I love to shop, especially when it does not cost a lot…
I used my SDK virtual Android/Linux device to browse the marketplace and found some gems:
- Roger Phillips’s Mushroom Lite – nice pix and cool search methods, including edibility, but too few entries to be much fun. There is a full version but it costs a few dollars more
- NewEgg’s App – Isn’t this great? You can shop, check specs, and order goods while walking around. They’re the folks who sold me Beast’s new motherboard. My usual supplier has no apps and did not have a suitable motherboard.
- Simple spreadsheet – It is simple but if you need to make lists or do a bit of maths while walking around, why not? You could make a simple ballistics calculator programme with this.
- 170000+ Recipes – In case you need to check an ingredient while shopping or planning a meal while commuting… Who cares if there is an annoying little ad to pay for it?
These few examples show the value consumers and techies find in the Android/Linux smart thingies. Applications abound and the value of just a few of these applications is worth the expense of the gadget over time. On top of that you have mobility and complete customization because it’s FLOSS and you can install your own apps as needed. I don’t even have a smart thingy yet and I can see the value. Young, mobile folks just walking around see the value their friends are getting. I am going to fix my Christmas Wish List to the door of the refrigerator ASAP. 
Probably a tablet with Android/Linux 4.0 would be good.
This is only the beginning. What Google and ARM and partners have brought to the market will be bigger than the desktop monopoly ever was and will swamp and overrun that leaky boat. At the current rate of adoption, by next year the whole world will be wondering why they put up with M$ and friends running lives, industries and PCs for so long. This is clearly a better way to do IT.
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“What Google and ARM and partners have brought to the market will be bigger than the desktop monopoly ever was and will swamp and overrun that leaky boat.”
Not very likely at all, #pogson. Such fluff is not going to replace the real applications that account for the hundred billion dollar plus PC software market. You have not been out in the world very much, it seems. A fast tracker may use his iPhone to find a nearby restaurant and/or do a check-in for his friends and some loser might use his Droid to read his boring email, but neither is going to use such a thing to do his day job. And having one will not negate the need he feels to have a comparable machine to his office unit at home.
Phones and tablets are a blossoming market, to be sure, but you misread the future of classic computing by a mile.
I recommend Lookout, the best antivirus for Android out there. Remember, any OS is 100% secure, and you must be careful what you download. On Android, you must be extra-carefully what you download, because you know, Android is the smartphone OS with most malware out there. There is more malware on Android than on iOS and Windows Phone combined.
Sorry, I mean that “any OS isn´t 100% secure”. In just the fist half of 2011, the number of unique Android apps with malware went from 80 TO 400, and thousands of malware detections where made everyday.
Out of hundreds of millions of installations, that’s pretty good. It can be better of course but I worry a lot less about Android/Linux than I do about that other OS being on 80% of the world’s PCs.
Nope. Hook a monitor, keyboard and mouse to a smart thingy and you have a very capable PC. I think native GNU/Linux rather than Android/Linux would be better on a PC but most users are not as fussy as I am. They just buy what is on the shelves and Android/Linux is already all over retail shelves and it will appear on more hardware now that Android 4.0 is teed up.
Contrarian and Robert Pogson
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/MontaVista-ATP-launched/
Pays to watch what is going on. MontaVista is only using 1 Linux kernel to run android and standard Linux and html5 side by side and isolated from each other. Even allowing more than 1 copy of android JairJy side by side so reducing possible gains by infection.
Fusion of Android and normal Linux systems will happen at some point. Its a more a question when.
Really the lack of Malware on Windows Phone 7 is a high sign it has not taken off.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/08/24/apples_ios_unaffected_by_malware_as_android_exploits_surge_76.html The graphic here is interesting.
What phones are running python? VBS and MSIL are both Windows Mobile of some form. McAfee is does list.
The full report is a interesting read. http://www.scribd.com/doc/62909369/McAfee-Threats-Report-Q2-2011
Particular-ally looking at how effective in the spam game has been go after the money to shut a lot down.
Wonder how many of those forced dial premium sms numbers would disappear with some enforcement.
The effect of Android will users moving to Linux having more applications they know how to use because they were using them on there phone and tablet long term.
“but most users are not as fussy as I am.”
You are a retired school teacher, #pogson. I would submit that the commercial users of PC who are paid for their work at computers are far, far more “fussy” than you.
“Android/Linux is already all over retail shelves ”
That really isn’t true either, #pogson. I was at Costco today and had occasion to mosey around the computer and other electronic displays. The only thing with Android there was a cardboard holder full of Motorola XOOM cards that could be redeemed for the merchandise if/when paid for at the checkout. That is some sort of shop lifting prevention method. There was no sample at hand, just the picture on the card.
There were no phones with the computers, but there were a number of Android phones available at the phone kiosk. They will sign you up with T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, or ATT, but you cannot buy just a phone.
“I worry a lot less about Android/Linux than I do about that other OS being on 80% of the world’s PCs”
Well, you should be more worried using an insecure Android than an insecure Windows. Here are my reasons:
-Most users (you included) aren’t enough worried, that makes them more vulnerable.
-If Windows has a vulnerability, soon or later, Microsoft will publish a fix for it. I read you writing about how long takes to Microsoft publish a “Patch Tuesday” every month. But on Android is worse, because the software updates depend on the will of the manufacturers if they want to support those updates. I have to Android terminals with 2.1 and 2.2 version, and I can’t upgrade because Motorola doesn´t want to.
-Most of the malware spreads occur by downloading infected apps on the Market. Even if is the official repository from Google, there are malware on it. That makes users more vulnerable believing that all the software on the Store is secure as on iOS and Windows.
-Is more dangerous. Most of the modern malware made from PCs are troyans. The worst are spyware, that can steals value data and information. But on the phones the malware focuses on stealing users´ information along with consuming their money by sending SMS and long distance callings.
-The users can safe their phones by themselves. On a PC, you can encrypt your files, enable DEP on every process, make files read only, use an instance with lower admin rights and so on. But on Android you can´t do anything besides installing an antivirus software, because you are not root and you can’t be.
So, I highly recommend you install and antivirus software. Android is the most insecure OS for mobiles and tablets, and everyone using it must be secure. Is worse than Windows.
Damn, even if I double-check my words, I commit contextual errors. I mean “The users CAN’T safe their phones by themselves”. Sorry.
Many Android/Linux devices can be “rooted” and the user who has the technical knowledge can patch them or install a new version as needed. Some manufacturers, like HTC, even encourage it by providing the necessary tools. If/when the sourcecode of Android 4.0 is released these issues will be less important as it should be possible for users to update their systems. I hope eventually OEMs will agree to let Google or some proficient partner upgrade the systems over the network and stick to tinkering with apps or contributing to the central repository. That would be more likely with GPL but I hope the OEMs see that meddling individually without giving back just makes more work and annoys consumers. No doubt Google should police/scan the “Market” to prevent propagation of malware but the creativity of many malware artists is bound to exceed the capabilities of any single organization’s ability to block sooner or later. Still it is better than that other OS where myriad points of failure exist.
JairJy with what is the case with android phones is why I worry over MS signed only can install.
Because we could find ourself with the same problem as android now that we are battling with hardware markers to open up with everything if the MS plan happens.
Contrarian Australia has better laws. If a phone can be aquired on a plan it also has to be aquireable out right here.
“Contrarian Australia has better laws. If a phone can be aquired on a plan it also has to be aquireable out right here.”
So what!
“Many Android/Linux devices can be “rooted” and the user who has the technical knowledge can patch them or install a new version as needed.”
Oh Gee Pog, Imagine that. I a user who just wants to use the bloody phone can now become my own sysadmin on my phone no less! Of course I’ve now voided any warranty and support that I have, but what the hell we all “Know” that those support contracts arent worth anything anyway….
Do you actually read what you write Pog?
“Australia has better laws. If a phone can be aquired on a plan it also has to be aquireable out right here.”
I suspect that is just another slice of the baloney that you invent regularly, #oiaohm, but it only shows that you miss the point as usual. You can buy almost any phone in the US “outright” as well, but they are much more expensive than $100. Prices are in the ballpark with common laptops. That fact does not provide any support for #pogson’s notion that people will flock to smart phones as an alternate to a Wintel computer due to price.
“Still it is better than that other OS where myriad points of failure exist.”
I wonder if you see the inevitable result of focusing on the security aspect of the OS, #pogson. Right now, people do not have the sort of problems that you suggest and almost everyone gets satisfactory beneficial usage from their Windows PCs. But what if they did not and became convinced that security was the paramount issue today?
I think that the OS makers and the hardware makers might very well collude together to ensure that only trusted, signed software were allowed to run on new machines. That would be the way to solve the problem, eh? Possibly the idea could extend to web access where trusted browsers would only attach to trusted “clouds” where everyone providing content was known and had obtained an accepted certification. Malware would quickly be a thing of the past, just like bias ply tires.
The same idea could extend to registering firearms and controlling ammunition sales, I think. Who knows where it would end.
Contrarian no we have fair trading laws here you don’t have in the USA. Reason why breaking regional coding is legal. Also iphone here has fun
Those fair trading laws apply to mobile phones as well. There are models in the USA that are carrier only. Those fair trading laws enforce end user being able to buy the phones at the same kind of money has the phone network providers as well.
There are a few phones you can buy unlocked in Australia for the 100 to 200 dollar mark that if you attempt to buy in the usa unlocked will be in the 400 to 600. Basically your pricing is screwed up. There is no legal prevention against this kind of market distortion in the USA.
We can buy small screen android devices here for under 100 dollars out right. No contract no plan no lockin.
One of the effects of Australian fair trading laws is that apple and others cannot make exclusive deals to provide only X phone either. So yes anyone in Australia can buy a unlocked iphone also any carrier can decide to provide iphones bundled and locked to there service. Yes this is out of apple hands in fact. There is a joint legal agreement between all carriers to lock phones from connecting to a different carrier until contract that is paying for phone is up. So yes you see some phone boxed up on a plan at a carrier you should be able to buy exactly the same model phone to use with anyone just not bundled. This is Australian fair trading requirement. Yes you know exactly how much of your plan is paying for the phone.
Yes USA people really should be jumping up and down about the exclusive deals that are allowed between carriers and hardware makers over there. It is price distorting. Australia carriers are competing more on quality of service and service features than the phone you can get. What is the way it should be.
USA has a problem that USA people need to start seeing. Same issue as USA banks lack of regulation so allowing invalid competition.
Contrarian you hear about people complaining about android phones they cannot upgrade. Simple fact this is exactly what you risk once OS maker and Hardware maker are too close to each other.
Reason what is the simplest way to sell new hardware make the old hardware non functional by forbidding software updates.
“Support” is not an issue for many young people. It holds them back being put on hold… Young people don’t value warranties either. They live for the moment. If the unit is working, they are OK with it. Here’s a forum where folks discuss their ideas and experiences.
Here’s a quotation from HTC’s warrany:
“This Limited Warranty applies only to the hardware components of the Product as originally supplied and does not apply to any software or other equipment.
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY IF THE DEFECT WAS
CAUSED THROUGH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:…
c) use other than in accordance with the user manual, …
“
see http://dl4.htc.com/Web_materials/Manual/Warranty/Android/1015_A_WarrantyCard_76x126.pdf
So, they seem to care mostly about the hardware and not the software. Young people certainly are not interested in a warranty that requires return to the manufacturer. Being without a smart phone for weeks is not an acceptable warranty. They will just buy another. I know several young people who own several as a result of buying the latest thing. They only need to transfer mobility service to the new device and they are back on the air in hours.
“Support” is not an issue for many young people. It holds them back being put on hold… Young people don’t value warranties either. They live for the moment. If the unit is working, they are OK with it. ”
this is pure bushwah Pog. What does the fact that some geeks can root their phones have to do with general support or utility. That is not reality, nor is it viable as a business policy.
The vast majority of potential smart phone users are not going to care about such geek nonsense. A phone is an appliance to be used, period.
Well, I’m a computer geek, so is easy for me, as a young little fella, to root my device, but I’m not enough experienced to install and maintain a stable ROM with the latest version of Android without having problems like audio glitches and display bugs.
My friends have worst. Even if they are young, they have other interests, like medicine, laws or videogames, so they won’t want to root their devices, and also they don’t want to broke the warranty of their phones. They can configure Facebook better than me but they aren´t geeks, they just want a phone that works and that they doesn´t have to worry about “viruses”.
Another example, my Sister´s phone come with Android 2.1, unable to transfer applications to USB. Is an Motorola Spice, witch never have an update since its release. Worse that, it can´t be rooted by the usual ways and there isn´t any Mod that can use to upgrade it. So my sister has an insecure and useless phone that can only have few apps installed.
iPhones and Windows Phones can be updated without depend of the hardware, because every phone with those OSes has the same stack of the OS, witch makes them easily to update.
JairJy short memory. Windows Mobile when MS was too close to hardware makers same issues as android existed.
That MS is very small in the market at the moment most hardware makers are allowing Windows phone 7 devices to go out without signature locked boot loaders. Yes they do have signature locked boot loaders then can use there are some Windows phone 7 devices that cannot be upgraded as well.
This is the problem everything you are complaining about that you cannot upgrade android is what hardware makers truly want to sell more devices. OS suffering from I am locked has changed over the years. Android is just the latest form.
90 percent of buyers don’t fight for devices that have unlocked boot loaders that they can upgrade for sure. Also they don’t fight for a simple to simply upgrade firmware from PC either.
Complain all you want this has been true for over 15 years.
“90 percent of buyers don’t fight for devices that have unlocked boot loaders that they can upgrade for sure. Also they don’t fight for a simple to simply upgrade firmware from PC either.”
Absolutely. And this is IMHO because to them the phone is an appliance and a disposable one at that. so long as the cost is reasonable to them, they won’t complain. However if the cell phone vendors get too greedy, they will simply vote with their wallets.