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From: "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: What can't you do on Android WITHOUT a Google Account set up in
 the OS?
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2025 23:15:43 +0100
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On 2025-01-04 22:10, VanguardLH wrote:
> Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> Siard wrote:
>>>
>>>> Andrew wrote:
>>>
>>>>> What can't you do on Android WITHOUT a Google Account set up in the OS?
>>>>
>>>> Well, without a Google account I do not have access to paid apps.
>>>> There are a few important ones I can hardly do without.
>>>
>>> True. I use some.
>>
>>    Sigh! When will you *ever* learn, Carlos!? 'Andrew' will soon tell you
>> that each and every paid app can be replaced by a *better* FOSS app,
>> which obviously has no ads.
>>
>>    Didn't you pay *any* attention when he found a replacement for the
>> Fitbit app!? Not that that is a paid one, but you'll (not) get the idea.
>>
>> [For the humour-impaired:] :-)
> 
> Andrew/Arlen found a replacement to the Fitbit app?  I thought what he
> "found" were suggestions by others.  :-p
> 
> Just because there are free replacements that are sufficient to some
> users does not mean those replacements are as full featured. 

The one I noticed is only a pedometer.

> Yes, there
> is OpenStreets to replace Google Maps, but I've used OSM, and then
> dropped it since it gets some data from city plats for roads that don't
> yet exist, and may never exist, and much of its data is crowd sourced,
> so areas with few reporting OSM users are sketchy or missing.  Free just
> means free, not necessarily equal nor better.

Yes, of course, OSM depends on its contributors.

> 
> I'd be really interested if there were a free app that had all the
> features of TalentApps' Parking that I paid $6.98 back in 2020 (after a
> couple years of using the free version), but got abandoned in 2021.
> This is not an app to find parking.  It records where you parked
> (manually, or automatically where I use a Bluetooth disconnect to mark
> where I stopped and parked the car), and helps you find your car (either
> by a map or a compass direction) along with recording your trips, save
> notes for a waypoint, take pics (handy in a parking ramp or huge parking
> lot), track multiple cars,

Reminds me. I have an app to pay street parking on some cities. I doubt 
these things work without an Android account.

I also have an app that connects to the cloud, where a gadget inside my 
car records the car position. Tells you where the car is currently 
parked (or moving, but that would be very worrisome). I have doubts it 
works without an Android account. It is payware and paid subscription 
ware (because it provides a WiFi hot spot in the car, which is my reason 
for having it).

And I will not work to find out if it needs or not an Android account, I 
am not interested.

> 
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=il.talent.parking
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=il.talent.parking.premium
> 
> I've tried other similar "find my car" and trip tracking combo apps, but
> they sucked on features, or were unreliable.  I used the free ParKing
> app for a couple years, and eventually decided to pay for it (along with
> several other apps that I had used, and kept, for several years).
> 
> So, if there are is this free (and de-Googled) pools of apps out there,
> tell me where.  No, I don't mean some app that does some of the
> functions, but an equivalent free app that does ALL the same functions,
> and maybe some more.
> 
> I've also paid for some app either to upgrade, unlock features, or to
> support the author.
> 

Right. Same here.

> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=il.talent.parking.premium
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wilysis.cellinfo
> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque
> and more.
> 
> Yes, there are free versions, but sometimes I want to unlock more
> features, or I've used the app for a while, and feel if I'm going to
> keep it that I should reward the author.  Does the F-Droid Aurora Store
> let me do that?  Rahul Patel would like me to donate for using Aurora,
> but what about the app authors?  Do the "free" app authors have to setup
> their own merchant accounts or sales services to get "donations"?


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.