You can definitely share files to network, and install drivers (apps) for new hardware. Except new hardware often can't be installed directly, but that's more of a hardware limitation similar to laptops than an OS thing.
Editing hosts isn't possible without rooting, but you can get the same effect by running a DNS server on device and changing Android to use it.
I challenge your assumption that we should look at unrooted android versus Windows. Which of those things can you do on Windows without being an administrator? Unrooted stock is sandboxed, but so are Windows nonadmin accounts.
Obviously I mean sharing (and everything else) without installing some 3rd party application from who knows where. I remember looking into that when I was testing an Xperia for some security system.
See, this is why I bloody hate when people call everything "app". There's a distinct difference between "a driver" and "an application". A driver can interface with applications or it can be bundled with one, but they're not the same thing. And I'm quite sure that "driver" you linked to operates on one-way application level similar to sending an email to the printer which then does all the work itself. And it has to use that "share" function, but I guess that's expected as there's no "print" one, heh.
And really, having an own DNS server is not only different effect (because it works only if you use that server, plus it can be circumvented more easily), but it's also a completely new element. Not very practical.
Admin account is the default on Windows. That's what you get when you install it (by default anyway) and using it doesn't void any warranties.
It's a bit weird to complain about a missing default feature as a "freedom" problem.
How would you define the difference between driver and app without mentioning any OS details?
>And really, having an own DNS server is not only different effect (because it works only if you use that server, plus it can be circumvented more easily), but it's also a completely new element. Not very practical.
You can set up a DNS server with another app, and change your network to use it.
>Admin account is the default on Windows.
A complaint about defaults, rather than what's possible, is not a complaint about freedom.
The warranty issue is a good one. But that has to do with freedom of the sale contract, not freedom of the phone. My phone came with no warranty because I got an old refurbished one, voiding the warranty means nothing to me and doesn't impinge on my freedom.
Driver is used by applications as an interface between the OS and the hardware.
It's not just that it's default. The OS was clearly designed with that in mind, whilst Android makes it pretty clear that rooting it is undesirable.
If you root it and if you get access to the shell, then you can probably do everything I asked about. But you have to go through hoops and loops to achieve that state.
Or, of course, you can use 3rd party solution, but that doesn't count as a capability of the OS.
See https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hp.android... for an example of a "driver" for new hardware.
Editing hosts isn't possible without rooting, but you can get the same effect by running a DNS server on device and changing Android to use it.
I challenge your assumption that we should look at unrooted android versus Windows. Which of those things can you do on Windows without being an administrator? Unrooted stock is sandboxed, but so are Windows nonadmin accounts.