In a New York Times interview, Google's Andy Rubin seemed to take aim at Apple in the most congenial of ways. He didn't bash Apple, but he did lay out why he thinks Google will come out on top in the smartphone wars--and a lot of those reasons are features specifically absent in the iPhone.
Rubin "promised" that full support for Adobe Flash would come in the next version of Android, 2.2 (also known as Froyo--Android releases are named alphabetically after desserts, having already moved through Cupcake to Donut and now to 2.1, Eclair). Rubin may just mean full support for Flash Lite, which is already supported in some smartphones from Nokia and HTC but which doesn't allow viewing of online video, including Hulu and Netflix . Hopefully he means the full version of Flash, which would be very impressive if true.
He played up the benefits of "openness," though when asked if the average (read: not a Linux geek) cares at all that Android is open-source, he responded that they'd miss it if it was gone. That's not necessarily the most convincing argument, especially when Apple's locked-tight iPhone has proven such a blockbuster.
When asked about the consistently confusing relationship between Android and Chrome OS, Rubin failed to really separate the two:
He said the two platforms represented two different ambitions at Google – improving access to information on mobile phones, in the case of Android, and pushing forward the open Web in the case of the Chrome operating system.
The efforts are not necessarily mutually exclusive, Mr. Rubin said. “I don’t know if there will be Chrome and Android tablets, but if a consumer walks into store and two of those tablets are my company’s choices, I’m all good.”
Undoubtedly, two tablets with two different Google OSes would prove confusing to, well, even me, and it's sort of my job to understand the difference between devices like that (sorry, bosses!). That's a legitimate concern--Android will be scaled up to TVs, as well as remaining on pocketable smartphones, and with different custom user interfaces and a breakneck pace, it may be hard to keep everything consistent. Will an app work on a heavily modified Android phone like the HTC Evo 4G? How about an old but Google-centric phone, like the T-Mobile G1? Rubin merely said that Google was working hard to make sure that issue was addressed--not too reassuring really.
The moment of levity: the Times reporter joked about a top-secret Android prototype being left behind in a bar. Rubin's response? "I'd be happy if that happened and someone wrote about it. With openness comes less secrets." To Andy Rubin: I would be happy to send you my shipping address, to which the next top-secret Android smartphone can be sent. I even promise to write about it.
COMMENTARY: I want me a copy of the next Android platform boosted smartphone or the pathetic failure known as the Nexus One. Put me on your mailing list. Better yet, Mr. Rubin, please leave one for me on the roof of my car, with a note that says, "here take this, and tell your blogger friends, we could use the marketing buzz."
It's good to hear that the Android 2.2 (a.k.a. Froyo, which is short for frozen yogurt), will have full Flash support. This means that there will probably be a huge spike in the number of porn streams, no doubt.
By the way, good move by Google buying out Agnilux, the supplier of the A4 microprocessor chip used in the new Apple iPad. I bet Steve Jobs is jumping around like a madman, tearing pillows and breaking glass at home. This is what happens when you adopt a contractual mode of operation, and a competitor swoops in and buys a key component supplier to your newest product. What amazes me is that founders of Agnilux are ex-Apple engineers. Cash wins over company loyalty every time. I guess those engineers won't be on Jobs next Christmas party invitation list.
Somehow I have a feeling that Steve Jobs is wringing his hands and acting the part of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, displaying a shit-eating grin, and rolling his eyes like an Iguana, plotting how to get even with Google. Ahh, sweet revenge. I just love these corporate technology wars, don't you? Trust me, there will be more of this corporate juvenile behavior.
Courtesy of an article dated April 27, 2010 appearing in Fast Company
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