[Greumach]

My link

Google co-founder described Apple (and Facebook) as a walled garden.

Well it's a garden I'm happy to play in, walls can restrict access, but they can also protect...from viruses, malware, etc.
What do you think ?

[BrianB]

I like Apples walled garden too.

If you buy an Android device.. Aren't you then walled in to that OS???

Every OS is a walled garden.

Apples walled garden is just the prettiest and best to frolic in!

[Some Random Bloke]

Android isn't walled because Google has access to this data /sarcasm.

I partially agree with Brin - we need an open internet. His concern is two fold - he wants it open [1] because open is good, and [2] because then Google has access to that data. It's the latter that makes me cynical about his comments. Further to that, Facebook and Apple aren't the problem in closing off the internet, governments are.

[Ken Gracey]

In this day and age a walled garden is pretty damned handy, there is just to many virus, spyware and general nasties out there to be safe any more

[Islandhead]

Brian, you've made that statement before and it's still not true in the case of mobile OS's

To quote wikipedia "In the telecommunications and media industries, a "walled garden" refers to a carrier or service provider's control over applications, content, and media on platforms (such as mobile devices) and restriction of convenient access to non-approved applications or content"

Agree with it or not (personally the walled garden does made me feel safer, but at the price of my freedom) iOS is completely walled (unless you jailbreak) and Android isn't

[BrianB]

I see what you're saying Headman.

But I look at it from the perspective of being trapped using a particular OS. If I had an Android device and I wanted to get an iOS App...well I just can't...so I am walled in on that OS. That's my take on it.

Besides, Using iOS doesn't restrict you from the internet....you can access anything you like using Safari. (besides Flash content - but if you really want it, you can Jailbreak your device. Besides Adobe isn't developing any future updates to mobile Flash.)

So I may be wrong, but that's the way I look at it.

[Islandhead]

I see the way you look at it Brian, but when people talk about a walled garden they aren't talking about the same thing as you

[BrianB]

Fair enough.