limpid Posted August 18, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 18, 2012 It's open, not free. The source code is available and you can compile it up and install it on a device, but the manufacturer of the device will have had to make payments to the patent holders to licence their tech. They have to pay these costs pretty much regardless of which OS they use though, unless they own enough patents themselves to cross-licence. I think that's about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Yep. Patents - originally the saviour of innovation. Now the destroyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 So I'd imagine nobody will be ditching a free OS like Android anytime soon. Android isn't a free OS. Good point, Microsoft make a fortune from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 18, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 18, 2012 So I'd imagine nobody will be ditching a free OS like Android anytime soon. Android isn't a free OS. Good point, Microsoft make a fortune from it. Do they? That's quite a claim, unless you define "fortune" as "small amounts of extortion money". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Jesus Christ, I mean they get hundreds of millions for patents from sales of Android. Stop being pedantic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 18, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 18, 2012 Seriously, I don't believe that. Which parts of Android have they proven patents on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeyb Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Seriously, I don't believe that. Which parts of Android have they proven patents on? Unfortunately they do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 18, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 18, 2012 Wow. Genuinely didn't know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 You have to remember that microsoft have been in the smartphone game an awful long time, they're going to have patents on a fair amount of the under the hood stuff. They've probably got a fair few standards essential patents up their sleeves as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 This bit is key though: "Microsoft doesn’t just collect money from other companies, it also pays out plenty to protect itself, Microsoft’s legal team notes." Everyone pays everyone else. Lawyers are getting very rich. It's utterly ridiculous and the one good thing about it coming out into public with Apple and Samsung is that more people can see this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Seriously, I don't believe that. Which parts of Android have they proven patents on? Unfortunately they do Nothing proven though. It's the standard extortion that Microsoft have always done. Microsoft have long used astroturfing and FUD as ways to extort money from other companies. It's their modus operandi. These companies are paying for patents they have no idea are valid or not, but they can't risk any of them being proven valid, as even ridiculous ones are validated by stupid judges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeyb Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 OK getting really tempted by the Nexus 7. Even though I have found 7 inch tablets to be too small. Anybody want to give me the lowdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 If you want to view magazines on it the screen is just a bit too small. You have to zoom just a little bit. So 7.7 inch would be perfect for a magazine. But I've just taken it home to Dublin this weekend, left my laptop in London and it served it purpose perfectly. Watched a couple of movies on it and used it for the Web with my phone supplying the internet if no wifi near. So for that purpose it is great. Also it's a good size for reading books, I've not read much on it but it is nice as a reader if you need it. But it's games where it is very good. Get the bluetooth game pad and your emulators on it and it works well. It's very portable and it's lack of bulk is for me the key point to it. Internet would be where it falls down as it's a small screen. But it's decent on the Web, easier to just pick up and find what you want quickly. But not extended Web surfing. You still need a laptop for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 But from listening to engadget podcast they seem confident in their source that Surface will sell for a bargain price. That would really put the heat on Android tablets. All tablets actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 20, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 20, 2012 Who do they say is subsidising it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 They say (citing someone's analysis) it costs Asus about 186 dollars to make the nexus and that Microsoft could be manufacturing the RT tablet for about 260 dollars, at best. Both excluding development costs. So Microsoft would lose approx 150mil if it sold a few million of them like they think they they will. But if it's priced at a Nexus 7 then it'll ship near 10 million units for sure. Meaning closer to 600mil loss on the tablets Apps don't sell enough to make that back in sales. Subscription services though might, so they think maybe it'll involve that. Plus most people will by the touch cover which will make Microsoft some money back there. It's a baffling decision if they do it and can only be done to get market share and profit from it in the future. But they can't sell this for less than 300 dollars without losing money. Engadget seem very sure of their source. Otherwise I wouldn't believe it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 20, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 20, 2012 If MS subsidise one manufacturer, they will seriously piss off the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Yeah if they go ahead with this and undercut their oem partners then they will piss them off quite a bit. But if it's only Windows RT tablet that is subsidised and not the full x86 ones then maybe MS can get away with it if they don't intend to make any new tablets. I can't see Microsoft selling the surface for 199, maybe 299. But hard to see why they would lose lots of money and piss off oems with a 199 tablet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 New S3 4.1.1 build dated 14th August OTA update now out and seems it's very stable. Sammobile still confident the update is coming at the end of the month. From reviews you get Google now and the new expanding notifications. But that's essentially the only new things in 4.1.1. I hope Samsung fixes the random times the home screen needs to redraw. I stopped using nova launcher and noticed the odd time I hit the home button to go back to the main screen it redraws it. Nothing major but I expect perfection after the update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted August 20, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 20, 2012 Presumably that's because the launcher has been housekept and needs to be restarted. I've noticed something vaguely similar when the browser has to reload (marking all of VT read) even when it's been backgrounded for just a short while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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