Andy Rubin on Honeycomb's source being withheld

[Bateluer]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/0...ycomb-is-not-a-change-in-strategy/#more-30283

As always, device makers are free to modify Android to customize any range of features for Android devices. This enables device makers to support the unique and differentiating functionality of their products. If someone wishes to market a device as Android-compatible or include Google applications on the device, we do require the device to conform with some basic compatibility requirements. (After all, it would not be realistic to expect Google applications – or any applications for that matter – to operate flawlessly across incompatible devices). Our “anti-fragmentation” program has been in place since Android 1.0 and remains a priority for us to provide a great user experience for consumers and a consistent platform for developers. In fact, all of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance agreed not to fragment Android when we first announced it in 2007. Our approach remains unchanged: there are no lock-downs or restrictions against customizing UIs. There are not, and never have been, any efforts to standardize the platform on any single chipset architecture.

Wait, isn't that contradictory? A big part of the fragmentation problem ARE those custom UIs.

 

[Glitchny]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/0...ycomb-is-not-a-change-in-strategy/#more-30283



Wait, isn't that contradictory? A big part of the fragmentation problem ARE those custom UIs.

Fragmentation from a dev perspective has more to do with what version of Android the phone is running (2.2, 2.3, 1.5 etc) than what the different UI's. I figure he is addressing that concern.

As far as UI's go it may be possible that they are building a modular UI system into Android so that interface elements can be swapped out while allowing the underlying core of Android to be updated at will. At least I hope they are thinking about something like that. Would allow them to keep custom UI's and speed up phone updates.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Since OEM's are still retarded with their need to differentiate with customs skins and carriers insist on bloatware, ugly branding and homosexual boot screens, I would hope Google takes a page from Apple about that.

Google should also keep an eye on hardware specs of the latest releases so that the consumer doesn't have to. The latest Android phone launched has only 320 MB RAM. Just because a phone offers barely enough to boot into Android doesn't mean it's enough and that it should ship like that.

Finally, Google needs to make Android more enticing for developers, small ones and for big publishers as well.

 

[dguy6789]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/0...ycomb-is-not-a-change-in-strategy/#more-30283



Wait, isn't that contradictory? A big part of the fragmentation problem ARE those custom UIs.

Since when? An application designed for Android 2.2 will work on an Android 2.2 phone running vanilla, sense, motoblur, or touchwiz perfectly fine. It has always been that way.

 

[Bateluer]

The latest Android phone launched has only 320 MB RAM. t.

Which phone? Most new Android phones have 512, 768 or even 1GB.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Sigh, Rubin explains away breaking their own rules and everyone buys into it?

The murky part is where they (he) equivocates about how they have and will continue to provide extra support to their favored manufacturers. I'm not sure what Dell has done to be so far down on Google's food chain, but they seem to be about as popular with Google as the Chinese companies turning out Android phones...

the definition of open: “mkdir android ; cd android ; repo init -u git://android.git.kernel.org/platform/manifest.git ; repo sync ; make” – Andy Rubin

I guess Rubin was just joking. Or open means it's open when we say it's open.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Which phone? Most new Android phones have 512, 768 or even 1GB.

Xperia Play. I wonder how much memory will be available after OS booting and Sony's skin.
My HD2 came out in Fall of 2009, from the consumer perspective it's a damn shame a nearly 2 year old phone can run a non native OS better than a 2011 native Android phone. To add insult to injury, both phones are within the same price range.

The murky part is where they (he) equivocates about how they have and will continue to provide extra support to their favored manufacturers.

I don't think the favored OEM club is a closed club. Looks like they grant access to any OEM that shows up with hot devices.

 

[poofyhairguy]

To me this is the important quote:

Finally, we continue to be an open source platform and will continue releasing source code when it is ready. As I write this the Android team is still hard at work to bring all the new Honeycomb features to phones. As soon as this work is completed, we’ll publish the code.

Without saying it directly, he just said that AOSP Honeycomb will never exist and we won't see a code dump till ice Cream.

 

[Bateluer]

Xperia Play. I wonder how much memory will be available after OS booting and Sony's skin.

Really, 320MB of RAM on the Play? The Atrix has a GB, the TB has 768MB, and the upcoming Bionic, X2, and Inc2 all have 512MB.

 

[s44]

Really, 320MB of RAM on the Play? The Atrix has a GB, the TB has 768MB, and the upcoming Bionic, X2, and Inc2 all have 512MB.

No, it's got the proper 512mb. Looks like a bunch of it is pre-allocated as video RAM, like on the Galaxy S.

(Update: We double-checked with Sony Ericsson and found that the Play comes with 512MB of RAM, 400MB of which is available for applications to use)

 

[Fire&Blood]

Right on. Initial specs listed 320 MB RAM. Good thing they didn't skimp on that.