[mythtv-users] OT Apple vs GPL (Was: THIS IS A NON-COMMERCIAL MAILING LIST)

[Simon Hobson]

jedi wrote:

>  > Show me a phone that does not have any restrictions ? There are
>>  none, zero, zilch. Some are less closed than others, but none are
>>  truly open.
>
>    You can side load Android devices.

No, it is still not a truly open device - I think you'll find a lot 
of stuff (particularly around the phone/air interface) is closed.

>Just get the dev kit. You can
>install other people's binaries or build your own. This an option
>for any un-rooted Android device.

Also not (universally) true. There are Android devices out there that 
are TiVo-ised - they will not boot anything but the vendor's binary, 
and the vendor's binary won't allow access to non-approved app 
sources. Also, Android (as an OS) isn't as open as Google would like 
people to believe - hence the fuss that some vendors get new releases 
before anyone else.

The iDevices aren't completely closed (they can be jailbroken which 
substantially opens them). Android devices aren't completely open. 
Shades of grey.



jedi wrote:

>  > As is usually the case in these discussions, it all depends on ones
>>  definition of "open".
>
>     No. Some people just have a brand fetish and choose to redefine
>commonly used terms to cover up certain percieved flaws. They seem
>to suffer from a cognitive dissonance and need to alter reality rather
>than admit to whatever compromises they have chosen to make.

Pardon ?
That's quite a broad brush you are slapping the insults on with. I 
don't recall anyone in this thread redefining anything at all - other 
than some people trying to redefine "partially open given certain 
limits" == "open". It's clear some people have a brand fetish with 
Android and seem unable to realise that it's not quite as open and 
free as many think. Far, far more open than iDevices, but not 
"Richard Stallman" standards of openness and freedom.

Definitely shades of grey.

-- 
Simon Hobson

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