Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 24th Dec 2011 13:00 UTC
"Earlier today, Samsung revealed that it won't update the Galaxy S, its most successful smartphone to date, to the latest version of Android. You might shrug and dismiss that as just more evidence of Android's inherent fragmentation or the need for buyers to beware, but I take grave issue with it. This is a decision based not on technical constraints, as Samsung would have you believe, but on hubris." This. A gazillion million thousand times this. Also: "It's simple: make a large high-end device, a smaller value device, and a QWERTY device. Maybe one or two other specialty form factors, tops. That's it. Update them once a year, and keep the names the same." It would make updating a hell of a lot easier. We don't need the Samsung Galaxy SII Epic 4G Touch Sensation.
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RE[3]: Regulate carrier behavior
by WorknMan on Sat 24th Dec 2011 17:44
in reply to "RE[2]: Regulate carrier behavior"
Member since:2005-11-13
Can you please substantiate your claim that the blame lies with consumers, rather than large multi-national carrier corporations, with anything more than (imho) ad-hominem attacks on a potentially large and diverse group of people?
Do large multi-national carrier corporations point a gun to peoples' heads and force them to buy their phones? No? Then why is it anyone else's fault but the consumer? That's the problem these days... it's easier to blame government and large corporations for all of your bad decisions, instead of taking some f**king responsibility for your actions. Don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for an overpriced phone plan? Then don't buy one. The shit ain't air... you don't have to have it.
Note: Don't misunderstand me... I have a smartphone too, but I also get a lot of use out of it beyond mere entertainment, so for me, it is worth the price I pay for it.
RE[4]: Regulate carrier behavior
by saso on Sat 24th Dec 2011 18:18
in reply to "RE[3]: Regulate carrier behavior"
Member since:2007-04-18
Do large multi-national carrier corporations point a gun to peoples' heads and force them to buy their phones? No?
This is a terribly oversimplified outlook on things and, to round it off, I believe an attempt at a strawman argument from you. Sure they don't force you into purchasing a phone at gunpoint - I never said that. What they do force you into is this: "either get a phone from us (price in contract), or spend an extra 500EUR on a phone you want (which is certainly not worth the extra money)."
Then why is it anyone else's fault but the consumer?
Because the balance of power is strongly to the carriers' benefit. There are only three carriers in my country, two major ones and one small one (with a shitty network). Don't like their services? Well, sure, you may use the landline, if you like. They can do without one customer, but can you do without any mobile phone? In today's world? I think you now understand, that the situation is a bit more complicated.
That's the problem these days... it's easier to blame government and large corporations for all of your bad decisions, instead of taking some f**king responsibility for your actions.
Ouch, sounds like a hit a bit of a republican nerve here...
Don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for an overpriced phone plan? Then don't buy one. The shit ain't air... you don't have to have it.
Ah, the good old "it's either my way or the highway" excuse - the ditch-it resolution to a problem. I can play that game too: "Don't like your government's policies? Vote with your feet and leave! That'll teach them." Or: "Gas prices too high for you? Take the bus! I'm sure public transport will improve just because of you any moment now."
Note: Don't misunderstand me... I have a smartphone too, but I also get a lot of use out of it beyond mere entertainment, so for me, it is worth the price I pay for it.
Me too, but who gives you the right to decide that your "work" usage is more important that those who use it for mere entertainment?
edit: grammer fial
Edited 2011-12-24 18:29 UTC
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/15/13 22:44 UTC
Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about why OSNews was no longer OSNews: the alternative operating system scene had died, and OSNews, too, had to go with the times and move towards reporting on a new wave of operating systems - mobile, and all the repercussions that the explosion of smartphones and tablets have caused. Still, I was wondering something today: why aren't we seeing alternative operating systems on mobile?More Features »
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2007-04-18
Can you please substantiate your claim that the blame lies with consumers, rather than large multi-national carrier corporations, with anything more than (imho) ad-hominem attacks on a potentially large and diverse group of people?
Also, I disagree with your implied labeling of modern smartphones as a "disposable plastic box". They've become powerful portable general-purpose computers in an appealing form-factor. Surely you too must see the potential benefits brings to consumers, and thus understand the resulting desire for them on the market.