Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tomorrow of Mobile Linux.
Today I can note some trends in the development of mobile Linux.
This, above all, the desire to consolidate the efforts of developers. Many producers have realized a harmful fragmentation in creating different versions of Linux. Gradually was formed alliances to develop a single platform.
Funny, but this trend again leads to a fragmentation of efforts. Already, there are several such groups in the world. Moreover, membership in them does not prevent some companies to work in parallel on his own discovery.
In November 2005, the Organization LiPS (Linux Phone Standards) Forum was founded. Today it has 20 companies members. Наиболее известными являются ACCESS (поглотившая в свое время PalmSource), ARM, France Telecom, MontaVista. The best known are the ACCESS (was swallowed PalmSource), ARM, France Telecom, MontaVista. The Alliance was created to develop a full-fledged standard operating system.
LiPS is coordinating its efforts with another group of developers, OSDL (Open Source Development Labs).
In January 2007, LiMo (Linux Mobile) Foundation was established. Its members also come together to create a unified platform for mobile Linux. The group includes Motorola, Vodafone Group, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics, NEC, McAfee, LG Electronics and others.
Finally, the last such entity became Open Handset Alliance a union of 34 companies led by Google. The coalition was created to improve the Android platform from Google, and to create devices operating on it.
Today already there are about a dozen Linux-ready platforms for multiple classes of devices.
In addition to Android, it is the offspring of LiPS Release 1.0 (December 2007), developed earlier by one of its participants ALP (ACCESS Linux Platform). In August 2006, was presented the Convergent Linux powered by a la Mobile.
Yet another trend is the commercialization of mobile Linux. The involvement of large corporations once again calls into question the principles of Open Source. Thus, an LiMo Foundation alliance will offer licensing terms FPL to the API of its system, rather than a free GPL. The source code is available to members of LiMo.
At the same time, really free, open to all projects already is available on the market. Among them, I would like to note the company Trolltech, and FIC (OpenMoko).
OpenMoko (Open Moblie Сommunications) project of FIC is to create a mass Linux-smartphone.
Neo1973 has distinct characteristics. Among them - 2.8-inch touch VGA-display, Samsung S3C2442 400 MHz processor, 256 MB memory, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS-receiver.
It is unlikely that we can talk about the success of the product. Nevertheless, the «free» smartphone OpenMoko could become popular.
However, in late 2007 appeared another project, the interest that exceeded all previously announced.
This, of course, Android. The King of the Internet, of course, has its own mercantile interests in the creation of Linux-project. Because mobile Internet interest all the most influential market participants. Other members of Open Handset Alliance is also pursuing own interests. Components developers (NVIDIA, Texas Instruments, Intel, SiRF) plan to implement their solutions in the device based on Android. Operators (NTT DoCoMo) plan to attract new subscribers. It is clear that mobile Linux reached a new level and is quite capable to compete with other operating systems.