Android phones, apps and tablets

GA2G - no offense, but I've forgotten more about open source licensing than you'll ever know.

I like this. I like this very much. ;)

There are two kinds of open that they've muddled here;

1. An 'open' OS which allows applications to be downloaded, installed and run on the device. Symbian, Android, iPhone OS and Windows mobile are all open in this sense. Nokia's S40 and Sony Ericsson's OSE are not.

2. An 'open source' OS. This is licensed under a permissive software license that allows for access to, and modification of, the source code. Android is open source, using the Apache license, and Symbian is on it's way using the Eclipse Public License. Neither iPhone OS or Windows mobile are licensed in this way.

You've confused the latter with the former, as has the Wired journalist.

I'd love to say that you had cleared things up, but.............

"At this rate, it seems inevitable that the number of phones running Google’s open source operating system will eventually outnumber the number of iPhones, which run Apple’s proprietary (and closed) operating system."

Google's Android is "Open" in the sense that USA service providers are readying phones with their own flavour of android on them, that will NOT run certain other android specific software. This then "closes" the OS somewhat, even though the licensing says otherwise.

Am I wrong in saying that no service provider, or user, can alter the Apple iPhone OS in anyway at all? Is this not what the Wired journo and I were referring to? This then is the opposite of what is possible, and indeed allowed by the Android OS.

I love learning, so I am here to be taught.

Now, where's hippy?