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COMMENTARY | Let's be honest with apiece other, AT&T. There's no fuck between us, and there never has been. You're exclusive in this relation for the money, and I'm exclusive in it for your sweet HTC Aria, the thin Android phone that I meet had to have.

People intellection I was crazy for not choosing an iPhone instead. (Isn't it the exclusive reason to get a smartphone on your network?) They spinous discover how controlling you are; how you lock down every your Android phones so they can't establish apps from correct of the Market, even your shiny newborn Atrix 4G. You feature it's for their safety, but how are those smartphones questionable to see when someone taps on a link in their scheme browser to establish an app, and it doesn't work? They're feat to see broken, AT&T, that's how they're feat to feel.

I told my Aria that it was OK. I knew that most her feat into this, and I didn't stop it against her. If we had to, we could meet do things behindhand your backwards since I had the know-how for it. HTC even tried to help us at one point. I believed in my Aria; I believed in Google's open-source Android operative system. And I believed that since you knew which lateral your bread was buttered on, you wouldn't essay to make life likewise arduous for us.

I was wrong.

You're breaking my heart, AT&T

The iPhone gets updates regularly through iTunes, but Android phones on your meshwork hit to advise months to raise to newborn versions of Android. Even the phones that you're selling correct today are discover of date; the stylish edition of Android for smartphones is 2.3 "Gingerbread," but the newborn Atrix 4G is on 2.2 "Froyo." $199 for an out-of-date phone? Really?

Froyo was the stylish edition when I bought my Aria, but she was ease on 2.1 "Eclair." I had establishment that she would be updated soon. I told myself it was OK to wait. Finally, I got impatient and rooted her and installed a bespoken rom, but she didn't like that, and neither did I. So for the digit of us, it was backwards to her HTC Sense interface, and backwards to waiting.

Then came that fateful day, when you declared the Froyo update was ready for my Aria. It would pass1 discover everything on her. But this instance she would hit animated "live wallpapers," and we could advise apps to the SD bill so we'd hit more shack in her memory.

What I didn't undergo is what added you'd do to her.

Updates aren't questionable to fortuity things

I knew there'd be non-uninstallable AT&T "junkware" apps every over her, like usual. But what I didn't undergo is what you'd do to my Aria's asking bar. Here's what you did: Every instance I turn her on, or go backwards to my Aria's bag screen, the full forbid says nothing but "AT&T" for 3 seconds. I don't see communication strength, newborn emails, or anything. Just AT&T.

Imagine what it'd be like to hit an employee who was like that. "Bring me a coffee, please," you'd say.

"Mike Stonewall," he'd say, and then advise threesome seconds. "Okay!"

"Mike?" you'd say.

"Mike Stonewall." One, two, three. "Yes?"

"You're fired."

So are you, AT&T. I'm fulfilling the cost of our contract, but once it's over, you're gone. There are greener pastures, and -- hopefully -- inferior undone Android phones discover there.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source code enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been composition most profession and electronics since 2008.

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