Aliyun OS canceled due to Google strong arming Acer?

[HeyCori]

That's the story Engadget is reporting.

Alibaba claims Google leaned on Acer to cancel launch of CloudMobile with Aliyun in China -- Engadget

Just yesterday Acer was getting ready to unleash its CloudMobile smartphone on the Chinese public sporting an equally local (and equally not Android) Aliyun operating system. According to Reuters, however, when journalists turned up for the launch event today, an Alibaba (who make Aliyun) spokesperson told them the launch had been cancelled, before later releasing a statement saying Acer had received pressure from Google to pull the launch. The competing OS manufacturer claims that the Acer was told product collaborations and Android authorization would cease if the product was released. So far Google has declined to comment, but if true, represents some significant strong arming, in what is clearly a significant market. We have reached out to Google for comment ourselves. More as we know it.

 

[Reflexx]

Don't be evil.

 

[speedtouch]

Wow. That's pretty big, if true.

 

[HeyCori]

Google responds.

Google wants 'better compatibility' for Android, Alibaba says 'Aliyun is separate,' Acer takes the brunt of it -- Engadget

Sounds like a lot of BS, IMO.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

I still think that if this is the strategy Google is going to take for their open source operating system and "free" app services, then OEMs are going to say, "Gee, we already pay Microsoft for patent licensing... we might as well spend that money to license Windows Phone instead... this "free lunch" is costing us too much."

On the flip side of the argument... why is/was Acer looking to startup yet another worthless mobile OS that nobody would care about?

 

[thed]

Wow Google. Create an open source OS and then throw a tantrum when people try to fork it in a way that you don't like. Why the **** do they bother making it open source if this is how they act? They had to expect that companies would do this.

Sent from my HTC Trophy using Board Express

 

[HeyCori]

I still think that if this is the strategy Google is going to take for their open source operating system and "free" app services, then OEMs are going to say, "Gee, we already pay Microsoft for patent licensing... we might as well spend that money to license Windows Phone instead... this "free lunch" is costing us too much."

On the flip side of the argument... why is/was Acer looking to startup yet another worthless mobile OS that nobody would care about?

Alibaba is huge in China (they've even called the Google of China). A phone running this Aliyun OS could put a significant wrench into Google's plan to control the Chinese smartphone market. This goes to show that Google isn't as innocent as they claim to be. And while I have no qualms with businesses acting like a business, Google themselves promoted this "Don't Be Evil" image. Yet they prove time and time again that they're just as evil as any other corporation.

Despite Google saying that Android is "open and free," it's already been ranked as the most closed open source OS. That has never been more apparent than right now.

And yes, I know "open and free" doesn't mean OEMs can do whatever they want with your software... unless you allow Amazon to set that exact same precedent with their Kindle Fire. Because that's exactly what the KF is - a stripped down version of Android without access to the Android ecosystem and Alibaba wanted to do the same thing.

But it would appear that preferential treatment is being given to the e-commerce store (Amazon) while the China-based search giant (Alibaba) has been shunned from making an Android based smartphone. I wonder why... oh that's right, because Google doesn't want competition from another search company in the smartphone market.

 

[HeyCori]

Alibaba: Google just plain wrong about our OS | Mobile - CNET News