Verizon, you sneaky bastard

[Bateluer]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/05/0...th-droidx-gingerbread-update-renamed-to-apps/

Since all of their other VCAST apps get buried at the bottom app drawers, they’ve changed the name on their appstore by calling it “Apps” which as you can imagine, popped it right up to the top so that everyone will see it each time they open an app. This will also confuse the hell out of novice users who wouldn’t know to look for something called the “Market” and will assume that this is where all of their “Apps”

And people laughed at me and called me paranoid when I said Verizon wanted to take complete control of Android on their phones, locking out all others. Fortunately, history always vindicates me. Here's the latest.

Make sure to do your best to educate people who buy Android phones the difference between Market and 'Apps'.

 

[Spoooon]

First comment at the link: If this 'tricks' you into using Vcast, then you deserve to be using Vcast.

And I agree.

 

[Bateluer]

First comment at the link: If this 'tricks' you into using Vcast, then you deserve to be using Vcast.

And I agree.

Which is why I said to educate users. Most people are idiots.

 

[poofyhairguy]

At least Verizon lets you sideload the best app store-Amazons.

I want an ATT Android phone, but that restriction really sucks.

 

[shah456]

This is why I rooted and loaded a custom rom on both my Droid 1 and Thunderbolt. Not only does Verizon load useless Vcast apps, they also are a system hog in the background.

 

[xchangx]

Mine are still VCAST and are at the bottom

 

[Kabob]

Which is why a locked down iOS is looking better and better to me all the time. Did Verizon bloat their iPhone 4's like they do their Android phones?

 

[ew915]

If you end up getting tricked into the Vcast then you deserve to be taken for a ride.

 

[Kabob]

It's not even about being "tricked" though, that's not the issue. It's about them trying to put themselves before the OS.

It's no longer "Android," it's "Verizon's Android."

 

[Bateluer]

Which is why a locked down iOS is looking better and better to me all the time. Did Verizon bloat their iPhone 4's like they do their Android phones?

Thats some logic. To rail against locked down OSs and carrier restrictions, you buy into the most restricted platform possible. That'll help the future of computing and consumer freedom. /sarcasm.

 

[Deeko]

Ah...I don't think renaming an app quite qualifies as "taking over"...wake me when Verizon phones don't come with the Android Market at all.

 

[Kabob]

Thats some logic. To rail against locked down OSs and carrier restrictions, you buy into the most restricted platform possible. That'll help the future of computing and consumer freedom. /sarcasm.

Because I'm experiencing first hand how this "freedom" can screw over a platform. So much fragmentation because of different devices, some apps don't work on some platforms, etc. I hate Apple as a company but at least they can out out a device that "works" (IMHO).

Maybe I'm just bitter because of how awful the Galaxy S' have been.

 

[you2]

I actually disagree. The majority of folks who use phones are not geek or even computer literate; but the majority of people have phones so this would imply (to me) that the majority of phone users simply won't know that Apps is vcast Apps.

First comment at the link: If this 'tricks' you into using Vcast, then you deserve to be using Vcast.

And I agree.

 

[Bateluer]

Because I'm experiencing first hand how this "freedom" can screw over a platform. So much fragmentation because of different devices, some apps don't work on some platforms, etc. I hate Apple as a company but at least they can out out a device that "works" (IMHO).

Maybe I'm just bitter because of how awful the Galaxy S' have been.

You've bought the Apple propaganda, hook line and sinker. The issue of fragmentation is practically meaningless, aside from tablets. Probably 99% of Android apps will run fine on an 2.x Android version without problem, and since the majority of Android phones run 2.1 or 2.3 now, its not exactly critical. If you're still using a phone thats stuck on 1.5 or 1.6, you're likely do for an upgrade anyway.

 

[Kabob]

My phone is 2.2 and several major apps I've tried don't work correctly. Heck, just look at Dungeon Defenders (one of my main gripes). It is released and didn't run on 95% of phones.

I agree, maybe I'm just bummed about my personal experience, but I think Android has a long way to come. Eventually I do think it will be the OS, just not yet.

 

[Bateluer]

My phone is 2.2 and several major apps I've tried don't work correctly. Heck, just look at Dungeon Defenders (one of my main gripes). It is released and didn't run on 95% of phones.

I agree, maybe I'm just bummed about my personal experience, but I think Android has a long way to come. Eventually I do think it will be the OS, just not yet.

Even while it has majority market share and continues to grow?

Not overly familiar with Dungeon Defenders, but when I look at the Market page for it, it says:

Suggested Devices:

Best:

All Tegra 2 Based Devices

High-End:

Nexus S
Samsung Galaxy Tablet
Samsung Galaxy/Captivate based Cell Phones
Samsung Galaxy S

Mid-Range:
Droid X
Droid 2
T-Mobile G2
myTouch 4G
HTC Desire HD


Minimum Requirements:

512 MB RAM (256 free at runtime)
GPU capable of OpenGL ES 2.0
Android 2.1
800 Mhz CPU or greater recommended
SD card with at least 600 MB free storage

And 600MB of SDcard storage too. Since its listing some of the most common phones as midrange, I can see why it'd struggle on most people's devices. For now.

 

[Adramalech]

Which is why a locked down iOS is looking better and better to me all the time. Did Verizon bloat their iPhone 4's like they do their Android phones?

They don't Kabob.

 

[akugami]

If you end up getting tricked into the Vcast then you deserve to be taken for a ride.

You're thinking like a tech savvy person and not Joe Consumer. You'd be surprised how "stupid" smart people like lawyers and doctors can be.

You've bought the Apple propaganda, hook line and sinker. The issue of fragmentation is practically meaningless, aside from tablets. Probably 99% of Android apps will run fine on an 2.x Android version without problem, and since the majority of Android phones run 2.1 or 2.3 now, its not exactly critical. If you're still using a phone thats stuck on 1.5 or 1.6, you're likely do for an upgrade anyway.

As opposed to the "All things Apple is evil" propaganda? Lotta folks bit that message hook line & sinker.

I'll agree that in the majority of cases, fragmentation is not an issue. Most mobile applications simply aren't that demanding. Honestly, the iPhone 4 is still a fairly powerful smart phone but most of the apps/tasks that I use my iPhone 4 for are not that demanding. Relatively speaking of course. Mostly web browsing, checking some Office files, reading ebooks, and the most demanding is gaming. With all that said, you can't say with a clear conscious that it isn't an issue at all. Did you know that over 55% of Android developers think fragmentation is an issue according to a survey?

Most will tout how the latest Android phones are more powerful than Apple's iPhone because of quicker release cycles but never mention that fragmentation does limit more powerful apps that can take advantage of it because the majority of Android apps are written for the lowest common denominator. You're left with more simplistic apps that don't take any advantage of the higher end Android phones. Keep in mind simplistic does not mean it is not functional. Many mobile apps are simplistic but well designed and helpful.

Also neglected by many Android fans is that most Android phones released today are actually getting more and more locked down. Look at Google withholding releasing the source code for their tablet optimized version of Android.

I'd like to close and say that as time passes, I think the fragmentation issue will be moot. We'll hit a point in where the majority of developers will have enough power to implement what they want. In another two years, the power present in a chip like the A5 used in Apple's iPad 2 will probably be the lowest model sold anywhere. Things can improve on Apple's A5 ARM processor but you gotta admit that it is a decently powerful representative of an ARM processor and has a pretty good GPU to boot.

 

[Pliablemoose]

If the carriers continue things like locking down tethering, etc, I'm going to jump back to an iOS phone...

 

[zerocool84]

If the carriers continue things like locking down tethering, etc, I'm going to jump back to an iOS phone...

We all knew long ago Verizon was like this. That's the reason why Apple turned down Verizon and went with AT&T because Verizon wanted too much control over the iPhone and of course Apple didn't want that.

 

[x26]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/05/0...th-droidx-gingerbread-update-renamed-to-apps/



And people laughed at me and called me paranoid when I said Verizon wanted to take complete control of Android on their phones, locking out all others. Fortunately, history always vindicates me. Here's the latest.

Make sure to do your best to educate people who buy Android phones the difference between Market and 'Apps'.

I've always "Despized" Verizon.

They have been crippled their phones for a long time--since 2003 or so.

 

[Kabob]

Even while it has majority market share and continues to grow?

Just because it has the majority of the market share doesn't mean it's the best product. I think it's safe to say that Internet Explorer has the "majority of the market share" but I'd say it's 3rd or 4th in quality.

Not overly familiar with Dungeon Defenders, but when I look at the Market page for it, it says:

High-End:

Nexus S
Samsung Galaxy Tablet
Samsung Galaxy/Captivate based Cell Phones
Samsung Galaxy S

Mid-Range:
Droid X
Droid 2
T-Mobile G2
myTouch 4G
HTC Desire HD

And 600MB of SDcard storage too. Since its listing some of the most common phones as midrange, I can see why it'd struggle on most people's devices. For now.

That's my point exactly. While the list has been updated several times, when it was released (around Christmas ) it listed a lot of those "mid range" phones as playable when it was not...even remotely. That was back when the Droid X/Evo 4G were still some of the faster phones around and it is completely unplayable on them. My Fascinate is listed as one of the recommended phones and while it's a little better after 2.2 it's still VERY buggy (constant phone lock ups, glitchy gameplay, etc). I've heard other Fascinate owners say it runs fine.

The game runs neigh identically (and stably) on every single iPhone 4. That is my point.

 

[Deeko]

If the carriers continue things like locking down tethering, etc, I'm going to jump back to an iOS phone...

I do believe tethering is locked down on iOS.

 

[dlock13]

Just because it has the majority of the market share doesn't mean it's the best product. I think it's safe to say that Internet Explorer has the "majority of the market share" but I'd say it's 3rd or 4th in quality.



That's my point exactly. While the list has been updated several times, when it was released (around Christmas ) it listed a lot of those "mid range" phones as playable when it was not...even remotely. That was back when the Droid X/Evo 4G were still some of the faster phones around and it is completely unplayable on them. My Fascinate is listed as one of the recommended phones and while it's a little better after 2.2 it's still VERY buggy (constant phone lock ups, glitchy gameplay, etc). I've heard other Fascinate owners say it runs fine.

The game runs neigh identically (and stably) on every single iPhone 4. That is my point.

I'm going to have to agree with you here. I've been arguing with others about this for the longest time, and they always say "well, it must be something you're doing wrong because it works for me. blah blah." I've always felt that the fragmentation is what's going to kill Android in the long run. Regardless of whether or not a phone is running a certain OS, it still has to have the hardware capable and hope to God that the manufacturer knows how to optimize the code so nothing interferes with said application.

If every phone were stock Android, we'd have absolutely no problem. (which is extremely obvious, but you get why I stated it.) We have so much choice that in the long run, it really might be the death of Android. With Google not having a standards team to make sure apps aren't rogue, don't cause incredibly bugs, etc, we're left with apps that may or may not work on a ton of phones. Essentially, the user has become the beta tester via the market, and after so many updates, we finally get a finished working product whereas you get a finished product (with a few bugs here and there) on iOS thanks to Apple's strict guidelines. I realize it makes for a closed down system, but it makes for a completely better experience as you have Apple making sure they work. Also, I know it's simplified, but you can't help but be envious of iOS users thanks to that system Apple has implemented (IMO).

 

[EightySix Four]

I do believe tethering is locked down on iOS.

It is on Android now too, http://www.informationweek.com/blog/internet/229402743