future of linux in mobile platform

[krishnaswami.kaushik]

Recently, yahoo website had reported that nokia might switch its mobile platform from symbian os to windows7 due to tough competition from apple's iphone (macosx for mobiles) and android (a google's linux which makes heavy use of java).

Symbian OS attempted usage of purely opensource tools such as python, perl, ruby, etc, and its fall also appears to be a blow for python, perl, ruby in the mobile platform too, since the other three make use of either java or dotnet and may or may not be others.

At some other site around six months back, there was a comparison between ubuntu (mobile), fedora (mobile), symbian os, android, moblin, etc. It concluded that ubuntu>moblin==android>symbian==fedora (probably gentoo/sabayon would be still more efficient).
However, currently the mobiles which we see today do not appear to give a provision for the end user to install their own os.

So, now that symbian os looks in danger, I hope that moblin, ubuntu, fedora and even sabayon (/gentoo) also find their way into this platform too, and meanwhile also hope that in future the end user gets a provision to install their own os in mobile platform too.

[Fitzcarraldo]

You're a bit behind the times regarding Nokia: Nokia Kills Symbian, Teams Up With Microsoft For Windows Phone 7. There's no "might" in it.

[Fitzcarraldo]

I've just read a newspaper article about the Motorola Atrix 4G and watched the video walk-through on the T3 Web site (Motorola Atrix landing on T-Mobile UK). The demonstrator even mentions that Motorola's Webtop is Linux-based.

Runs on Android, has a desk dock, a Bluetooth keyboard, an HD multimedia dock and a 'lapdock'. That is the most advanced and desirable mobile phone, portable computer and multimedia centre I have ever seen.

I want one!

[Stupot]

Yes, the Atrix was the big star of CES this year. And while it is an amazing phone (dual core 1 GHz processor..yes please!) it is unfortunately on AT&T here in the US. AT&T was extremely slow to jump on the android bandwagon as they were all about the iPhone. Most likely, in a couple of months there will be a number of phones worthy of competing with(or just plain better than) the Atrix on my carrier, Verizon.

P.S. I realize I basically added nothing to the conversation. Sometimes I just like to talk.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Looks like even KDE could be run on a mobile device: Plasma Active demo.