Android creator: Android is my greatest pleasure

On October 30, 2014, Google announced that Andy Rubin, co-founder of the Android operating system and former head of Android business, would leave Google. Google CEO Larry Page said in a statement: "I wish Andy all the best in the future. He has made amazing achievements and has helped Android reach over 1 billion users. Thank you, Rubin." Rubin's personal significance to Android is self-evident. While countless users are still immersed in the wonderful surprises brought by the newly launched Android 5.0, the sudden resignation of the father of Android is regrettable.

Rubin has devoted all his enthusiasm to the Android project. In addition to participating in the development of the Android project, Rubin has repeatedly praised the Android project in public. When the Android project encountered "threats" from external forces, Rubin repeatedly responded in time. Here, we summarize some of his remarks and see how the father of Android protects his "child".

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Android "is my fucking joy"

Newsweek in the United States once commented that Android has triggered a revolution in the mobile field and is reshaping the future wealth structure of major technology companies around the world. He responded:

"What keeps me going is that I can reach so many people through Android, and if there are 3.1 billion people using mobile phones, then this is a great way to reach people. Android, that's my biggest joy."

"The world doesn't need another platform if it already has Android"

Compared with Apple's closed system, Android is an open source operating system based on Linux. In theory, outstanding engineers from all over the world can write new software for Android, which will expand its development possibilities to infinity. In 2011, Rubin commented on the upcoming Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system in an interview:

"With Android, the world doesn't need another platform. Because it's an open and even free platform."

Rubin has never concealed his strong confidence in Android. The advantage of Android is precisely the openness that other platforms lack. The openness of Android makes it a real platform that can integrate a series of services.

Responding to Alibaba: "Ali Cloud OS is derived from Android"

In September 2012, Alibaba officially announced that Alibaba Cloud OS is not part of the Android ecosystem. Rubin responded to Alibaba on Google+:

"In fact, Alibaba Cloud uses Android's operating environment, framework, and tools. The app store also covers Android applications (including Google applications obtained through piracy). So it is undisputed that Alibaba Cloud is based on the Android platform, and you have also taken advantage of the hard work invested by OHA alliance members on this platform. So, if you want to benefit from the Android ecosystem, then choose consistency. It's easy to use, free, and we can even help you solve problems. But if you don't want to maintain consistency, then don't expect to get help from OHA members, who are committed to developing and supporting a unified Android ecosystem."

The crackdown on Alibaba Cloud reflects that in the Android team that talks about openness, Rubin always tries to block incompatible Android system versions. Open Android has many versions and branches, Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet are good examples. Without exception, Amazon and B&N are members of OHA.

Android Anti-fragmentation Project

In response to media reports about Android's anti-fragmentation policy (Google and all major hardware manufacturers have signed an Android system anti-fragmentation agreement to prevent other manufacturers from modifying and controlling the Android system and making Google's own software unable to run), Rubin wrote:

"I never believed there would be a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why there are hundreds of different types of devices on the Android platform. Our anti-fragmentation plan has been implemented since the Android 1.0 era, focusing on providing consumers with a unified user experience and a unified development platform. This is still an open source platform and will continue to be open source when appropriate. The Android team will continue to work hard on this."

For the Android team, the split kept them awake at night. The split weakened the already considerable application market, increased development costs, and may eventually become the most important factor that negatively affects developers. In addition, the phenomenon of market fragmentation will only make this situation worse. After reiterating the essence of Android's "open source", Rubin dispelled the concerns of the media and hardware manufacturers about the Android system through the open source action.

Since 2007, Rubin has witnessed the entire process of Android's growth, from developing Android on his own to now having more than 1 billion users. In the beginning, Rubin spent all his savings on it, until Google acquired the Android project, Android began to enter a rapid development track. Then, at the most glorious moment of Android, Rubin chose to retire and began to invest in a new research field - hardware startup incubation projects. As Rubin's friends commented, "This is Rubin's consistent style: doing these just to enjoy the process, because it's cool. All of this contains a childlike innocence."