With respect to the carriers, Google is in a very similar position as Apple. If Apple can do it, there's no reason that Google can't do it. And if Apple can get the carriers to do it, Google could if they tried, too.

Now, I understand there are a few key differences between Apple and Google, two of the most important being that Google isn't the manufacturer and, related to that, that different manufacturers add their own look and feel to Android. But that's a strong indicator that Google needs to change their methodology, to help decouple the OS from the UI. Apparently they've already started this, by bumping OS features into Google Play (which may also be a poor choice), but this only means they're leaving older versions out in the cold.

I use GMail, have an android phone, and use a number of other services that google provides, but they desperately need to get out of the web mindset. Deployment plans that work for a web page don't really work well for an OS, having products in multi-year beta modes, and abruptly dropping support for services are all very upsetting practices that don't work if you want to be integral to people's daily lives.

No, and that's a wonderful edge case. But, and this is a very big but, Windows 7 came out in 2009, 5 years before support for XP was ended. I don't think very many people were buying WinXP computers in 2012. And we're not even talking about windows Vista (which is as it should be).

Do you think this looks better for Google when I point out that first, just about any computer would support SP 1 to 3 for free (and usually requires the same or lower specs), or, more importantly, that SP3 still came out 6 years before support was ended?

I do wish more people realized that cops in the US have serious problems and operate more like big brother than they need to. That said, I don't follow your logic here. "Cops do bad things, anonymous doesn't do and won't do as many bad things, therefore this thing that they're thinking of doing is okay"?

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear" has got to be the most disingenuous lie that law enforcement has ever come up with.

Yes they fucking are. Android is not free. Android is not open source. AOSP is not Android.
If you are an OEM and you want the latest version of Android you pay money and agree to bundle Google's apps and store (which cost more money) into a "flagship" phone that will launch within a certain time frame and is expected to sell some minimum number of units and will be heavily advertised as running Android X.Y Whatever Candy.

The updates are NOT free. Android is NOT free.
You have to PAY to get access to Android source code. You pay more if you want the newer versions. You have to agree to shit like bundling Google's apps and store (which now also cost money separate from Android itself) or guaranteeing a "flagship" phone launch with expected sales of X within a certain time frame if you want access to the latest builds.

Even if Android was actually free, there are plenty of costs associated with pushing out an update. You've got to make sure the new version runs on the old devices (it won't). Then you've got to do QA. Then you've got to push the update out to the carriers. Then the carriers have to do their own validating. Then the carriers have to push it out.

Then people have to accept the update.

Google is the pot calling the granite counter top of Microsoft black.

It's AmiMoJo. It's his job to be a contrarian cynic about everything.

They were killed because Megatron assaulted their shuttle and shot them the fuck up.
They were at war. People (and transformers) die in wars.
The movie established right from the beginning that it wasn't just a Saturday morning cartoon and that it was going to have consequences. This is a good thing.

I dream of a world where a law was passed that if a service is used by more than 2/3 of the people, and there is only one provider, it is classified as a utility and regulated under the utility rules. "Oh, you don't want competition? Well, then, here's how much you can charge per month. And don't bother asking if you can raise your prices until next year."

Two key differences. First, XP came out in 2001. Second, XP support ended last year. But to be fair, I'd be happy if Google would support their OS for even half that long. So, where is that support for Android 1.1?

Realistically, support should last at least as long as the longest contract in the countries their product is used in. If you went with the standard of a 3-year contract (I think there are 4-year contracts, but I'm certain my carrier has 3-year contracts), that would still leave the later releases of Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) under support. Face it, their Android OS support is abysmal.

He's not. He's adhering to the principle of "innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" that our justice system is built upon.

Wouldn't using the HOSTS file be more efficient?
There used to be a user who would discuss such things...

You can do this for free with Group Policy shit.
I believe you can even whitelist executables based on publisher certificate, so when a new version of whatever rolls out you don't have to update the whitelist.

MBAM's realtime shit isn't free.
So it doesn't help until you know you've been hit.