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Analyst: Linux could have 'bright future' in smart phones |
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By Jim Rendon, SearchNetworking.com News Writer
19 Aug 2003 | SearchMobileComputing.com |
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Linux, which has been gaining momentum in the enterprise, has not become nearly as popular with handheld devices. In 2002, Linux was used on 1.7% of PDAs. In 2003, that number is expected to grow to 3.7%, according to the Framingham, Mass.-based research firm International Data Corp. While a pocket Linux PDA may never hit the market with any force, Linux is making surprising strides on other mobile devices, enough to cause concern at smart phone operating systems market leader Symbian Ltd., said IDC analyst Kevin Burden. Burden told SearchMobileComputing.com where Linux is -- and isn't -- likely to become a wireless force. How is Linux doing in the handheld device market?
Kevin Burden: Linux has little traction in the handheld device market. It is the third platform behind the Palm operating system and the Microsoft OS. When it comes to Linux, the only real player out there using it for handhelds is Sharp Electronics Corp. It is only really getting uptake in Japan and in China because the Chinese government wants to make Linux the standard OS throughout the country.
Is there any momentum in the industry for putting the Linux OS on mobile devices?
Burden: There is no interest in the consumer market at all. That market will stick with Palm and Pocket PC. And the consumer market makes up 80% of all handheld sales.
Are any vendors pushing Linux handhelds?
Burden: Sharp is the biggest one. Olivetti Group's Royal Consumer Information Products [Inc.] had the DaVinci [PDA], which is based on Linux, but they are a small player.
What are the benefits of Linux on a mobile device?
Burden: The main reason to have Linux on a device is the open operating system. You do not have the licensing fees associated with Linux that you have with other operating systems, and, in theory, those costs can be passed along to the consumer. But if you look at Sharp's Zaurus, it is not a cheap device. The bulk of the cost of a handheld is not the operating system.
| | | | In the enterprise, the real value of handheld devices is mobilizing back-end applications. If you already have Linux development experience in-house, then it can be useful. -- Kevin Burden | | | |
What are the drawbacks to Linux devices?
Burden: There is no governing body and no road map. Users don't know when the next edition is coming out. There are not as many core PIM applications out there for Linux as there are for Palm and the Pocket PC. In the enterprise, the real value of handheld devices is mobilizing back-end applications. If you already have Linux development experience in-house, then it can be useful.
Can Linux work for smart phones?
Burden: Symbian is the king of the smart phone market, largely because it has Nokia behind it. Motorola is part of the Symbian consortium, but it is backing away from Symbian. Motorola developed a phone for Nextel that has a Linux core and runs Java applets. Motorola has another phone as well that uses a Linux core. No one wants to come out and say that they have built a Linux phone. People will say, 'Linux didn't work on the desktop; why should it work on a phone?' But Linux is likely part of many of the proprietary operating systems on phones.
Is there a future for Linux in mobile devices?
Burden: Linux could have a very bright future in the smart phone market. If you talk to Symbian, which has the potential to lock up the smart phone market, and ask them where its fear is, it does not fear Palm or Windows; it fears Linux in the guise of proprietary operating systems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ask Kevin Burden more about Linux and handhelds
Brose our PDA product guide
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