What if you could install your own software?

I've had the Nexus One for 6 months now, and today was the first time I downloaded and installed software on it that wasn't from the Marketplace.

It was easy. I followed a bit.ly barcode link, the pointed by Barcode Scanner app at it, and within 30 seconds, it was downloaded.

It was secure. After downloading, I was presented with the permissions the app wanted and asked to approve.

It was fast. I was up and running Angry Birds very quickly.

It didn't drain the battery. After over 2 hours of addictive play, my battery was still at 75%, which is pretty good for this time of day anyway.

So when you here people talk about marketplace fragmentation or the difficulty and dangers of downloading apps directly, just know that they're coming from an iPhone centric perspective and can't imagine what freedom really feels like. A little pity and a little understanding will get you a long way. They'd be envious if they knew better.