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from the if-Google-won-did-we-the-people-lose? dept.
Android is 10 years old this week. In part one of a larger story, The Register looks at the beginnings of Android, including some early competition, and a brief comparison to Microsoft.
Google was in the game, at a time when others didn't realize what the game was. Or did, and couldn't turn the ship around fast enough. Android succeeded because it was just about good enough, and its parent was prepared to cross subsidize it hugely. Android wasn't brilliant, but it was better than Bada, and uglier than WebOS. Symbian simply wasn't competitive. If you were a Samsung or Sony or HTC, then Android gave you what you needed, it gave users a better experience. Developers were happy writing for a Java OS, it was a doddle after writing for WM and Symbian.
[...] Motorola also had a significant part to play in Android's success . . . as did Verizon. Carriers like Verizon had been snubbed by Apple's carrier exclusive strategy, and Verizon was badly burned by the BlackBerry Storm. It went all in.
[...] Android is far bigger and far more invasive than a PC could ever be. Google's dominance over our personal lives is far greater than Microsoft's ever was. The clunky laptop in the corner did not track your every movement or read your emails.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 14 2017, @03:20PM (4 children)
The fact remains that 95% of the people who buy android phones don't know what android is, don't want to know what android is, and don't care what android is. They are not a member of this anti-apple holy war that android the fanboyz wage. They simply just want something cheaper than an iPhone.
Good luck updating the OS on 3/4 of current android phones a year from now. hehehehehe
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 14 2017, @06:14PM
I'd bet the number of people that don't know what Android is are closer to 40%, but the rest of your argument still holds.
But even if you love Apple, if Android didn't exist the iPhone X would be a $1500 handset with iPhone 6 components. Competition from Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices is the biggest boon to Apple fans.
And yeah, I'm furious about the horrifically short support lifetimes of Android phones. I shouldn't have to pay $800 to get something that receives a security update more than six months after I buy it. (Nexus used to offer that, but Pixel product prices are much higher than their Nexus predecessors.) Hooray for Cyanogenmod/LineageOS.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday November 14 2017, @06:17PM
how many people demand to know the code that controls their washer, dryer, or car ?
People buy an appliance based on looks/price/performance.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 14 2017, @07:15PM
It's the robot right? The one that puts the apps from the internet in your phone during "boot up." What do I win?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 14 2017, @07:34PM
Sad but true. Marketing trumps all.
Before Samsung stepped up and matched Apple on marketing blow for blow, most android devices were seen as "droids" (remember that Verizon branding?). And these days they are all "Galaxy".