iPad

[David Kramer]

Derek Martin wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 11:35:29PM -0400, David Kramer wrote:
>> We are not their target market.  But there aren't a lot of companies
>> catering to our needs.  
> 
> Just as with my in-house IT support, I don't expect or want to be
> catered to, or for the most part even supported.  I just want to be
> left alone to do whatever I want, up to the point where I break stuff
> for other people.

But expecting to be able to do whatever you want with a device *is*
asking to be catered to.  That is not what the majority of the market
wants.  They want something that prevents them from doing stupid stuff
that will make their device work in a way they didn't expect.

>> When I was looking for a new AT&T smartphone last month, my two options
>> were an iPhone or a Motorola Backflip.  You know what?  The Backflip
>> through AT&T is *just* as locked down as the iPhone.
> 
> And that's just as problematic.  Having competition who exhibits the
> same bad behavior doesn't make the bad behavior OK.  [Though I believe
> it's not the competing hardware vendor who is causing the problem in
> this case, but the service provider.  Same difference, sadly, given
> that the devices only work (completely) properly with a compatible
> service carrier.]

Exactly.  The irony is the main reason I left Verizon's superior signal
was because I was frustrated on how they locked down their more featured
phones (reducing bluetooth capabilities, etc).

> FWIW, my understanding (which may be partially wrong) is that if you
> download and develop with Android's SDK (available for all 3 major
> desktop OSes), it makes it possible to upload applications to your
> phone directly and test/use them. Whereas with Apple, things are more
> complicated, platform-dependent, and may even cost you a yearly
> subscription fee.

For Android in general, yes.  For the Motorola Backflip from AT&T. no.
AT&T has modified the software in many ways, including replacing several
of the built in apps with their own, and replacing the software
installer such that their apps cannot be uninstalled, and only software
from the Android Market can be installed.  You cannot write your own
programs and install them.  As you say that's the carrier, but the only
alternative (for AT&T users) is to buy a Nexus One from Google directly
for $600.