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| Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, July 19 2013 @ 09:55 AM EDT |
The manufacturer skins and software *are* improving
considerably -
With the new Google Play editions of the Galaxy S4 and HTX
One allow a direct comparison between pure android and
skins.
In a lot of cases, people are preferring the skins, due to
extra features and tailored camera software. (I haven't used
either version of either device, so I can't comment
personally, but have seen reviews that suggest that at least
some people prefer the non play versions)
This is at least a step in the right direction -
manufacturers naturally want to have their own UI and
differentiate like that, but are only recently catching up
to a comparable state to pure android.
Perhaps also Android 4.x is a better base on which to build
extensions and UIs.
Times have been bad for skinned devices, but hopefully this
is a sign of things to come, and going forward the
manufacturer "enhancements" will be just that, and not a
reason you need to root the phone.
(I also had an original Galaxy S, and though the basic OS
was great, the touchwiz software and UI is awful, and I had
to put cyanogenmod on it. Upgraded to a Nexus 4 and I'm much
happier)
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| Authored by: symbolset on Saturday, July 20 2013 @ 05:27 AM EDT |
I'm not a big fan of rooting but if I do it it will be to be rid of the Verizon
apps. They can't be uninstalled otherwise. It is not possible for
non-uninstallable carrier apps to be in my best interest.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 20 2013 @ 04:46 PM EDT |
The reason for the root bar is to stop idiots from destroying their phone.
There are too many of them out there for vendors' helpdesks to manage
the flood that would result from selling rooted phones. Maybe there is
some easier way. If so please tell the vendors.
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- Root bar? - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 21 2013 @ 11:43 AM EDT
- Root bar? - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 21 2013 @ 04:57 PM EDT
- And we have a winner - Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 21 2013 @ 08:21 PM EDT
- Root bar? - Authored by: PJ on Monday, July 22 2013 @ 05:10 AM EDT
- no, you didn't - Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, July 22 2013 @ 09:27 AM EDT
- mea culpa - Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, July 22 2013 @ 04:04 PM EDT
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, July 20 2013 @ 05:54 PM EDT |
Could this backfire on 'FairSearch' If a fork of Android were to be developed
without the Google search built it, but as a user option say OpenMobile would
this end the royalty payments that Microsoft collects? I think those who caved
in to earlier demands may have smartened up a little since the last time the
Goons came around and they Goons don't have the same muscle they used to have.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Sunday, July 21 2013 @ 06:22 PM EDT |
> But I shouldn't have to root the device to do that!
The secret that most Android devices are as closed as Apple's iOS.
Yup Android is free as in beer and as in speech. It's mostly open source.
What's the problem? The device vendors, which in closed markets like
the US and Europe means the network operators. First up they wanted
everything locked down so rogue apps wouldn't take down their network.
The best efforts of script kiddies and assorted hackers hasn't yet achieved
that, probably because it would be a self defeating hack.
Secondly a closed device preloaded only with the vendors' known and
tested apps greatly reduces their support costs. They don't want to be
responsible for spiral dependencies from side-loaded apps. And they
don't want to be dealing with the hordes who don't/won't/can't
read the fine print that forbids tinkering with the software, and
bring in devices broken thru user incompetence.
So why is Fairsearch beating on Google? Well, p'raps because
Google is the bigger target, it would be tedious chasing round all
the handset makers who load the roms in flavors for the different
network operators. It might be that Google wouldn't give them a
handshake agreement not to cause trouble, maybe Apple did.
Are the Google-Nexus pure Android devices truly open and free?
Remember all the talk of how we should not run in a default admin
account on the desktop, and all the scorn heaped on Apple and
MS who do just that. A phone has even more reason not to run
as admin on the default account, and Apple at least has fixed that.
How easy it should be to get root is an interesting question.
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