[Andy]Rubin says that if Google were to open-source the Honeycomb code now, as it has with other versions of Android at similar periods in their development, it couldn’t prevent developers from putting the software on phones “and creating a really bad user experience. We have no idea if it will even work on phones.”
“Android is an open-source project,” he adds. “We have not changed our strategy.”
Rubin says that the reason for this closed approach is due to the limited timeframe they had to develop Honeycomb. They didn’t have time to consider all the possible ways the OS would be used.
But this also raises a good question of what open source really means. For Google, it seems like open source is building the tools and OS privately, then releasing it at their convenience to the public to do as they please with it. But naysayers believe that if Android was truly open-source, the development process of each build would be transparent and accessible at every juncture.
Despite being anApple-esque move for Google, who have generally operated on the other side of the spectrum, maybe this shouldn’t be so shocking. Android is primed to become the most widely used mobile operating system, which means there’s a lot of money at stake for a lot of people. Could this be Android’s first step away from their overarching, open-source approach? [BusinessWeek]
Fletcher Ranson
Friday, March 25, 2011 at 9:38 AMGoogle should take more control over Android and the hardware that runs it. They should give manufacturers time frames that OS update releases have to be sent out and enforce that the Micro USB and 3.5mm headphone input be put in a uniform position.
I think Gizmodo or Lifehacker had an article about the USB position recently.
Even these two small steps would make updating the OS and buying third party accessories a lot smoother experience.
HTC Desire HD
Huawei ideos X5
Cheers
Alan_Syd
Friday, March 25, 2011 at 1:15 PMGee, didn’t Google have a go at Apple about being in control of their OS. I thought Android was supposed to be “open”. Trying to control how the OS is used seems awfully Apple-like to me.
Zac Sch
Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 1:59 AMstopping the manufactures from making a phone with an OS actually designed for a 7 inch plus device is a positive especially when thy are coming out with a new one (ice-cream) that should iron out all kinks and dovetail the two sizes back together. ios did not need this as they did not change the interface just expanded it.