Google's Android platform turns 3, Gingerbread due on 11 November

5 November, 2010
The Android platform was born on this day three years ago, on 5 November 2007, and the first device based on the platform was introduced nearly one year later, on 22 October when the T-Mobile G1 saw daylight for the...

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  • j
  • jjsoviet
  • qJm
  • 06 Nov 2010

Brian, 06 Nov 2010Guys seriously shame on you to offend me just for expressin... moreYes, I have also been ticked off by the manufacturers not giving enough support for its legacy phones, barring HTC. My Motorola Cliq just got an official 2.1 update, when it's already years since it started with 1.6 Donut. The not-so-unified Android systems could cause confusion and frustration due to mismatches and incompatibilities.

However, that doesn't mean that Android in itself as an OS is fragmented. Rather, it is a fully-functional sandbox where you can do anything you want with the phone. Not happy with your current version? Root it and install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod. Don't like the UI? Use homescreen replacements and new widgets that separate you from other users. Don't want bloatware? Remove it via adb or root. The freedom to change anything without much repercussion is what I love about Android. No other OS could do that, not even a jailbroken iOS.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • kgN
    • 06 Nov 2010

    The T-Mobile G2 is my first Andriod powered device. I came from using the Blackberry OS, which I don't care what people say I thought was good for what it was designed for. I do understand how people have mixed feeling about Andriod. It's gone though more updates and versions and anything I can think of. But these different versions are completly different from one another. I have 2.2 or whatever its called, and it's a whole different thing compared to the 2.1. I think what upsets people is that these updates come out so frequently, which is good and bad. Because it dose make it difficult for phones with a custom UI say HTC Sense for example (not bashing anything it was just the first to come to mind) to adapt and run properly with an ever changing platform. However the fact that it isn't limited by anything, and can be customized and rooted, reprogramed, and just molded into an entirely different thing is what makes it so much stronger then the competition. It's adaptable, which I think a true Smartphone should be. Yeah you have your apps with the iOS (I've used and didn't like too much) but, you're limited to what Apple wants. I'm very impressed with Andriod though. I've expirenced everything out there minus Symbian3 (N8 took to long to come out so I jumped ship), and I've never had a better user expirence than my Andriod.

      • B
      • Brian
      • QP{
      • 06 Nov 2010

      Guys seriously shame on you to offend me just for expressing my opinion,
      I'm not an apple fanboy, in fact I have an android handset, however, I must admit that I have been
      Disappointed with all the mess and not organized way that android are approaching.
      Ok it's super cool that there marketshare is growing but come on now, android
      Are just releasing versions like crazy!! It's a good thing yes but the phone companies
      Are suffering from this. Every phone has a version, every phone is customized in a certain way,
      Every phone has specific apps that may work or may not work due to the size.

      The thing is that I don't need to wait for an update like a crazy person if i had an iphone.
      Moto has delayed some android updates from q1 to q3 !?
      Se also delayed an update from q3 to q4 just to get an outdated os
      Galaxy s got froyo just to discover its full of bugs and the company pulled it out from the servers.

      Do you see what I mean? It's just caios, no organization at all. As if we were
      Lab rats or such thing? It's really sad. If this continue to happen I will strongly consider
      Getting the new generation of the iphone, which by the way will be my first iphone.

      I used to be an apple hater like most of you, but seeing how well organized they are
      And how soon they get their updates with no problems, made me really think, why should I suffer
      From google !? I just don't like how many versions they are releasing in very short
      Time, it's not cool anymore. Give the manafactures a break god dam* it.

      People are suffering from the updates, and manafactures are still fixing many
      Bugs they found in Froyo due to their custom UI. I hope thinks gets better for google
      Otherwise I wan't support them anymore.

      Peace

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • JBg
        • 06 Nov 2010

        There's an interesting article on guardian.co.uk about a study that suggests that Android adopters will struggle to maintain margins in the future, drawing parallels with the 'Wintel' PC market

        http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/nov/05/android-prediction-study

          • h
          • hayato
          • t7X
          • 06 Nov 2010

          Brian, 05 Nov 2010The thing I like About apple is that they are united. Look ... moreAndroid releases are improvements, because the first versions are not functionally complete. They realease new versions either because they add a new feature or they improve on a feature it already has or both. Android is not perfect yet. It can never be since the qualifications change through time, the same goes for symbian, ios, bada, webos, wp7. But at least, android is improving and getting stronger for the better. The competition is trying hard too, except IOS. I hope apple don't get too complacent, true geeks are already giving cold shoulders.

          But hey if you like apps and games i'm not going to argue anymore on your IOS love. And 4.2 is coming anyway.

            • j
            • jjsoviet
            • qJm
            • 06 Nov 2010

            Brian, 05 Nov 2010The thing I like About apple is that they are united. Look ... moreSo basically Apple releasing versions of Mac OS X and Microsoft still having users with Windows XP isn't what you call fragmented?

              • a
              • arsbud
              • wr2
              • 06 Nov 2010

              Congrat! Wish android will able to be #1 platform.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • P%n
                • 05 Nov 2010

                The delay from 2005 to 2007 was because Google had to stop copying Blackberry and start copying Apple.

                http://www.gsmarena.com/kogan_agora_is_the_worlds_second_androidbased_smartphone-news-700.php

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • t7K
                  • 05 Nov 2010

                  Go Android!

                    • G
                    • Ganesh
                    • NPJ
                    • 05 Nov 2010

                    For all,
                    When MS released their OS did we people waited for hardware support? Didn't we installed and tried it, people who like one OS can try other, I've seen many procedures on how to install diff OS in your mobile. You have varities choose the one which you like.
                    Think about when you need you own application for your personal use can you do this simple in Apple OS, this is friendly and lots of resource available in net to update and use.
                    I personally feel: Android can go for patch rather than update.

                    ---
                    Each and every people mind will think their own thoughts and fight to express that to the world. Who wins gets lot of comments from the others (not losers).
                    Lets try to win..
                    ---

                      • B
                      • Brian
                      • QP{
                      • 05 Nov 2010

                      The thing I like About apple is that they are united. Look at andriod just a complete mess,
                      Many versions and every phone company have their own versions, and let's not forget
                      That screen size also plays a role in making all the apps and games function well on you
                      Phone or not. I don't give a dam* about all the hype regarding android. I really respect
                      Organization, and we must admit that apple wins in this matter.
                      Android? Just a mess, they keep releasing more versions to confuse the customers
                      And the phone companies as well.

                        • s
                        • spam cannon
                        • iIR
                        • 05 Nov 2010

                        Nik, 05 Nov 2010Ok read it as 10 updates, it's too many fragmentation and ... moreit can appear that way with the profusion of names rather then a simple index, but the advantage is that the handsets that cannot support the requirements of later versions still have an operational os, which means that people can keep using their old phones for longer, unlike one of the other smart phone manufacturers whose software upgrades force obsolence of working hardware that isnt that old

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • Iy0
                          • 05 Nov 2010

                          i know it won't change

                            • A
                            • Andrew Tan
                            • ibf
                            • 05 Nov 2010

                            All the BEST Android :) Happy Birthday!

                              • r
                              • rtimi
                              • kK}
                              • 05 Nov 2010

                              If we were to compare using amount of apps then it is
                              1. android (because the OS is just better than IOS)
                              2. iOS
                              3. WP7
                              4. Bada
                              5. others
                              But if apps weren't involved in the comparison then it gets a whole lot sweeter
                              1. WP7 (simplicity and brains especially for being new from ground up)
                              2. Android
                              3. iOS
                              4. Bada (very new in terms of manufacturer to OS market but overall a very good software which will grow past iOS in the future but maybe not android and wp7.

                                • M
                                • MyName
                                • Spx
                                • 05 Nov 2010

                                Best OS by order:

                                1- Android
                                2- Apple iOS
                                3- Others

                                  • e
                                  • elbas
                                  • P0F
                                  • 05 Nov 2010

                                  google should require the manufacturers who wish to adopt smartphone Systema android 3.0, do like microsoft, hardware with better performance,
                                  and prevent changes to the System to prevent manufacturers including Motorola comtinue to tarnish the image of the System android.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • Y7A
                                    • 05 Nov 2010

                                    Best OS by order:

                                    1- Android
                                    2- Apple iOS
                                    3- Windows Mobile 7
                                    4- Nokia with Symbian
                                    5- Others

                                      • N
                                      • Nik
                                      • s8d
                                      • 05 Nov 2010

                                      spam cannon, 05 Nov 2010they arent new operating sstems nick they are different ite... moreOk read it as 10 updates, it's too many fragmentation and lots of confusion right..?

                                        • N
                                        • Nik
                                        • s8d
                                        • 05 Nov 2010

                                        100000 apps includes(20000wallpaper apps, 12000 ringtone apps, 15000 screen saver apps, 25000 voice recorder apps, 1000mp3 player apps 1000 video player apps, 5000 site shortcuts, 5000 photo viewing apps, 5000 nonsense, crap, useless apps +10000 apps mostley copied from other platforms) and all the above apps not compatible for all phones with so much os versions and screen sizes...:-[