> Running an Android device without GApps is pretty much pointless unless you are really using it for a very very specific purpose.
This is an exaggeration; you can find plenty of solutions that don't require Gapps, AFAIK. However, I don't know that the typical end-user would be happy solving that problem or using imperfect workarounds. For one thing, you need some sort of GApps solution to access the Play store, AFAIK.
> the vast majority of applications actually require Google services to run
There are plenty of GApps subsitutes for people who want them; I've done some homework on it, but haven't gotten around to trying them and all of the following is "AFAIK"; it's just based on a bunch of reading.
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These appear to be the two leading substitutes:
* TKApps: 6 editions containing varying subsets of Google Apps
* MicroG Project: My impression is that this is most carefully engineered option. In addition to its full suite I think it gives you the option of installing only one component, the stripped down GMSCore, which provides substitutes for several Google Play Services APIs.
* Fakestore: (I don't have a link, but it's the same concept as Blankstore)
* BeansTown106's Gapps: (I don't have a link, but your search engine should find it), "very complete and work quite well" per a dev of OmniROM, a leading Android fork
* GApps Browser: Google Apps sandboxed, so can login there without being logged on in web browser, for confidentiality
This is an exaggeration; you can find plenty of solutions that don't require Gapps, AFAIK. However, I don't know that the typical end-user would be happy solving that problem or using imperfect workarounds. For one thing, you need some sort of GApps solution to access the Play store, AFAIK.
> the vast majority of applications actually require Google services to run
There are plenty of GApps subsitutes for people who want them; I've done some homework on it, but haven't gotten around to trying them and all of the following is "AFAIK"; it's just based on a bunch of reading.
----
These appear to be the two leading substitutes:
* TKApps: 6 editions containing varying subsets of Google Apps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/tk-gapps-t3...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/qa-tk-gapps-hel...
* MicroG Project: My impression is that this is most carefully engineered option. In addition to its full suite I think it gives you the option of installing only one component, the stripped down GMSCore, which provides substitutes for several Google Play Services APIs.
https://github.com/microg
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1715375
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-micro...
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Also of interest:
* Blankstore: For minimal Play Store access, or maybe just the API to keep other apps happy.
https://github.com/mar-v-in/BlankStore
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29115263&...
* Fakestore: (I don't have a link, but it's the same concept as Blankstore)
* BeansTown106's Gapps: (I don't have a link, but your search engine should find it), "very complete and work quite well" per a dev of OmniROM, a leading Android fork
* GApps Browser: Google Apps sandboxed, so can login there without being logged on in web browser, for confidentiality
https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=browser&fdca...