Fragmentation sucks

[czerdrill]

Android Updates Screech to a Halt; Gingerbread Running On 0.4 Percent of Android Phones

This is where Android has failed immensely...

 

[boristhebladexx]

some of that article isn't exactly fair i.e. how long the newest iOS has been out vs 2.3. its not a fair comparison at all, although i do agree with the overall theme that fragmentation is a problem

 

[252chevyboyz]

I agree with Boris on this one 2.3 hasn't been out long at all. The theme is kinda fragmented but the few parts that have been tested are good. 3g or the signal might need a lil attention? Any thoughts? I like GB just wish it would be officially released by vzw. Hoping February or march maybe?

Sent from my rooted D2

 

[turdbogls]

what you dont hear in that blog is the statistics where when they say 90% of apple products are on the latest iOS version, they are saying version 4.x (so 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3) and they compare that to one version of android. 2.3.....if you look at version 2.x for android, we are right up there with apple (i believe we were at 87%) then you have to take into consideration the ipod touch's and ipads as they all run iOS.
i read an article about it but cant seem to find it.
EDIT: found it
http://www.droid-life.com/2011/01/1...android-users-are-as-current-as-iphone-users/

anyway, i agree fragmentation sucks, but to be honest, pretty much every phone out there could run android 2.3, but they dont take the time to money to do it since the latest and greatest is just around the corner....its silly to just throw money in something that doesn't get you any money. and i wouldn't say it is ANDROID (googles) fault for fragmentation, it is the manufacturers fault for insisting on running their skins over top of googles OS. if google forced manufacturers to run stock android, i would guess even a higher percentage would be on 2.x

 

[czerdrill]

what you dont hear in that blog is the statistics where when they say 90% of apple products are on the latest iOS version, they are saying version 4.x (so 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3) and they compare that to one version of android. 2.3.....if you look at version 2.x for android, we are right up there with apple (i believe we were at 87%) then you have to take into consideration the ipod touch's and ipads as they all run iOS.
i read an article about it but cant seem to find it.

anyway, i agree fragmentation sucks, but to be honest, pretty much every phone out there could run android 2.3, but they dont take the time to money to do it since the latest and greatest is just around the corner....its silly to just throw money in something that doesn't get you any money. and i wouldn't say it is ANDROID (googles) fault for fragmentation, it is the manufacturers fault for insisting on running their skins over top of googles OS. if google forced manufacturers to run stock android, i would guess even a higher percentage would be on 2.x

i'm asking this because i hadn't seen this and not to be smart. where does it say that they're talking about 4.x when they mention the "latest version" of iOS and not the actual latest version?

and your last two sentences contradict themselves. it is Google's fault because they allow manufacturers to run their skins. Apple doesn't have fragmentation problems because (1) there is only one device, and one manufacturer and (2) because they don't allow anything on their OS that they don't approve including down to a logo from their carriers.

What Google allows is the very definition of fragmentation.

 

[dmacleo]

this whole argument is a fallacy IMO. plenty of computers won't run certain software (or all features of an OS) on windows and linux, but nobody yells about this with them.
this is only used as an argument against android.

 

[czerdrill]

this whole argument is a fallacy IMO. plenty of computers won't run certain software (or all features of an OS) on windows and linux, but nobody yells about this with them.
this is only used as an argument against android.

i'm pretty sure all of the newer android phones from the D1 up have the capability to run gingerbread. it's not a hardware limitation. it's fragmentation

 

[kodiak799]

i'm pretty sure all of the newer android phones from the D1 up have the capability to run gingerbread. it's not a hardware limitation. it's fragmentation

But there is fragmentation in the PC business. You can't talk fragmentation in a vacuum ignoring installed base. Fragmentation is only an issue when the ROI isn't there for developers and so they quit making software.

I have mixed feelings on the UI. Sure, I'd prefer Google put an end to that so everyone can easily get pushed the latest updates. But the cell mfrs are just trying to protect margins. In PC, almost all the profits are in OS, software, and chips. But I don't see the custom UI adding much value. What the cell mfrs should really focus on is a proprietary home launcher that users have the option to uninstall. I guess that's kind of what they're trying to do and doing badly.

 

[hemorrdroid]

I'd much rather have fragmentation than one phone to pick from. I converted from iphone for a reason. If people want an iphone, go get one. There is always something to complain about, if you look hard enough.

 

[cereal killer]

You can't talk fragmentation in a vacuum ignoring installed base. Fragmentation is only an issue when the ROI isn't there for developers and so they quit making software.

Bold for emphasis...end of discussion. This is why I cringe when I see people use the word "fragmentation." Fragmentation has become this word that people in the blogesphere like to vomit all over the place.

Android fragmentation smagmantation....

 

[turdbogls]

i'm asking this because i hadn't seen this and not to be smart. where does it say that they're talking about 4.x when they mention the "latest version" of iOS and not the actual latest version?

and your last two sentences contradict themselves. it is Google's fault because they allow manufacturers to run their skins. Apple doesn't have fragmentation problems because (1) there is only one device, and one manufacturer and (2) because they don't allow anything on their OS that they don't approve including down to a logo from their carriers.

What Google allows is the very definition of fragmentation.

i found the article....it is short, give it a read.
Don’t Believe Everything You Read, Android Users are as Current as iPhone Users - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

and you are correct, it is googles fault, but that is the whole thing about an open source. if the manufacturers just ran it as stock, i dont think there would be as big of a deal as there is now.

 

[czerdrill]

You can't talk fragmentation in a vacuum ignoring installed base. Fragmentation is only an issue when the ROI isn't there for developers and so they quit making software.

Bold for emphasis...end of discussion. This is why I cringe when I see people use the word "fragmentation." Fragmentation has become this word that people in the blogesphere like to vomit all over the place.

Android fragmentation smagmantation....

I mean just saying that or dismissing the idea doesn't make it so...Do you think developers are going to continue to want to make software when we're up to the K version of Android? Especially when there will still be some users out there who may still be on Froyo or Gingerbread. The more devices that are created with different OS versions the more fragmented it becomes and the more devs/manufacturers have to provide support for an old OS. Google has to create some kind of standard and not just pump out OS versions at the rate of six a year. That leaves a crapload of changes for devs, users and the manufacturers to implement to stay cutting edge.

It's only going to get worse unless Google figures out a way to standardize it. Comparing it to PCs doesn't make sense because you always have the option to upgrade your OS, provided your hardware supports it. With Android, the option is not yours, it's the carrier/manufacturer's call and as I mentioned all the phones out right now can support gingerbread and not one has had an OTA, or even talk of an OTA coming...and we all know the Samsung people don't even have Froyo...

 

[czerdrill]

i'm asking this because i hadn't seen this and not to be smart. where does it say that they're talking about 4.x when they mention the "latest version" of iOS and not the actual latest version?

and your last two sentences contradict themselves. it is Google's fault because they allow manufacturers to run their skins. Apple doesn't have fragmentation problems because (1) there is only one device, and one manufacturer and (2) because they don't allow anything on their OS that they don't approve including down to a logo from their carriers.

What Google allows is the very definition of fragmentation.

i found the article....it is short, give it a read.
Don’t Believe Everything You Read, Android Users are as Current as iPhone Users - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

and you are correct, it is googles fault, but that is the whole thing about an open source. if the manufacturers just ran it as stock, i dont think there would be as big of a deal as there is now.

Good read. I see what you're saying but the .x revisions to ios4 are usually bug fixes. And we know that 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 are major OS versions. So it may be comparable in a way.

ios4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 are still ios4. android 2.1, is eclair, 2.2 is froyo, and 2.3 is gingerbread all with major revisions and touted by google as new OS versions and not minor upgrades/updates

 

[jaycemiskel]

I'm with Czerdrill. Fragmentation is an issue and will keep being an issue if Google doesn't deal with it. Unless they slow down the updates or make manufacturers actually update their phones in a more timely manner then it will get more out of control. I don't think it's so bad that it can bring Android down but it's still an issue.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

 

[kodiak799]

Comparing it to PCs doesn't make sense because you always have the option to upgrade your OS

The flaw in that logic is the user has to BUY the new version of windows, and most don't (until it's pre-installed on a new PC). There are at least 4-5 common versions of windows still running out there, all the way back to Win2000.

If fragmentation is a problem with Android, the growth of the Market doesn't show it. And while more version of Android will make things more fragmented, the installed base is also growing very, very fast.