Nice job Jay - keep up the great work!

There are at least a few of us out here that continue to hope for truly open mobile computing/communications platforms. The Apple/MS options are simply unacceptable for users who want to use the devices they bought the way they want to. At least the Android platform offers some hope for consumer freedom. Once there are better mechanisms on Android so that sensitive customer/corporate data doesn't have to end up on Google's servers, Android could become an even more viable option to the non-lemming crowd. Being able to also boot into a nice Linux distro like Debian makes it even better.

-- phs

You have my vote. Engadget team -- please correct this misleading title!

Thanks!

Unfortunately, having to sign up with Google to purchase/use the phone is a show-stopper for people or corporations concerned about the ownership of their data.

Until there is a way to sync with a user's own PC/company servers, this phone (despite its exciting Open Source promise) is only for those who don't mind Google owning their email, docs, spreadsheets, contact lists, photos, etc.

Once user data hits Google's servers, Google pretty much owns it.

Excerpt from Google's "Terms of Service":

"...
11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
..."

Yup -- having to sign up -w- Google is a show-stopper. Having to sign a contract with any cell carrier is bad enough...

And, not being able to sync with one's data on one's own PC is also a show-stopper.

Surely not in the spirit of "open" or "non-proprietary".

Here's to hoping 3rd parties will quickly remedy these serious shortcomings.