Re: Probably a stupid question
is there any reason other than attempting to enforce user lock-in that one can't simply install any OS one likes on modern 'smartphones'?
The biggest barrier is, for lack of an easier way of putting it, driver issues. If you tried to install iOS on an Android device it would never work because iOS support for non-Apple hardware doesn't exist. Ditto for installing Android on an iThing. There is an app in the works that lets you install Windows Mobile on Android devices, but I've not read anything about it other than that it's in the works. No bets on how wide the support for it is. With some Android phones you don't even have the option of custom ROMs because there aren't any with hardware support for that model.
Really the only way to get a similar level of control in your mobile device as what you have on a desktop is to buy an Android device, root it, and install a custom recovery on it (which, of course, voids the warranty but gives you access to custom ROMs, which is about as close to an alternative OS as you can really get). Jailbreaking an iOS device can get you close to the level of freedom you enjoy on the Mac, but you're still stuck with iOS. Unlike Android you don't even have any custom ROMs you can install on them.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
