No they didn't even examine the curriculum in depth. They didn't understand what they were buying.

Summary didn't mention this but Pearson is a huge global education player. Just a few of their brands: Addison–Wesley, BBC Active, Bug Club, eCollege, Fronter, Longman, MyEnglishLab, Penguin Readers, Prentice Hall, Poptropica and Financial Times Press. So I don't see how LA Unified is going to avoid them.

As for this not meeting their needs... Reading the article LA Unified seems completely clueless. The contract was $768 / iPAD (I assume this includes warranty) + $200 / content & software license for 3 years. They according to the article are demanding that Apple fix the application, Apple didn't create the application nor does it own the content. They bought 43,261 iPads with the Pearson curriculum and 77,175 without. AFAICT Apple delivered their part. Their problem is the Pearson curriculum.

I can get that they don't like the app, but at this cost they can just write an app. The whole thing sounds like they don't know how to buy or deploy technology when it comes to a custom solution. Which is potentially understandable for a small district but inexcusable for a $1.3b contract.

I doubt that's the app, more likely the data set. The new image is much closer looking, better camera.

Well the Druze in Israel aren't under threat of death and they don't spread their faith. The Alawites are right now doing a pretty good defending not only defending their territory from the Sunni (al-Nusra and ISIS) but holding some of theirs. So at least it isn't clear they would.

Now I would agree those secret religions evolved in an environment where spread the faith was a good way to die. But the exception is getting harder to make.

Yes I was considering shunning to be harassment. Amish treat X-Amish much worse than they treat non-Amish and X-Amish can't be treated like non-Amish. They also gossip and pass this along so that everyone knows to treat this person badly. I'm not sure what distinction you are trying to make.

I'd say on average the Amish shunning is far worse. Obviously the very worst cases of Scientology are worse than the least bad cases among the Amish.

Buddhism is functionally equivalent to religions with an explicit creator.

The reality is that if you buy an android, you are linked to Google.

That's not true. You most certainly can layer systems other than Google Play on top of Android. For example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OC...

The fact that something requires a developer (or more) just means it isn't designed for end users to do but rather manufacturers or service providers.

iOS is only sold by a single manufacturer and there are competing manufacturers. As long as high end Android exists there is no monopoly.

As for the rest...
I don't know what you mean by Apps competing with Apple removed. There are music apps competing with Garage Band. There are presentation apps competing with Keynote. There are word processing apps competing with Pages.... I'd say Apple demonstratively does allow competing applications.

As for inability to install 3rd party firmware... Apple allows you to install 3rd party firmware it just completely voids the warranty and makes you unable to use the rest of the services.

You most certainly can have a competing app store. Apple even sells the server solution: https://developer.apple.com/pr...

I'm not following your argument at all.

Android is a phone operating system with limited functionality that can support multiple layers on top providing a full application API including Google Play. Android is open source.

Google Play is a product designed to run on Android. It is included with some phones and not with others. Google play is not open source.

How are they abusing open source?

No it wouldn't. Nokia had tremendous restructuring costs. Microsoft was providing large subsidies in exchange for the exclusive use of WindowsPhone OS. Without those subsidies Nokia's restructuring costs and higher costs of manufacturing means it can't be cost competitive with the Asian manufacturers and goes bankrupt. There is no Nokia if they follow your advice. Instead Elop gets them through the restructuring and then gets the company sold for $7b.

Are you sure they don't control "an app distribution channel" for Android? You can load other app distribution systems in. Not saying that Google isn't potentially a monopoly at this point, but it is hard to see where they have engaged in restraint given that you can layer anything on top of Android in place of play. Heck Microsoft is looking at .NET for Android.

They are credobaptists so not joining as a youth is not the same as quitting as an adult.

They don't have to be correct about the creator they just have to focus on it or be functionally equivalent to a body that does.

Was that your intent, or were you just listing churches that do perform church discipline (which usually is not harassment--at least I'd hope!).

I was listing church discipline as applied to membership and not just ministers / pastors.

I can assure anyone wondering, the LDS church does NOT harass people who are not members.

Of course not. The LDS church, along with most churches are quite nice to non-members. The question is the attitude towards X-members, apostate LDS. There can be (though it has dropped off in the last few decades) harassment, shunning... of x-members.

You might be a bit confused (at least in the USA) between non-profit (i.e. a 501 organization) and not making a profit. Lots of non-profits turn profits in particular years, they just have tremendous restrictions on what they can do with the money. In exchange they don't pay taxes.

As for Islam they mostly don't abuse the non-profit status by excessive spending. New Agers seem to be the worst on that front.