Google blackmail

[ddanhrt64b]

I am kinda new here, but I have to bring this up and see if I am the only one who feels as I do. Seems to me that requiring us to open a Gmail account, even if we already have a Google account with Google checkout without Gmail is pure and simple blackmail. Google is saying we will hold the full functionality of your device ransom until you agree to open a Gmail address.

Don't know how many times I have run into the screen requiring a Google sign-in, and when I tried to sign in with my Google account, I got "This account does not use Gmail." Then the set up an account screen.

That may not sound like such a big issue to most of you. Most people I know have Gmail accounts. However, there are some of us who do not have and do not desire Gmail for one reason or another.

I have a Google account, using an email address with another provider as user name; Google checkout works just fine with my existing Google account. I have had issues with Gmail before. And there are alternatives to the Android Market, however the market is the only place we can get certain apps and gain functionality of some pre-installed apps, a monopoly of sorts. This seems wrong to me.

The number of Android users increases daily. And so, the number of Gmail users must follow suit as it stands now. Does anyone else here feel there is a need to break Google's monopoly?

 

[gdbjr]

This has been covered many times before and the conclusion is always that same. If you buy a google phone and want to take full advantage of it, then you need to use google services. They aren't forcing you to do anything.

 

[ddanhrt64b]

Sorry, but that just doesn't get it. I have a Google account, and I can use it for anything Google, including Google checkout. Of course, Google Checkout generates revenue.

My point is that any Google account with Google Checkout should be able to access the market. Perhaps there are others who have had bad experiences with Gmail who will understand my reluctance to open a Gmail account.

However, be that as it may, requiring a Gmail account of those who use Android devices is going too far. It is in effect , a form of blackmail as I said.

I will point out that the only part of the devices which is a Google product is the OS.
My phone, for example, was made by Samsung for VZW. I doubt I would buy a Google phone, I have had experience with their customer service.

There are, of course, other choices for using an Android phone. Alternative markets, apps galore. And the apps tied to Google can be removed after rooting the device. There is principle involved here, the idea of a free market and the freedom to choose whether or not to use any part of anyone's service or any particular product.

 

[pazzo02]

You have to have a Gmail account, yes, but you don't have to use it. That's what I do. I actually have my email forward to Gmail and use the Gmail app since the stock Android app doesn't have push (Gmail does).

I think Apple is much worse, requiring you to do everything through iTunes, and until recently, only letting you put your music on Apple devices.

 

[frozzy24]

I've had and been using the same gmail account for the last 6 years, works just fine on my droid.

 

[zuben el genubi]

The Google requirement that gets me is having to almost redo everything to use mobile Blogger.
I've had the blogger account for years, I have GMail, Market, and Books, so they have phone and credit card. Why do they need anything else?

 

[WMarkFelt]

The information scraping is getting out of control. That was the one upside to the Palm platform (as much as it sucked otherwise) is that the data collection wasn't QUITE as odious.

WMF

 

[zuben el genubi]

How did Palm collect data? On Sync?

 

[Puzzlegal]

How did Palm collect data? On Sync?

Yes, and you could control what would get synced. You could only sync with your PC if you preferred, although there were advantages to syncing with their server, of course.

ddanhrt64b, I have a gmail account, and don't use it except as a portal to my google services. I have another email account which I use for email.

 

[N8PHL]

This is just to funny.
You buy a "GOOGLE"phone and then expect that you can have full use of everything that the phone can do.
But you don't want to use some google services that are needed for the phone to work.
Now here is the easy to fix the issue.
1 Setup a dummy gmail account and never use it.
2 get a IPhone,windows,Blackberry.
And stop griping that it is blackmail.
Always read the terms of service before you buy anything or think you can slander a product.

 

[MBJewell]

N8PHL, that's exactly what I did with the GMail requirement. I'll probably never use the account for email, but it was easy enough to set it up so I can use the Market. I also agree with pazzo02 that the Apple constraints are worse than are the ones for Google. In this technological world, we sometimes just have to go with the flow.