Open source is a good start. Apple is very much closed, as in closed source, as well as being extremely proprietary. This includes Apple's iOS and all i* products, eg iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.
In case it was unclear: iOS is CLOSED SOURCE. It is clearer to call it Proprietary. Availability of source code, is a prerequisite to free as in freedom ie. libre computing. Microsoft makes some software available as Open Source, whilst that very software (open source as it is) is yet still Proprietary Software. Be careful out there. You might taint your mind and be forever thereafter beholden to Microsoft patents and licenses, by accepting/ working on, certain Microsoft "Open Source" products. Microsoft likes and appreciates that there is confusion around the difference between Libre (free as in freedom) software and Open Source (could be libre, could be entirely proprietary) software. In the long term, for freedom aka liberty, it pays to educate yourself. You are with freedom to name my strong pro-freedom stand, my advocating for freedom, and my humble attempts at educating those confused of the difference between liberty and "open source", as "holy war". You are similarly free to seek to position a stand for liberty as worthy of being considered "main stream" or "conservative", and to avoid casting such a position as "radical" and slurred with the innuendo of ethnic-cleansing "holy wars". You are with freedom to not participate in advocating for our human rights, to not stand for honour, decency, intelligence and dignity. You are free to limit your activities to the pursuit of having "a smartphone that can do most things and is open-source without participating in [any of these] holy wars". May the source be available to you. May freedom be with your children's children. Zen On 2012-02-03, Rod Butcher <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm not at the cutting edge, I just need to have a smartphone that can > do most things and is open-source without participating in holy wars. > Can you clarify your comments ? > thanks > Rod > On 02/03/12 14:30, Zenaan Harkness wrote: >> The most important app to me is that Libre app. Called Freedom or >> something... not sure what others call it sometimes. >> >> If you so insist on a self-centered reason: there's that big brouhaha >> what, just December or something (can someone remember the name >> please)? about that key-logging binary blob in the heart of _every_ >> iOS _and_ android device?!! >> >> Seriously, have we already forgotten?! At least with >> Android/mostly-libre you can go and install your own OS, eg >> Cyanogen-mod etc. By all means feel free to include that binary >> blob... >> >> What absolutely befuddles my mind, and so saddens my heart, is that >> we, those who are supposedly somewhat "informed" in respect of the >> computing world, don't remember such abominations to all decency, to >> rights, to common sense, to respect and honour and integrity, barely a >> month after it bloody happened!@! FFS! >> >> Seems we really, actually, don't care. If it shiny, glossy, easy, >> nice, we in soma happy place, yeah government look after me very well, >> nice shiny gold cage I in with yummy swipe interface.... >> >> Please note my very royal use of the word "we". >> >> As RMS said so many years ago, am I prepared to sacrifice some (these >> days such a very firetruckin little!) convenience, shiny-new-ness, >> etc, to gain freedom? Am I prepared to do a little extra work, suffer >> a little extra frustration, to get the kind of freedom my kids would >> be proud of when the day comes they understand such things, and ask me >> about why our world is the way it is? >> >> D: Here's a present son... >> S: How does it work dad? >> D: Just download the source son, and check it out. Might take you a few >> days... >> S: What can I do with it dad? >> D: Whatever you are able to son, just don't stop the next guy from >> doing what he wants too! >> >> To echo so many before us - the only real protection of our freedom, >> is the love/care/seeking of freedom by the people. That's us. That's >> you. That's me. >> Live your rights. Live freedom. Live it or lose it... >> >> ...or perhaps a greater "range of apps available for the OS" is what >> it really comes down to, correct? >> >> Zen >> >> >> On 2012-02-03, Rod Butcher<[email protected]> wrote: >>> Thanks for all the feedback - Galaxy Nexus sounds like a contender. I >>> think it comes down to the range of apps available for the OS, correct ? >>> So are there important apps for IPHone and Windows Phone that Android >>> lacks or doesn't have apps that can provide equivalent functionality ? >>> Clunkiness doesn't bother me so long as the function is possible. Also, >>> are there any commonly-used file formats that Android apps struggle with >>> ? >>> thanks >>> Rod >>> -- >>> SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ >>> Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html >>> >> > > -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
