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Nokia Could Make Linux Top Embedded OS

Posted by timothy on from the sea-changes-considered-not-promised dept.

prostoalex writes "Nokia's experiment with N770 prototype device and its own Linux-based dev platform got the folks from ARCchart thinking - Is Nokia ready to jump the Symbian ship and switch to Linux? TechWeb chimes in: "Such a switch by Symbian would make Linux, in one fell swoop, the leading mobile device platform. It already is riding a wave with PalmSource's decision to port the Palm OS to Linux and a defection by Nokia would seal the deal.""

1 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. Hold your horses by da_matta · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know everybody here would love the idea of Nokia switching to linux, but let's not get carried away. What would Nokia benefit from that:

    1) Since Nokia owns 48% of it, Symbian is "as open and free as necessary" from Nokia's point of view. They get to decide how the OS evolves and get their share of the profits.

    2) Symbian is stable and has functionality made specifically for mobile phones. A new Linux platform does not offer this. There are no short terms benefits of switching.

    3) Licensing Series 60 is a business for Nokia and something they have huge investments in. They can't switch unless it doesn't affect this.

    4) The reason Symbian exists, is that Nokia doesn't wan't to spend resources to development of an OS.

    The only way I see Nokia switching would be that Symbian would do it. And why would they?