Why does google let manufacturers/carriers lock down their open source o/s?

Kaspern · 01-25-2011, 12:49 PM

Hello all first time poster here.. Quick question, why cant google tell manufacturers that if they want to use their os on their device they must leave it open sourced? Easy way of rooting and loading custom roms? Just dont get why most manufacturers are so anal about it? Thanks for any info =)

DroidXcon · 01-25-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspern

Hello all first time poster here.. Quick question, why cant google tell manufacturers that if they want to use their os on their device they must leave it open sourced? Easy way of rooting and loading custom roms? Just dont get why most manufacturers are so anal about it? Thanks for any info =)

because its a paradox,,,if they give stipulations then its no longer open source so to speak...it is open source for all of us, so if you built your own phone and know how to apply android to it, they can not tell you how to use it.....so when the carriers get it they can manipulate it how they wish...if i give you a house, by principle/by law, i cant come into the house and demand you paint the walls certain colors or that you should leave the doors unlocked. once i give you something its yours.

Google doesnt care either , they are not in the buisness of makine software they are in the buisness of advertisment their are alot of other reasons this cant be done but i would be typing all day

Prof-KOS · 01-25-2011, 01:51 PM

Also, you have to understand what Open Source means. To use the Android code they have to comply with Open Source rules and release source code They can, however, keep their own software (Sense, Blur, Touchwiz) as proprietary. They only have to release the code that is open-source (including changes they make to it).

Hardware is not open source. That is the justification for locked bootloaders, etc. Google can't force the manufacturers to do this. They could, if they wanted to, exert control by withholding licensing of Google Apps like Gmail, Youtube, Market, etc. that are also not Open Source. This would be a very un-Google thing to do.

Instead they keep a top tier dev phone that is easy to unlock for those of us that want that option easily.

The other thing that is important to remember is that Google isn't a technology company, nor do they (really) sell products (even though they do a little bit). They are an Advertising Company. 97% of their enormous earnings come from advertising. Having ridiculous numbers of Android phones with Google Ads running in their main apps in addition to iPhone, Windows Phone 7 and Palm devices that are, many of them, being used to to do Google searches and run a myriad of Google apps puts eyeballs in front of their ads. This doesn't even take in-app ads into account. There is no business reason for Google to care about hardware being locked down. They might require it on Nexus devices because they believe in the full concept of open, but they aren't going to pressure manufacturers to do it on their devices. I wish they would, especially after being a Milestone owner, but that's the reality.

Kaspern · 01-25-2011, 02:26 PM

Thanks for the replys guys =) i just dont get why companies like motorola/apple kinda go to the extra mile to lock down the device. If we brick our phone were most likely going to get another one which means more money in their pocket? Isnt thats what its about anyways? Every customer counts? Im sure motorola lost alot of customers after pissing people off with locking down the bootloader and their latest PR stunt on their youtube page. As long as profits are record high who cares? Instead of wating money on development of motoblur, htc sense or whatever else manufacturers develop, load up vanilla android on the devices instead.

Chris Kerrigan · 01-25-2011, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspern

Thanks for the replys guys =) i just dont get why companies like motorola/apple kinda go to the extra mile to lock down the device. If we brick our phone were most likely going to get another one which means more money in their pocket? Isnt thats what its about anyways? Every customer counts? Im sure motorola lost alot of customers after pissing people off with locking down the bootloader and their latest PR stunt on their youtube page. As long as profits are record high who cares? Instead of wating money on development of motoblur, htc sense or whatever else manufacturers develop, load up vanilla android on the devices instead.

I think you partially answered your own question regarding Motorola. You're exactly right, as long as profits are up, who cares? In the case of Motorola, profits are WAY up even after locking bootloaders and such, so they see no real need in changing it.

You have to keep in mind that although our community is large, it's still the minority. To the average consumer, it makes absolutely zero difference if their bootloader is locked -- half of them don't even know what rooting is and that it even exists. As long as Motorola is pumping stuff out that makes the majority of buyers happy, then that's all they care about.

Kaspern · 01-25-2011, 03:37 PM

I agree majority of phone users are average joes that have no clue how to root. But im sure our community is cpl 100 thousand strong? I read somewhere that all the parts in a iphone 4 cost just around 200 some bucks. with 600 bucks retail that is quite a bit of a profit per unit. I mean look at the latest Q1 earnings from apple lol. Moto can always do better, or any manufacturer as a matter of fact just by not being ****s. I mean apple has lost me as a customer just because of their "I cant be touched" and control-freak attitude. Im sure im not the only one in the boat.

Tre Lawrence · 01-25-2011, 06:09 PM

Well said all round...

The open source sword swings both ways...

DroidXcon · 01-25-2011, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaspern

Thanks for the replys guys =) i just dont get why companies like motorola/apple kinda go to the extra mile to lock down the device. If we brick our phone were most likely going to get another one which means more money in their pocket? Isnt thats what its about anyways? Every customer counts? Im sure motorola lost alot of customers after pissing people off with locking down the bootloader and their latest PR stunt on their youtube page. As long as profits are record high who cares? Instead of wating money on development of motoblur, htc sense or whatever else manufacturers develop, load up vanilla android on the devices instead.

couple last thoughts on the subject

1. they develop motoblur and throw it on great phones.. The phone's selling awesome and someone somewhere says See everyone loves motoblur and they keep producing it .

2. carriers dont want you to have the ability to remove things like madden or blockbuster app.. they have contracts with these companys too keep their apps on these phones.

3. arguement can be made that alot of people will be hacking that have no business doing so and they will end up having to replace or take back phones because someone had a bad experience.

its not a clean cut issue

Clak · 01-25-2011, 06:56 PM

I'm just glad that PC manufacturers aren't as bad as cell phone manufacturers. I mean they do load tons of demo software and other crap on their machines, but at least it can be removed.

2010 ZR1 · 01-25-2011, 07:36 PM

Just to sum everything up, when the average person has an issue with anything they buy, they want the place that sold the item to replace it for free. Why should Motorola, HTC, or Verizon replace your phone because you pulled the battery in the middle of rooting to open the system to remove an app you don't like or because you were trying to get a service for free? Much easier to keep killing the app you don't want or to just ignore it.