[mberning]

I really wasn't commenting on the open source nature of the OSes, but rather Google exerting control over what carriers are allowed to do with their Android builds.

The thing that irritates me is the considerable double standard for freedom and openness that is applied to Android and iOS. As it turns out people have an very relative concept of what 'free' and 'more free' is. Some types of freedom are considered good, while others are bad. Hard to tell at times which way the community will go. I come in to these kinds of stories and find people endlessly lauding Google for taking more control over the ecosystem. I know for a fact that if the story were 'Apple cracks down on X' the reaction would be practically the inverse.

[patrickas]

You really see it as double standard? Let me try to explain the reaction you are not understanding, on a scale of closed=0 and 100=totally open people perceive that Apple is around 20 and Google is around 60. (numbers may vary but the point is ios is much less open than android)

When Apple exerts more control going to 15 people scream "OMG draconian too closed"! When Google goes from 60 to 55 people say "less open but hopefully this will solve the fragmentation problems we have".

Eventually if Andoird becomes totally closed source and no other manufacturers than Google are allowed to use it on their hardware and no user would be able to install applications outside the Android market... I bet almost everyone will be saying the same thing as they do for Apple!

This is a step in Apple's direction but the Gap between the two is still perceived as very wide.

[stanleydrew]

I'm sorry but I don't see a double standard here. Developers get mad at Apple for exerting control over the App Store. Users get mad at Apple for capriciously restricting their use of great applications (like Google Voice, until recently). It's entirely App Store control that everyone declares draconian.

Almost everyone I know is very happy with Apple exclusively controlling iOS as an operating system. They are also very happy that Apple exerts lots of control over carriers in the sense of not letting them make additions or modifications to the operating system, pre-install apps, add carrier branding to the hardware, etc. This is the kind of control Google is now seeking.

To me it appears that you have a double standard. You want to criticize Google for attempting to exert the same control that Apple is rightfully lauded for.

[isleyaardvark]

> You want to criticize Google for attempting to exert the same control that Apple is rightfully lauded for.

We're criticizing Google for falsely describing their approach as "open". Apple is rightly lauded for their closed approach because it is effective in ensuring quality, looks like Google is starting to learn the same lessons. I have no problem with Google taking that approach, I'd like to see quality Android tablets. But it isn't "open".

[bonch]

"To me it appears that you have a double standard. You want to criticize Google for attempting to exert the same control that Apple is rightfully lauded for."

Since when is Apple lauded for that around here? Apple is usually bashed for its strict control and closed platform. Yet when Google begins exerting that same kind of quality control, the comments section is full of defensiveness and justification. It's a double-standard.

Google fans in general have become some of the most obnoxious people on the planet, mocking Apple fans for blindly supporting a closed platform while unwittingly doing the same thing themselves, even as they preach about how open Android is.

Google is an advertising company. Android and other free products only exist to get people onto their proprietary content-indexing platform. That's why Verizon Android phones modified to use the Bing search engine are being obstructed by Google. The whole point of Android is for it to be a Google platform, not some benevolent revolution in openness and freedom.

[mberning]

Exactly. I learned how closed android is when I tried to remove my Google account form my Nexus One. It simply wouldn't let me do it. That's an interesting concept of free and open if you ask me.