What I find really weird about Google making this move is that it wasn't clear at all that the Google-apps are not a part of Android (and it still isn't very clear for me). They do mention this in their recent blog post (http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2009/09/note- on-google-apps-for-android.html) stating: "... but the apps are not part of the Android platform itself.". This statement sounds really weird to me. They advertise with 'Android', not 'Android with Google apps'. Also all communications about these apps happen through groups and issue trackers that are named 'Android' and not 'Google apps for Android'. They should really make this separation to just make it clear what we are talking about.
Before all the fuss about the Google apps, I didn't even knew they were not actually part of Android :S. The first time I heard about this was from Cyanogen saying he received a cease and desist. That really gives Google a bad name from my perspective. If they were clear before that the Google apps weren't a part of Android, the cease and desist message would have sounded a lot more logical for most people. I hope Cyanogen can find a way to be fully legal and open, but to have the ability to add the proprietary apps to the os. On Sep 28, 2:47 pm, PhoenixAG <[email protected]> wrote: > I think a lot of Android users are thinking along the same lines > (should have gone with phone X or Y). > > Microsoft earlier had a problem with the XDA community as well, till > they realised what a boon the modders were and how the custom roms of > the totally closed source Windows Mobile OS were benefitting them more > than they could ever hurt them. > > Now, MS just looks away. The users are happy and MS's market share > didn't take a hit. > > The reason I decided to try an Android device and not go in for the > tried and tested WM platform, was its promise of openness, far beyond > WM could offer. The promise of customizability, of numerous custom > roms which could be run on it, etc. > > If Google are serious about shutting down the custom roms area, then > Android will be still-born as an OS. I am still on the fence right > now. If custom rom development stops, I'll be the first to sell my > Magic and get a WM device. > > And to the people who say make custom roms without google's apps. I > like the apps. And they have tried to do that, but you know what? It > breaks the contacts sync, the email sync, the calendar sync, the whole > marketplace, the maps API and numerous other things. Basically makes > it useless. > > Cyanogen is finding a way to offer a clean rom with the ability to add > those closed source google apps back in to the user, but I am > sceptical that this will be a viable solution. > > Anyhow, its not like Google can release a stable OS anyway. Maybe they > should just hire Cyanogen and make him work on the OS upgrades? :) > > On Sep 28, 12:17 am, Casper Bang <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Here's the silly thing: It would be ok if Cyanogen made Nandroid first > > copied the propriatary .apk files from the original ROM, weaved it > > into the custom ROM and flashed it back. > > > I hope Google won't do too much of this, because then I might as well > > had bought an iPhone. > > > /Casper > > > On 27 Sep., 19:54, Disconnect <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I got a quiet "heads up, you can't do that and we might have to > > > notice" from a googler back when I was making AOSP adp1 images - I > > > only integrated gmail and such on one or two, but the HTC binaries > > > were evidently an issue. It isn't why I stopped, but it certainly > > > contributed. > > > > On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 1:48 PM, L!TH!UM <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Riddle me this, does anyone know if other ROM cooks have received C&D > > > > letters? i realize cyanogen's ROM is the most popular right now, but > > > > I have not heard of any other modders receiving a C&D letter. If not, > > > > then don't throw in the towel just yet. Then again, maybe it is > > > > because Cyanogen was the first to use the donut in his ROM and > > > > included the new Market app. Either way, i seriously doubt this will > > > > stop the modding community. > > > > > On Sep 27, 6:56 am, Disconnect <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Ohter problems - you can't make or break calls (oops, "setup" is > > > >> proprietary). Calendar has such dependencies on sync that it just flat > > > >> doesn't work. (I heard rumours that contacts may be the same way.) > > > > >> The really sick thing is, HTC has already made non-google versions of > > > >> these apps. But - thanks to the android licensing - they're closed > > > >> source too.. > > > > >> 2009/9/26 Cédric Berger <[email protected]>: > > > > >> > On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 01:49, Jim Ancona <[email protected]> > > > >> > wrote: > > > > >> >> On Sep 25, 7:16 pm, Zanshin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> >> > It does, in fact, mean they can't make custom ROMs. The Google > > > >> >> > apps > > > >> >> > are part of the core authentication and sign-in framework. > > > >> >> > Without > > > >> >> > those, the Android platform doesn't work. > > > > >> >> Not true. I'm running Android, built from the open source tree, on > > > >> >> my > > > >> >> Openmoko Freerunner without any of the proprietary Google apps. See > > > >> >>http://code.google.com/p/android-on-freerunner/formoreinfo. > > > > >> > Yes, Google apps are not completly necessary for Android. > > > >> > But it is also true that Android without Google apps looses a lot of > > > >> > interest. Also because a lot of third party applications rely on > > > >> > these apps > > > >> > (ie Maps API). > > > >> > Though of course I fully understand this is Google right to choose > > > >> > not to > > > >> > freely distribute these apps which are their added value... > > > > >> > And what Disconnect wrote > > > >> > " Seriously, this isn't a case of "oh, just stop distributing gmail". > > > >> > This is - as ryebrye said in JBQ's thread - a case of "AOSP doesn't > > > >> > work AT ALL without tons of proprietary crap". > > > >> > " > > > >> > is, as I understand, more true for a phone like the HTC ones. > > > > >> > Freerunner was meant from the start to be as open as possible, so > > > >> > all > > > >> > drivers for example were available, with sources, for adaptation to > > > >> > android. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. 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