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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."
Does anybody else find it weird that a Mac news site is posting Linux news, and finishing off with a paragraph labelled "Freedom of choice" which talks about avoiding vendor lockin?
Having access to the source code, both for customization and to avoid getting slammed by the Virus of the Week Club, can't hurt the decision making process...
'... and improve time-to-market.'
If your competitor has a product on the market already, you have a hard time. First mover advantage is a very real thing.
FOSS is so well understood and documented that you can produce products much faster than if you have to depend on proprietary products. This is especially so if you have to integrate more than one such product. Being proprietary is all about keeping secrets and that, by its nature, makes your job much more difficult.
As my salary depends on sales of symbian software, I probably shouldn't say this, but it seems most smartphone hardware makers don't have a clue about UI design. For example, on my Sony-ericsson p910i:
- The keyboard is flimsy, hard to type on while holding the phone, and because it's on the reverse of the number keypad, when you type on it you often press buttons on the reverse side, causing the whole phone to wobble.
- The camera button and the "connect to the internet" button are right next to each other, on the side of the phone and exactly the same size and shape, making it very easy to get press the wrong one.
- Handwriting recognition is pretty poor. As it uses the whole screen to recognise handwriting, if you try to tap on a button while recognition is enabled and slip slightly (like, if you're walking around with your *mobile* phone) you end up typing a full stop instead of activating the button.
- Most of the on-screen UI is far too fiddly to use "in the field". Sitting at a desk it's fine: on a crowded, bumpy train I keep activating the wrong functions.
Personally, I can see a huge market for somebody like Apple to do to the smartphone market what iPods have done to the MP3 market: produce an elegant, easy-to-use smartphone with all the functionality, but actually designed with usability in mind.