Google's Android platform: not so open after all (ars technica)

Posted Jul 17, 2008 18:15 UTC (Thu) by zooko (guest, #2589)
In reply to: Google's Android platform: not so open after all (ars technica) by davidw
Parent article: Google's Android platform: not so open after all (ars technica)

"But I still have every belief we'll see the source code after phones come out."

Why do you feel this way?  Is it because you trust that the google corporation wouldn't go
back on its word, or because you think that it will be in its best interest to release it
later, or something else?

I'm not asking these questions in order to implicitly disagree with your prediction -- I'm
just curious why you think so.

Google's Android platform: not so open after all (ars technica)

Posted Jul 17, 2008 18:31 UTC (Thu) by davidw (guest, #947) [Link]

Because I've talked with people involved with the Android program who promise it.  Also, yeah,
I think that going back on their word would be quite damaging for them.

The reason they're waiting for phones is this, they say: if they dumped the source code, they
would run the risk of some random manufacturer running out and doing a crappy, non-QA'ed
phone, and then the press would be all over what a disaster Android is (just like they jumped
on this story like a pack of wolves:-)

It's a mix of two

Posted Jul 17, 2008 21:51 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

Why do you feel this way? Is it because you trust that the google corporation wouldn't go back on its word, or because you think that it will be in its best interest to release it later, or something else?

It's in Google's best interest to keep their word :-) Because a lot of marketing hoopla around Android is based on trust. Once this trust will be lost - it'll be the end of Android. May be few years down the road if and when Android will be default phone platform they'll have the luxury to deceive people (like Microsoft) - but not for a few years...