On 2009-07-11 06:19:09, Prom1 wrote:
On 2009-07-10 13:26:20, Legen wrote:
the open source-ness of Android seems to be making it popular. do u guys think it'll be as big as pipo are predicting? of are they jus exaggerating?
Not so open-source ... collaboration is still stiffled versus the rapid change and evolving Symbian. Remember all the other OS's are starting from scratch - RIM has been doing C++ for 3yrs then from the 7280 onward used Java as a standard and IS their OS - don't fool yourself it is not. Sure they customize components from Java EE and J2ME into their customized CLDC1.1 but its still Java ... you use RIMlets instead of midlets. Android uses their own version of a highly NON-standard Java (RIM by comparison uses standard java).
I see now the MAIN reason for SE to wait until Android 2.0 to be released is not because of multimedia - since HTC's Android 1.5 has got great media capabilities - BUT

has TOO MUCH an investment in Java ... there ARE NEVER going to let that go because it can be leveraged amongst TOO MANY other platforms and OS and they use JAVA standards. Don't be surprised if Racheal supports your entire Java/J2ME library while HTC, Lenovo and other Android devices do not.
Android is doing well - but with too much fragmentation amongst different Linux platforms it COULD suffer the same fate as UIQ+S60 recently: LiMo foundation has many of the same members as Android does: Motorola is a prime example - and

will square off with Motorola's resurrection first before going with the bigger players.
Also note that the PS3 is a licensed Linux 2.6 kernel (not modified like Android) and is done for Sony by a 3rd party the same third party that breathes life in older G3/G4/G5 Apple cpu products.
Until Android - natively supports Exchange Server 2003SP2 /2007 and soon 2010 versions and Lotus Domino versions then it cannot compete for corporate vaibility like RIM's infrastructure (device & server products), secondly Windows Mobile licensed OS in products and Microsofts standard products, and third Symbian (S60 via strong agreements with Microsoft+Nokia & Nokia+IBM for Domino/Traveler).
HTC & SE will give Android a more appealing face & wardrobe to the public consumer - but this also what SE will do with Symbian which they too have a MUCH stronger investment and knowledgeable staff and consumer base with.
SE will have a 4 piller strategy initially:
A2/A3 platform
Android
Symbian
WinMobile
I can possibly see 3 piller being
Low-mid range Android (eventually trickling down to replace A3; maybe A3/A4 will becoming for emerging markets only)
Mid-tier into the low-high range Symbian OS (around 2010 when Symbian Foundation OS or Symbian^3/^4 is hardened)
WinMobile for top-tier corporate phones. SE WinMobile devices must be at this range to sell well to be profitable above expenses to code/produce devices and compete with HTC, Acer, and others.If not SE will drop it and Android & Symbian will be mixed in the top-tier devices.
Symbian is VERY VERY powerful - every bit as powerful for portable devices as Android is becoming or being highlighted with much hoohaa by the press but remember their just One Offs on netbooks - nothing shipping yet (promises by 1 company is still not significant unless sales in 10's of millions occurs in this fickle space).
Recall Symbian is the ONLY mobile OS - possibly Mobile OS X by Apple too - capable of SMP (WinMobile, Linux OS like RedHat/FedoraCore/Ubuntu, Mac OS X on laptops/desktops are excluded).
Regardless of loosing marketshare - which is over emphasized especially when the marketshare as a WHOLE is growing exponentially - Symbian is not down & out.