ROM dev community while working on their own updates.
It will also delay getting new versions of Android out, google announces a new version available. OEM company has to tweak it to their preferences, if it is going to a tab that is locked to a wireless carrier they will need to submit it to the carrier before the update comes.
I wonder if this means the next version of Android for the smartphone will also be locked?
It will also delay getting new versions of Android out, google announces a new version available. OEM company has to tweak it to their preferences, if it is going to a tab that is locked to a wireless carrier they will need to submit it to the carrier before the update comes.
I wonder if this means the next version of Android for the smartphone will also be locked?
How does a delay mean "It's not open source any more"? So it gets released in a few months. As long as Google releases the source code, it is still open source. Is the delay disappointing? Yes. Does it mean that Android is no longer open source? Hardly.
Have you tried the Xoom? It feels half baked. Google is probably doing the right thing. Many other open source projects (Apache, Linux, Gnome) are also on a "Release when ready" schedule. One key difference, I will admit, is that those repositories are generally open during the development process. This is a strategically defensive move by Google to prevent a whole bunch of crappy half-baked tablets from getting released.
If Google releases Honeycomb in the coming months and then doesn't release the source, then I'll change my tune. For now, however, I'm disappointed in the timing, but am not convinced that their intentions have changed regarding open source.
Have you tried the Xoom? It feels half baked. Google is probably doing the right thing. Many other open source projects (Apache, Linux, Gnome) are also on a "Release when ready" schedule. One key difference, I will admit, is that those repositories are generally open during the development process. This is a strategically defensive move by Google to prevent a whole bunch of crappy half-baked tablets from getting released.
If Google releases Honeycomb in the coming months and then doesn't release the source, then I'll change my tune. For now, however, I'm disappointed in the timing, but am not convinced that their intentions have changed regarding open source.
The Xoom is already running Honeycomb. Google is giving the source to OEM developers, moto made the "half baked" tablet experience with honeycomb. Google's reason is so people do not try to make honeycomb run on phones. If this does anything it will make sure the manufacturers of cheap tablets are stuck on making eclair and froyo tablets and the only companies that can develop a tablet with Honeycomb must first get the approval of google.
zerocool79346
Android Expert
No, Motorola's not completely at fault. Google should have pushed the release of Honeycomb as a whole back a few months, there are stability issues in the code that needed to be worked out. I think pressure from Moto and Verizon both made them rush Honeycomb out before it was 100% stable. I'm actually for Google restricting Honeycomb to an extent; the ultra low price, low-grade Eclair and Froyo tabs out now are absolutely worthless and probably kill more Android sales than they create.
The cheap tablets available can be rooted and devs have made them more than ample as an internet portal which is more or less what they have been designed for. The xoom has specs that should make it a real player against the ipad 2 however the job moto did on implementing the OS should have been better. If they were to release honeycomb to the masses I'm sure within a month someone at XDA or Slatedroid would have a rom that is better than what is currently on the xoom.
Now vzw may be able to take some blame for the OS. They get the final say on if they will let the device run on their network after testing it. They also recently got blessed by the hand of apple, I could see vzw driving ipad 2 sales up by pushing a less than steller android tablet for more.
It could go that way, but the tablet manufacturers have had plenty of warning that Honeycomb is the tablet O/S. I just bought one of the Woot ViewSonics, I was hoping that honeycomb would be released sooner rather than later. Any other tablet makers out there will probably take what happened to ViewSonic as a warning: Don't release too early. The modder community loves the thing, but the general public hated. it. Like I said, I'm disappointed by the delay, but I see nothing that convinces me that the source won't be released when it's ready.
As for the Xoom, I'm not talking about the crappy things that Motorola did (send back for 4G, releasing before Flash is ready), I'm just talking about the user experience with Honeycomb when I tried it in a store. It just doesn't feel right yet.
snapper.fishes
Android Expert
Not to mention the less than desirable price tag.
Thought about it some, devs would likely try to port honeycomb to work on phones and it is not designed to work on them. Likely they will release the source when ice cream is released as it is supposed to run on phones and tablets.
If this is the case I hope it does not become standard for google
If this is the case I hope it does not become standard for google
1. They will probably release it in open source after a lot more bugs are squashed.
2. When a non Tegra2 version becomes available for all dual core chipsets. Right now Honeycomb has all these Tegra2 optimizations that may play hell on other dual core chipsets. Right now, Honeycomb isn't chipset or vendor neutral. The idea is to make the OS chipset neutral.
2. When a non Tegra2 version becomes available for all dual core chipsets. Right now Honeycomb has all these Tegra2 optimizations that may play hell on other dual core chipsets. Right now, Honeycomb isn't chipset or vendor neutral. The idea is to make the OS chipset neutral.
whs37
Android Enthusiast
This is interesting reading (Business Week) in the context: Do Not Anger the Alpha Android - BusinessWeek