Slashdot Mirror
Qualcomm Adopts Linux for 3G Handsets
quan74 writes "According to an article at MacNewsWorld, it seems Qualcomm is the latest to add Linux to its handheld devices. 'By introducing Linux on the MSM, Qualcomm supports manufacturer partners who wish to leverage existing Linux applications, third-party developers and application catalogs to reduce their software development costs and improve time-to-market.' What I found interesting is that Linux will be the first third-party operating system supported by Qualcomm."
What the device manufacturers and the network equipment vendors like is that Linux doesn't lock them into a single operating system.
except they are locked into Linux, unless the phone will let me choose wether i want to run Windows,Solaris,Mac,QNX,Symbian,Java etc etc
why cant they just use plain english?
the "article" reads more like a press release drummed up by some marketing droid than any insightful commentary about OS'es
I like Qualcomm, they are the guys who succesfully implemented CDMA when other companies (especially from Europe) thought it was too challenging. I am glad to see they are considering Linux. I hope, by addopting linux, they will also give back to the Open Source community some applications or some interesting code for embedded devices. When Sharp was releasing their Zaurus with Linux on it, I got a developer's version (SL-5000D) and played with it. It was great to log into it and have a full Linux OS in your pocket. Perhaps I can do that with my cellphone now.
There are so many functions that are included with Linux. Having all that included without licensing or maint. or ... worries would have to be inviting to a ISV/IHV. The big concern though is how to keep the device focused on its intended task, including some good things (mp3, avi or jpg) for the consumer and end-geek alike. If other OS vendors would include such simplicity, and coverage, it might make other OS's attractive.
CDMA is better than GSM. That's why all of Europe is now moving to CDMA (WCDMA, UMTS, 3G, add your own moniker here...)
Let's be short and sweet about this. It's is a contraction of "it is". It's a beautiful day!
Its is a posssessive adjective, something belongs to it. The computer crashed again. Its program is wrong.
Mastering the natural language can be as hard as mastering C++. But it's all precision symbol manipulation necessary to understand subtle meanings.
Feel free to mock my intelligence for forgetting the 'address of' & operator or messing up the pointer structure, but I don't want to hear anything about being a grammar Nazi. I only do this to keep people from knowing that you were smoking sinse in 4th grade instead of paying attention in English period.
The letters CDMA have two meanings: they refer to an air-interface technology, and they refer to a particular standard built on that technology, also known as IS-95. The technology is good. The standard is awful.
The sentence "CDMA is better than GSM" can only be refering to the standard, because GSM is a standard, not an air-interface technology. It's completely false, as anyone who's used both can attest. CDMA isn't location/network independent and it doesn't support, in its most widely implemented form, support personal mobility. It's essentially stuck in a 1970's mobile phone network mindset. It's sole advantage over GSM is the use of a CDMA-technology air interface.
The sentence "All of Europe is moving to CDMA" is only true if you switch meanings and start refering to the air interface technology in place of the standard.
I don't know if you're confused, or you're a Qualcomm shill. Qualcomm shills were taking advantage of people's confusion throughout the late nineties to try and ensure exactly this kind of "argument" could be made. People would post, apparently sincerely, "Well, GSM is based on TDMA, and my friend has a TDMA phone and the sound sucks and he doesn't have any features that aren't on my flash CDMA phone!", and more recently "Oh yeah? Well if CDMA sucks, why is Europe switching to it?" It's slight of hand. Stop it.
UMTS incidentally, which is what we're talking about Europe switching to, is essentially GSM2. The system is more modular, so operators can use different air interface technologies depending on their precise needs. Most are choosing WCDMA ("Wideband Code Division Multiple Access"). There is no connection whatsoever between this and the system Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless uses beyond a similar principle being used to transmit data between the towers and the handsets.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
Like allways when someone asks about total costs, "it depends".
In Qualcomm case, you may end up saving lot. Qualcomm has just ported Linux to their _Cellphone_chip_, which means you don't have to buy another CPU to run the smartphone OS on. On The otherhand, Windows will still need another CPU, increasing Power consumption, weight and material costs.
In other cases, it depends on the platform you are developing for. For example if you don't have an MMU in your hardware, you simply can't run windows. OTOH if you are just basing yourself on one the most popular reference designs with windows already available, windows is likely the cheapest route. But once you start creating something more exotic and unique, it becomes more blurry and depends on case-to-case basis.
However, Qualcomm going Linux is fascinating for a totally unrelated point. Before this, their BREW platform has been the most DRM-encumbered development platform. There is no way to run code not signed, distributed and billed by Qualcomm on their BREW handsets. This might be a relatively large move from completely proprietary to more community friendly.
signatures pending - ansa@kos.to - (dont mail there)
go here to clear up confusion on wcdma/umts vs cdma2000 standards
CDMA2000
W-CDMA
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System