On Monday, September 3, 2012 9:05:32 PM UTC+5:30, Tim in Boulder wrote: > > On 9/1/2012 3:29 AM, dE wrote: > > How does Google benefit by making the project opensource? > > That's a fait accompli: The fact that it was open source gave it a > competitive advantage over iOS and Windows Mobile in the eyes of the > various hardware manufacturers, because they could customize it however > they liked to "differentiate" their phones. > > Honestly that "differentiation" was mostly awful, but it was what they > WANTED from a phone OS, and so they chose Android (except Nokia, R.I.P. > [1]). >
What customization? Extra apps, a bit different UI, extra shortcuts/widgets on the desktops and extra buttons? Google could've easily designed a closed source OS which allowed these modifications at the API level. You need the source when you're changing fundamental infrastructure like the security model, architecture, package management etc... Which which phone manufacturer wants that? > > > Largest e.g. is Linux desktop, who's administrations despite being > > hard is used by ~1.5% of the world and the primary reason for most of > > these people is that it's GPLed software. > > Linux desktop is losing market share to OS X. Sad, but true. And having > tried to use Linux desktops, I can't blame them, though personally I can't > stand being forced to use the mouse on OS X (how do you call up the menu > from the keyboard? You can't.), and so would jump to Linux desktop myself > rather than reduce my productivity if I needed to leave the Windows > platform. > > What're your sources? Linux market share has remained constant for a long time. http://stats.wikimedia.org/archive/squid_reports/2009-07/SquidReportOperatingSystems.htm http://stats.wikimedia.org/archive/squid_reports/2010-07/SquidReportOperatingSystems.htm http://stats.wikimedia.org/archive/squid_reports/2011-07/SquidReportOperatingSystems.htm http://stats.wikimedia.org/archive/squid_reports/2012-07/SquidReportOperatingSystems.htm http://www.webmasterpro.de/portal/webanalyse-systeme.html http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2012&month=7 http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2011&month=7 http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2010&month=7 http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2009&month=7 http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2008&month=7 http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2007&month=7 The primary reason why people use Linux cause it's GPLd software, that's the primary driving force. > > So we can't conclude that people will not given a damn about > > Apache/GPL/GNU projects, had it been so the 1000s of developers > > wouldn't have volunteered to develop opensource software and > > development is quiet a lot of effort for charity, finally they're > > also people. And we see even more of non-developer contributors > > daily. > > Developers who care about open source are a small, small fraction of > people -- there certainly are not enough of them to make a difference in > something like a consumer cell phone market. It only takes a few developers > to make a product used by millions, and frankly all the millions really > care about is "free" and the user experience. > > Compared to the average userbase and total number of developers, the % amount is less, but it's large enough. As of the people, there's no awareness, otherwise if they're aware they will prefer opensource alternative even if it's a little inconvenient. Developers who code for opensource software, have interest in coding; it's not about money, it's about the topic. As a result, you get high quality code and a lot of them. When you hire people who develop solely for money (your average closed source software developer working for a company without no contribution or interest in doing so), you get stuff like Windows and various other MS products. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/android-discuss/-/c2pLn9GsZWsJ. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en.
