Why mobile will succeed where desktop platforms failed
It’s not that difficult to see the appeal of mobile platforms today: They have small footprints so they can be installed on Acer UM08A31 devices without much storage. They can run on hardware that is portable, powerful, and in most cases much cheaper than desktop counterparts. They’re also easy to develop for and have thousands of apps already available.
In comparison, modern desktop operating systems require significant amounts of storage just to be installed, are built for faster CPUs, and are also notoriously difficult to adapt for devices outside of laptops and desktops. In many cases, particularly when it comes to smaller Acer UM08A51 devices and set-top boxes, desktop platforms are also overkill. Instead of stuffing devices full of software they will never need, manufacturers are better off using a nimble mobile OS to fine tune their functionality.
Mobile platforms today also aren’t as defined by the way we used desktop PCs. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform, for example, attempted to replicate Windows-like functions on 3UR18650Y-2-QC236 smartphones and PDAs. It was subsequently trounced by RIM’s BlackBerry platform, which was dedicated to mobile email. Touchscreen smartphone platforms have also quickly surpassed Windows Mobile in market share, and their success pushed Microsoft to develop a radical mobile platform of its own with Windows Phone 7.
Looking ahead
We’ll be seeing mobile platforms in far more than just tablets and television set-top boxes. Car manufacturers are looking into using Google’s Android on car dashboards, and Apple could embed iOS in practically anything. Mobile platforms are beginning to take the place of embedded Linux systems, which used to be the go-to choice for slapping a basic operating system on your device. Instead of fiddling with a custom Linux installation, manufacturers can adopt Android to program their devices more easily. In this regard, Android has the advantage over iOS, because Apple A1189 would likely never license its operating system to third parties.
We’re going to see a war between Android, iOS, and other mobile operating systems on unexpected battlefields. But today’s emerging players aren’t the only potential challengers. HP Pavilion DV5 is in the process of buying Palm, with the hopes of taking its WebOS far beyond smartphones to printers and other consumer devices. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has promised a new version of its aging mobile OS. Now imagine a BlackBerry PC designed to give on-the-go office workers fast access to email and corporate documents, without the legacy of a Windows PC.
The point is that mobile operating systems, while originally designed for phones, have the best shot at spreading everywhere there’s a computer processor and a screen. And clever entrepreneurs will be exploiting the resulting innovations for a long time to come.
It’s not that difficult to see the appeal of mobile platforms today: They have small footprints so they can be installed on Acer UM08A31 devices without much storage. They can run on hardware that is portable, powerful, and in most cases much cheaper than desktop counterparts. They’re also easy to develop for and have thousands of apps already available.
In comparison, modern desktop operating systems require significant amounts of storage just to be installed, are built for faster CPUs, and are also notoriously difficult to adapt for devices outside of laptops and desktops. In many cases, particularly when it comes to smaller Acer UM08A51 devices and set-top boxes, desktop platforms are also overkill. Instead of stuffing devices full of software they will never need, manufacturers are better off using a nimble mobile OS to fine tune their functionality.
Mobile platforms today also aren’t as defined by the way we used desktop PCs. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform, for example, attempted to replicate Windows-like functions on 3UR18650Y-2-QC236 smartphones and PDAs. It was subsequently trounced by RIM’s BlackBerry platform, which was dedicated to mobile email. Touchscreen smartphone platforms have also quickly surpassed Windows Mobile in market share, and their success pushed Microsoft to develop a radical mobile platform of its own with Windows Phone 7.
Looking ahead
We’ll be seeing mobile platforms in far more than just tablets and television set-top boxes. Car manufacturers are looking into using Google’s Android on car dashboards, and Apple could embed iOS in practically anything. Mobile platforms are beginning to take the place of embedded Linux systems, which used to be the go-to choice for slapping a basic operating system on your device. Instead of fiddling with a custom Linux installation, manufacturers can adopt Android to program their devices more easily. In this regard, Android has the advantage over iOS, because Apple A1189 would likely never license its operating system to third parties.
We’re going to see a war between Android, iOS, and other mobile operating systems on unexpected battlefields. But today’s emerging players aren’t the only potential challengers. HP Pavilion DV5 is in the process of buying Palm, with the hopes of taking its WebOS far beyond smartphones to printers and other consumer devices. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has promised a new version of its aging mobile OS. Now imagine a BlackBerry PC designed to give on-the-go office workers fast access to email and corporate documents, without the legacy of a Windows PC.
The point is that mobile operating systems, while originally designed for phones, have the best shot at spreading everywhere there’s a computer processor and a screen. And clever entrepreneurs will be exploiting the resulting innovations for a long time to come.
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