> Furthermore Linux has been and will continue to be far more successful
> in specialized markets where Windows is not entrenched. In which case
> any shift towards more specialized devices can be a win for Linux.
A win for Linux is not necessarily a win for Free Software. E.g. most
phones using a Linux kernel aren't more Free for the end user since they
can't replace that kernel (and rest of the firmware) with their own.
> I may be mistaken but I believe the ability to remove apps remotely is
> specific to apps installed via the market. Furthermore there is no one
> stopping phone makers from using their own build of Android free of remote
> app removal.
Yes, phone makers have a lot of freedom. But the issue is whether end
users have such a freedom.
> The firmware does not have anything to do with Android, only the phone
> makers. Google/Android doesn't control the phone makers, and a phone
> maker is free to make the device as hackable as they like.
At least Google makes no effort to keep the end products free, and
even actively supports freedom-adverse features such as the ability to
remove apps remotely. So it's not really true that it's all the fault
of the phone makers rather than Google/Android's.
Of course, none of this is a big surprise: Google has always been very
supportive of Open Source but not of Free Software.
Stefan
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