

Five problems with Google Android - mencius
http://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2007/11/five-problems-with-google-android.html

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iamwil
I kinda disagree with some of his points.

1) "Android apps are written in Java" I haven't delved into the deeper end of
things, but I suspect that it will be a matter of time before people start
putting other compilers on there. I mean, Jython and JRuby are implementations
of Python and Ruby for use on a JVM. So given that the phone is as open as it
claims to be, it should eventually happen. I know the Haxe people are talking
about porting Haxe onto android. I'm going to guess it's just a starting point
to use Java.

As for the middle layers being closed, I don't see it mentioned explicitly in
the design overview, and a browser is in the app layer, not the framework
layer so you can replace that for sure.

2) "the installable application is dead" To think that a mobile platform is
simply a smaller web that you can take with you is a bit misguided, I think.
As an example, currently, no web browser provides GPS data from the user.
There's a plugin for firefox, but that's about it. So (as an example) until
mobile browsers provide geo-location, you'll be limiting yourself to writing
applications that confer the advantages of the web, but not of the advantages
of a mobile device.

Native applications will still have their place. Just as TV didn't replace the
radio completely, web apps won't completely replace native apps.

His other points seem to be better justified, but at this point, no one knows.
Only time will tell.

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mencius
No, the browser is definitely not just an application in Android. It is
WebKit, which is in the framework layer.

Android can run any language that can compile to the JVM. On the other hand,
compiling to Java bytecode really isn't much different from a source-to-source
translation to Java text - at least not from the programmer's point of view.
And have you ever programmed in an S2S environment? Sucko.

As for (2), you are absolutely right. The basic problem is that if the Web had
been designed as an application platform from the start, the installable
application would be dead.

But is the way to fix this to build a new installable application environment?
Or a new network application environment?

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davidw
Too much complaining, with little in the way of suggesting alternatives except
for "the iphone is better", which may be true, but Android is _way_ more open.
I guess we'll see how it plays out, by my instincts seem to be in favor of
Android, even though there are some issues.

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michaelneale
What is it with this tendency to whine about things that people really have
nothing to do with. if you don't like it, don't use it. Its just irritating
(most of the time).

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izak30
This is what I see from android: "Cell phone OSes, historically, have sucked.
So it's easy to fall into the pattern of believing that they will always suck,
and that if you make them suck 500% less, you have reached nirvana."

It's case #2 of google, using it's power as "the honest, open company" to gang
up on the big guy (facebook - openSocial; blackberry, iPhone - Android). But,
truly, as it turns out, is not that innovative; which , unfortunately (because
some of their things are still pretty good _cough_ reader*), I've come to only
accept innovative things from them.

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marcus
OK so it is not a perfect solution but it is still a whole of a lot better
than tailoring and adapting your application for every phone out there.

