oldxoog

You don't win just by having google's pocketbook. I know some projects who wished that was true and I'm sure you do too.

You can complain about dalvik or webviews or the shitty ide or whatever, fact is there isn't a SINGLE company in the valley or Seoul or anywhere in the tech world who doesn't want to be in control of Android. How are those FB and MSFT and AMZN efforts going?

That tells you all you need to know about why Android has been and will be a "success" to google.

I agree it's a pretty trite comment - unless op meant he lasted so long ".. on the robotics junket" aka exit lobby, in which case I'd agree.

Andy could be a pain but his accomplishments speak for him -- Android has long been seen as a massive success, warts and all, at the highest levels of goog.

Throwaway because I know with pretty strong confidence what went down --

The truth seems to be both (a) unpleasant for Andy and (b) unremarkable to the rest of us. In other words, it wasn't his choice, but there wasn't a scandalous smoking gun either. He just wanted what Larry wouldn't give him. Nothing that would be front page news.