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DoCoMo to Use Linux on Phones
highwaytohell writes "News.com.au has an announcement that NTT DoCoMo in collaboration with NEC and Panasonic have developed a Linux based software platform for third generation cell phones. 'The main advantage of the new platform will be easy integration of advanced multi-media applications and efficient use of software,' NEC spokeswoman Akiko Shikimori said." This was first reported about a year ago, but the platform looks to be mostly done by now, and a new press release timed to remind us of its impending release.
Too bad that it got almost universal bad reviews for it's slow response time, lack of features, and general bugginess.
OTOH, the form factor was awesome and really put it at the head of the pack for the 900i series. Word on the street is that Linux won't be back for Panasonic after this, though. Too much trouble for not enough benefit. Add to that that the Access mobile suite is fitted more for other operating systems like T-Engine and OSE rather than Linux, this seemed look like a good idea at the time, but now it looks like a money pit.
Panasonic will not be coming out with new Linux phones in the future after P900is. Bank on it.
I suspect that he means make a version of the Emulator (or the newer Simulator) that is more tightly integrated with the system I don't think you'd necessarily want a Palm device to suddenly appear on your screen, I think you'd want Palm applications to work seamlessly with the other applications on the system. Interesting thought, for sure, and definitely a challenge. The main obstacle would be a legal one, not a technical one -- getting the ROM images to install in the emulator/simulator. Doubt PalmSource would let you do it without actually licensing the OS.
EricPalm Database Programming -- The Free Electronic Version
Vodafone bought J-Phone which was essentially a second-rate cellphone service over there. With the partnership, though, VOD is pushing some pretty serious upgrades and is adapting the European market to be more like the Japanese keitai market.
In Europe, you define your phone by the device maker. Nokia, Seimens, etc. They define what the phones will be and how they will function. The operators are along for the ride. Whereas in Japan, the phone is defined by the operator. DoCoMo, Au (KDDI), Vodafone, etc. The operators define at the high level what they expect in a feature set and the device makers (D505 is Mitsubishi, for example) have to design their phone to meet the market level. The DoCoMo 505i level was the last of the Mova 2.5G line and pretty full featured. Every 505i phone was required to have a certain minimum spec.
Operators in Europe have always been at the whim of the device makers precisely because it is the device makers who are providing the operators with the equipment to run their networks. So Orange buys its tower equipment and software from Nokia and Seimens and spends all its time trying to make sure that things work together. Because of this, moving a phone from one operator to another is pretty easy, just switch out the SIM. However, the functionality between two different devices is very different. The operators are not capable of specifying to Nokia (for example) a common set of baseline requirements for that operator's phones. Nokia markets its phones for a wide range of operators and can't really be bothered to bow to the demands of one.
This is where the VOD thing comes in. Taking a cue from the Japanese market, VOD has made itself huge. It is currently the #1 cell phone operator in the world, about triple the customer base of DoCoMo. With this power, it is finally demanding that device makers design to their spec rather than delivering whatever they'd like. This has always been the case in Japan where the operators have been the dominant power and device makers have been anxious to be accepted by the operators. It also means the end of operator switching, unfortunately, but considering that the price of a new cell phone in Japan is 1 yen (free with rebate), the future looks bright for the European market.
The American market is a huge clusterfuck, of course, just like how it is with every other worldwide standard-led technology. American's are happy with their Zack Morris phones which are workable for calls but nothing else. So the world leaves them alone. But, like as in the past, eventually they will come on board and pick up the best of the winning technologies and be up to par with the rest of the world.