Microsoft files EU Android complaint

[Bob Jonkman]

Hugh complained:
> Many are coerced into having a GMail account. You cannot get Android
> apps without one, for example.

There are other, non-Google repositories for Android apps:

http://f-droid.org/ contains only F/LOSS apps.

http://m.aptoide.com/ is a federated series of repositories that seem to
have most everything available from Google and a whole lot more besides.

http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b/ref=topnav_storetab_mas?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011
is "Amazon Apps for Android" when accessed from my laptop (I think the
URL is different when I access it from my Android). I haven't used this one.


When I flashed new firmware on my Android phone I did not install the
optional "Google Pack" which included the App Store app. I have not
needed a Google account since then, because I get most everything from
F-Droid.

However, there are some apps (like the Giles Malet's GRT Transit App)
that depend on some library provided only by the Google Pack. Most of
those have an older version, or a re-compilation for F-Droid so they're
still usable (eg. Transdroid). I do miss the GRT app, tho...

--Bob.

Bob Jonkman <bjonkman-w5ExpX8uLjYAvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>         http://sobac.com/sobac/
SOBAC Microcomputer Services              Phone: +1-519-669-0388
6 James Street, Elmira ON Canada  N3B 1L5  Cell: +1-519-635-9413
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On 13-04-12 01:00 PM, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
> | From: James Knott <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org>
>
> | Lennart Sorensen wrote: | > On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 12:21:31AM
> -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
>
> | > > open may be required for trust -- think how much we trust
> Skype). | > I trust skype not at all and won't allow it near any of
> my devices. | > Also the stupid peer to peer protocol it uses is a
> network admin's | > nightmare.  That alone is enough to want to ban
> it. | > | | I prefer Google Talk, but I have Skype because a friend
> of mine uses it.
>
> Google Talk certainly isn't a route to more security.  What were you
> thinking?
>
> |  She | must be one of the very few people in this world without a
> GMail account.
>
> Many are coerced into having a GMail account.  You cannot get
> Android apps without one, for example. -- The Toronto Linux Users
> Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/ TLUG requests: Linux topics,
> No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns How to UNSUBSCRIBE:
> http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists



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