The evolution of the cell phone’s function from just making calls and text messaging to being an MP3 player, a camera, web surfer, video player, gaming platform, online shopping and e-mail. It’s capabilities are equivalent to a Swiss army knife that serves multiple functions in a single device as today’s smart phones are the epitome of technology convergence where everything we do is connected via the internet. It’s unquestionable that smart phones has become an essential part of our daily lives where users are also becoming more involved the customization of their own devices but to what extent of freedom are users given to customize.
Let’s compare the two most widely used operating system (OS) for smart phones namely the Android and the Apple iOS. The Android is known for its generative open platform. Generative as Johnson (2010) puts it is “a platform that is constantly being re-invented in surprising new ways by a diverse group of creators, where individuals, hobbyists, small start-ups and amateurs compete on a level playing field with large incumbents. In layman’s term the Android is an open system where anyone can access to the source code without any restriction”.
Here’s a link showing how easy it is to modify the Android system to do a lot of cool stuff like over-clocking the processor for better performance or under-clocking and control number of application (apps) at start-up to save battery. Although the Android promotes innovation and freedom of customization there are limitations to a generative platform. For instance, since anyone can have access to the source code people can easily create malicious programs such as viruses and malwares thus generative platforms are more prone to cyber attacks, identity theft and even crashes due to incompatible software.
The Apple iOS on the other hand is considered as a locked appliance due to the fact that only the developers of the system have the authority to make any changes. Despite the Apple iOS sporting a multitude of apps for download, ultimately the AppStore decides what apps are deemed suitable for download and what not. As a result, many Apple users resort to jailbreaking to gain access to the root-kit and make alterations to the iOS to run software unauthorized by Apple. Nevertheless, the benefits of a closed platform is that it’s more reliable in an environment controlled by the developers equivalent to a secure gated community that monitors what comes in and goes out ensuring a safe and secure environment.
So which is the best platform for users like us? In my opinion, there really is no one best platform that is without flaw. Consider this, Zittrain (2008) stated that a generative platform prevents total dominance of the market by a single corporation which could lead to overpricing due to lack of alternatives. He also elaborated in one of his examples of a technology that should not be on a generative platform such as the heart monitor because the chances of a malfunction due to lack of quality control or proper solutions in an open system where anyone can tinker with it is not something worth risking. Hence, it would be safer for a heart monitor to be placed within a secure gated community supervised by a dedicated developer. At the end of the day, some people would prefer the safety and reliability offered by locked appliances over the free and risky generative platforms that offers a high degree of user experience via modifications.
Media Studies 
