This is going to be more of a rant than anything else, but I hope it goes to show how different the two companies are when it comes to the diversification of ideas, and how it lets people handle their products.

I have owned both a Nexus One and an iPhone 3GS in my time, and proceeded to hack both of them. The Nexus One has a locked bootloader from the start, meaning its stock Android firmware is not hackable by default. However, they don’t necessarily discourage you from doing so: instead, when you open the Debugging program provided in the Android SDK and connect to the phone, it only takes one simple command to unlock the bootloader:

fastboot-windows oem unlock

After that, the picture at the top comes up on the screen, basically warning you that what you are doing is risky, but not necessarily frowned upon. They are merely making the distinction between knowing what you’re doing (they assume you do) and not assuming any undue risk (your warranty is now voided).

What happens next is completely up to you. You can hack it, mod it, theme it, and use it like any other Linux machine, because it is yours. The Android operating system does not hide from the user: it lets you install file managers and root-accessible programs that allow you access to the linux kernel and core functionality because it understands that if you have gone this far to root a device or install a custom ROM, you might as well be treated like an adult.

I have enjoyed all the aspects of the Android modding community. I have owned a Motorola Milestone, an HTC Hero and now an HTC Nexus One, and while the Milestone has a locked bootloader (by Motorola, not by Google) I have benefited greatly from the other two phones having such a vibrant modding community.

Now compare this to the iPhone. On my desk next to me I have an iPhone 3GS in what is called a reboot loop. This means that the phone will try to load up, fail at some point, and then reboot, over and over again.

I received the phone jailbroken. This means that some clever hackers, against Apple’s will, have been able to exploit something in the Linux kernel in order to give the user root access, much like on Android. The only issue with this is that Apple is constantly trying to thwart any efforts made by the development community. The latest iPhone, the 3GS, is the best example of Apple’s continued despotic attitude towards a community that is only trying to improve the functionality of a device they love and cherish.

After receiving the jailbroken iPhone, I used it in much the way a normal iPhone user enjoys his device, but with a few additions. On a jailbroken iPhone, multitasking is possible and indeed usable. Pandora can play in the background while you’re surfing the web or reading a book. You can switch between programs easily with a double-tap on the home screen, similarly to the way OS4 will have it. Jailbroken iPhones can install programs from outside the App Store, and have access to a variety of enhancing software including custom themes, lock screens and even widgets.

All of these things can be done without performing anything illegal: jailbreaking does not lead to piracy. There is nothing sinister or ill-intentioned about jailbreaking, unless your purpose for doing so is to download and install apps without paying for them, which is possible.

The alternative App Store, named Cydia, houses custom-made apps that would never be approved by Apple. These include tethering programs, wireless hotspot creators, and all manner of custom themes and ROMs that fans produce every day.

Now, back to my problem.

After unlocking the phone to use on another legitimate network (in Canada, unlike the US, there are three authorized carriers for iPhones) the device started giving me some trouble. I would drop signals in the middle of loading a page; I would lose Wi-Fi connectivity and be unable to get it back; apps would crash; generally, things were less stable.

After getting fed up with the instability, I read online that I should Reset Network Settings in the Settings menu. After doing this, the phone went into the boot loop that I am currently experiencing while writing this.

The only cure is simple: upgrade my firmware to the newest one, 3.1.3, and lose my jailbreak and unlock. Apple has essentially, with this latest firmware, cut off their users from jailbreaking their phones. This is a huge problem for the thousands of people who have been waiting months for a new jailbreak to emerge (though there is proof of a new jailbreak for 3.1.3 it hasn’t been released to the public yet).

I comb forums, trying to find ways to avoid this awful reality. It is not the apps I am upset to lose: I have no problem paying for apps, and I have paid for many. It is the indignity of having to chase Apple while they chase us, having to stay one step ahead, and be wary of any upgrades that are released, any messages that may pop up on the screen. Much like Windows Update, if you are running an illegitimate version of the OS, any update could torch your whole device.

Now you may tell me, “Why are you whining? This is the device that Apple intended to release. If you want to dick around with hacks and mods, buy a Nexus One and shut the hell up!”

And to you, sir, I say, “Why should I have to?” There are always going to be Apple pundits explaining that Jobs & Co. knows better than I the benefits of keeping their system closed and monitored. Of preventing hacks and mods to their ecosystem. Just look at Android! Its openness has led to excessive fragmentation from which it will never recover!

These are all good assertions, and valid, but it misses the point. Apple has not invested time in its users, but rather has put too much time into ensuring that each experience is homogeneous. What is the harm in letting someone install a theme on his device? You can do it on a Blackberry, on Android, on Windows Mobile. Apple prevents this because it needs to maintain control over the core functionality of the OS, so it can prevent errant programs from running amok and hogging RAM or causing instability. I understand this. Just look at the problems Android has with programs eating RAM, not closing properly, and generally getting out of control.

I just wonder if Apple knows how much more cooperation they’d get from the thousands of brilliant hackers and developers out there if the company was not so against any tampering of its ecosystem, whether hardware or software. I have played with Android’s workings for the last few weeks, and while I am no developer, the ability to open a debug console from within Windows, manipulate files, gain root access and generally do what you want while still having only the barest grasp over the fundamentals inside the OS, is a blessing. I don’t know what goes into a kernel, but I sure know how to replace one.

Android users: you don’t know how good you have it (or you probably do). There is something extremely satisfying about heading over to the XDA-Developers.com forum and reading through the myriad projects that people have undertaken, all in the name of openness and creativity. Most do it out of love, but they know that if they are in a pinch, hundreds of members are willing to donate real dollars to their cause.

Sure, I love the App Store. I love the iPhone. But it will never be open, and that will always keep me at a distance, even if I know what I am missing.

-GuruDaniel out.