Log in

View Full Version : NY Times: "As Mobile Phones Grow More Complex, Carriers Insist on Fewer Operating Systems"


Janak Parekh
03-27-2007, 10:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/technology/12wireless.html?ex=1331352000&en=47357e14b56068aa&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss' target='_blank'>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/t...serland&emc=rss</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Two operating systems run more than 95 percent of the world’s computers, but dozens of systems are behind the 2.5 billion mobile phones in circulation, a situation that has hampered the growth of new services, industry executives and independent specialists say...Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile phone company in terms of revenue, has been leading a push to limit the number of operating systems, declaring in November that it would eventually sell only phones that ran on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, Symbian Series 60 or Linux."</i><br /><br />About time, in my opinion. I reserve a special hatred for those crippled, proprietary OSes. However, this article neglects to mention one thing: Linux is <b>not</b> a mobile operating system. It's an operating system kernel, from which one could create... dozens of mobile operating systems. In other words, we've still got a ways to go with standardization, and at least a few carriers (*cough*Verizon*cough*) seem to like their crippled, proprietary phones. That said, at least most major carriers have Windows Mobile options now, which is a good first step. (Free reg required to read article)

virain
03-28-2007, 09:35 AM
And don't you forget "Danger" OS, so much loved by T-Mobile a.k.a. Sidekick if someone is not familiar with it. Plus Palm OS is still out there, and a few more.

david291
03-28-2007, 02:34 PM
They forgot the Mac OS X variant that runs the iPhone, numbering in the millions within a year.