tvsjr

You need to separate Android from the carrier's crap. If you run a native Google device, you get updates directly from Google. Updates are slowed down because of the crap the carriers put the OS through.

As far as open source, Android is absolutely 100% open source. Some of the crap the carriers put on there isn't, but the base OS is open source.

Things like the delayed updates are the reason Google is making a bigger push to produce their own hardware. Their hardware gets updated directly, quickly, to the absolute latest versions.

banawan

So, can I go on Github and pull source code for the android SMS app? The phone app? The browser app? Is there some way for me to pull android source code down and compile it run on a device I’ve built?

For all intents and purposes, Android is not open source. The android open source consortium hasn’t been a thing in years. If we’re going to get into the “base OS is open source” parsing, then iOS is, too, since it’s based on Darwin which is FreeBSD. There are no phones running an AOSP pure OS. None.

Now as far as splitting nexus devices from the rest, this is the entire problem with android. Fragmentation. It’s why I won’t port my app to android despite its larger market.

Up above, someone responded to my post saying that the lower storage tier iPhones cause issues because one might run out of space. The size of the storage is the only meaningful difference between iPhone models. Hell, many of the iPhone users in this very thread are using devices 2 and 3 years old! The latest iOS runs on any iPhone going back 4 years. No one needs to worry about what processor is in their phone or any of that.

Android is capable, no doubt. But it is in no way better for most people. And certainly not for the “open” nature I’m arguing against here.

Anonymous1

Anonymous1

wiread

I had a programming class in high school, a couple years ago. we used "if" "then" statements with a a few "goto"s It took all day to get some swirly colors on our screen and usually not on the first try. That's the extent of my coding experience. Needless to say I couldn't write **** that would be useful, i just want to use my stuff.

For me the big question, what do these other things do better than Apple? I have not found anything I can or can't do on one platform over the other. I have noticed that one seems to be far more reliable and lasts longer

LoneWolfTrucker

And Waze too.

But enjoy your crApple.

banawan

I see what you did there. Did you come up with that yourself?

RangoWA

I've got much better programs than what I had with OSX, for free. Updates are regular too. That said I didn't plunk down the bucks for top notch apps. Same with PCs except I do have one expensive XP program.

Instead of photoshop I use gimp, it does almost everything. Krita can't be beat for painting. There's darktable for photo editing. Libre Office, etc. Open source software can be pretty good these days, and it's still free.

Especial86

iTrader: (1)

For a PC, laptop or tablet I loathe Apple. The prison sentence that is apple is not even tolerable. Plus I hate iTunes with a passion.

I scratch built my PC 8 years ago with the x58 intel i7 930 processor with a motherboard that left me with plenty of room to grow. My Raid array on SSD hard drives is the only upgrade I've made since, besides 4K monitors. To this day my PC can still handle everything I throw at it.

But for a phone and an on the go app device for daily tasks, and even business, I'd say Apple nailed it with their iPhone. I will give them that.
Their IOS platform is very reliable and intuitive.

But...IMHO they are a 1 trick pony with (over 50%) of their revenue deriving from iPhone sales. The new iPhone X price point and the over saturation of smart phones in this now technically "satisfied" market could prove to be a serious problem for Apple down the road.

Android is a cumbersome operating system for quick reach tasks, but for a tablet I prefer android over IOS.
At the end of the day I just want my phone to work well, and do what I need it to do reliability. For this reason I have to give Apple the trophy. The android operating system is more satisfying to toy around with, and try new things with, but unfortunately it's just not as smooth and reliable as IOS..
As for car play...I love it.
It's not a super clean execution and it definitely has its issues with reliability from time to time. But it's definitely better than anything the aftermarket has been spitting out, and for the first time ever I actually want to keep the entertainment system that came with my truck.

LoneWolfTrucker

Yes. Invented that.