No AOSP for you

[rich_halvorson]

So what gives, Google is proctecting us from ourselves?
Google Holds Honeycomb Tight - BusinessWeek
Seems like a load of crap to me. Device makers already have access and it's not like any modders are going to complain to anyone about functunality issues for custom ROMs.
Is this about sloppy code that needs cleaning before public consumption, or the future of Android?

 

[anon(11517)]

Seems to me like they don't want manufacturers goofing around and putting their tablet OS on just any device. I don't think it's a jab at developers, hackers, and power users. I bet they release the source code when there is another version of the OS ready for phones/media players (Ice Cream).

 

[NoSpin]

So what gives, Google is proctecting us from ourselves?
Google Holds Honeycomb Tight - BusinessWeek
Seems like a load of crap to me. Device makers already have access and it's not like any modders are going to complain to anyone about functunality issues for custom ROMs.
Is this about sloppy code that needs cleaning before public consumption, or the future of Android?

Personally I still think they haven't released Honeycomb source because it isn't done. The Xoom is a beta project that was rushed to market before the iPad2.

If it is true than it's not XDA that Google is worried about, it's small OEMs that will try and cram it on phones, release it to the public as the "newest version of Android" and harm it's reputation. Compared to iOS, Android's reputation is still fragile, all it takes is one horrible mass market experience to push mainstream customers from Android. All the horrible 2.2 Tablets really scared Google apparently.

 

[bstmstrxellos]

Google did say that in ice cream (or what ever they are going to call i) they were going to merge gingerbread and honeycomb and that will be on phones as well of tablets. Google is probably going to wait till they release i so that people wouldn't see the use in putting honeycomb on a phone.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk

 

[bjordan]

Pretty terrible news. Really puts a mark on future android releases for the community. Will they release the source our not? Really sad even if there are business reasons for it.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. They're either open source or not. They can't try to have it both ways.

 

[E_man]

Personally I still think they haven't released Honeycomb source because it isn't done. The Xoom is a beta project that was rushed to market before the iPad2.

If it is true than it's not XDA that Google is worried about, it's small OEMs that will try and cram it on phones, release it to the public as the "newest version of Android" and harm it's reputation. Compared to iOS, Android's reputation is still fragile, all it takes is one horrible mass market experience to push mainstream customers from Android. All the horrible 2.2 Tablets really scared Google apparently.

This. The source will be released. It's not yet done. The article never said it was never coming out. They even said they were continuing with their plan of open sourcing things. The internet can be so sensational. AC is often above that, but even this site (and Jerry, who I particularly expected to keep a level head) got dragged into the muck of writing for page views. I dearly hope I am wrong, but I'd need to see where AC got the info for their article on this. If it only the bloomburg source, they took far more out of it than was in there.

Edit:

Here's what a Google spokesperson had to say on the matter.

"Android 3.0, Honeycomb, was designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes and improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. While we're excited to offer these new features to Android tablets, we have more work to do before we can deliver them to other device types including phones. Until then, we've decided not to release Honeycomb to open source. We're committed to providing Android as an open platform across many device types and will publish the source as soon as it's ready."

Source

Gee, once again, the internet has over reacted.

 

[wshwe]

You can't have your cake and eat it too. They're either open source or not. They can't try to have it both ways.

I agree completely. Google can't have it both ways. The Internet hasn't overreacted. Google wants the advantages of open source without having to deal with any of the disadvantages. If another company tried to pull this same stunt their software wouldn't be considered open source. Making software open source means losing control. The lack of control is a big reason why Android is so pervasive.

 

[tropper]

An so if they did release it, an small time manufactures drop the ball making android a laughing stock, would that bother you? Possibly driving away market share, which inturn would drive away app devs, then would turn away customers driving the market share down farther ? You can get alotta "atta boys" but it only takes one "oh shT" to erase em all.

 

[ds2dale]

Everybody, just stop.

What is Honeycomb missing: The modules necessary to operate a telephone, even though the software to support the 3G and WiFi networks are there. They said that when they were working on this software that they took some shortcuts to get it out sooner rather than later. Well, it's the telephone that didn't get the necessary support. So what. If you really need the telephone, there's VOIP and the PBX. Deal with it. WiFi or 3G, it doesn't matter.

When Android 3.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich) comes out it will have all the modules needed to support the various phones and tablets from the merged source. Your manufacturer of choice will know what is what and send the appropriate update to your unit. Hell, even the SD Card Slot on the Xoom might actually work. You never know.

Give the system developer a little slack and appreciate what you have. They seem to be completely dedicated to providing an open platform (except for this little glitch) for all of us to play with.

Keep in mind that the application developers will always be a bit behind the guys writing the OS and merging this stuff may require judicious use of a shoe-horn.

If you wanted to be merely at the state-of-the-art, you would be using an Apple (boo-hiss), but, no, you want to be at the very cutting-edge-of-technology. You want Honeycomb.

OK, carry on.

Dale