Android's on top – will Nokia and RIM let it in? Android has overtaken Symbian to become the number one mobile operating system – a feat never achieved by Apple iOS – and now the new Honeycomb release should enable Google's platform to eat into the iPad's tablet market share too. With Nokia reportedly mulling a change in OS strategy ahead of its analyst day next week, and RIM …
> The low level device drivers which used to be in the OS are now integrated into the hypervisor, and it becomes a group effort by the vendors to integrate that support there instead of the OS. Instead, the hypervisor vendor creates "virtual" device drivers that expose common services to the virtualised OS, such as networking, display and I/O.
Look, Android's kernel is Linux and all of it, including special Google patches, is open source. Vendors can already collaborate in this way: they only have to write Linux drivers for their devices and share. The API is there, just do it, dammit. Except they don't, for one reason or another - many reasons in fact.
I'm not talking about running WP7, and frankly, who cares about it? If the question is about android OEM collaboration, they already have the common platform for it, except they choose not to. Which is sad, but that's how it is.
But yeah, virtualisation is all the rage now, it'll solve *everything*, including cancer and AIDS. Just call it a "hypervisor", stick it in there and happy vendors will magically start collaborating and it'll all be ponies and rainbows.
Almost ll phones are built on SOCs (system on chips) by people like Qualcomm. The SOC vendors write all the drivers for their SOCs to make their chips easy to use. If they don't provide quality reference designs then the vendors won't use their SOCs.
Why use virtualisation? That only adds more software overhead (ie. more power consumption and makes the chip slower). The SOC vendors want their chips to be as fast and low power as possible to make them as appealing as possible to the vendors.
Just because it's Linux doesn't mean people design cellphones like servers.
Going with WP7 just to snub Android that is as stupid as driving off a cliff to avoid paying road tolls.
Nokia seem to be aimlessly walking from one smartphone disasters to the next. Nokia & winphone7 would be the new disaster. The CEO seems more interested in keeping his ex employers happy and saving face than what is best for Nokia (OHA, Android). You have to wonder if he is still on the MS payroll.
I would say its already too late for Nokia in the smartphone arena, but even if its not, this is clearly their last chance to get things right, and buddying up to a failing wp7 platform is not the right thong to do. A fresh UI ontop of android, with a ready-made 250,000 well stocked app store is where they need to be going.
To my mind, Nokia engineers great operating systems with barely usable interfaces. If you look at the abstract numbers, Nokia seem to be able to get a lot more battery life out of ostensibly comparable devices at a cheaper price point. Their problems on the software side are that the user interface is awful.
Testing an N8 versus an iPhone versus a Nexus One: I'm in the browser, I want to go to a different web page.
On the iPhone I scroll to the top of the page (by tapping the status bar), tap the address bar, the keyboard comes up, I type the new address and press 'Go', which is right there on the keyboard. The Nexus One is very similar. Scroll to the top (albeit without a single tap shortcut, but that's because Android has other functionality permanently attached to the status bar, so no overall conclusion to be drawn here), tap in the address bar, enter something via QWERTY, press 'Go'. Total: two taps, some typing, one tap.
On the N8: tap the little arrow in the bottom right. I'm presented with a five button menu, of which three are not particularly obvious graphics without text. Having used it before I know to tap the world icon in the middle, which brings up a combined URL or search term menu. I then tap the URL line. That brings up an entirely different screen because all text box entry is done on a separate screen. I have to enter in T9. Tick that to go back. Tap 'Go to' to load the URL. Total: three taps, some T9 entry on a completely separate screen, two more taps. With lots of menus on which to get lost in between, and the extra delay of having to type in T9.
And the entire software stack is like this. It's a labyrinthine nightmare of menus upon menus upon menus with everything you want to do always requiring quite a lot more effort than on other phones and even then being achievable only if you've bothered to experiment with and memorise the system in advance.
Any strategy in which Nokia holds itself forward as being even slightly competent with UI design is a very bad idea. They're better off sticking with the Series 40 for emerging markets, adopting Android with the normal user interface and ensuring there's an official port of QT to the platform. They can revive themselves with hardware (there's a market for 12mp phones with Carl Zeiss lenses) and unique applications (Ovi Maps in particular). I think there's a route by pushing QT on Android to become the default glue for people that want to port C/C++ stuff, but it's probably more risky.
I think Nokia might have made more of a success of meego or QT if it wasn't continually distracting itself re-engineering the same phones over and over again as new indistinguishable handsets, if it had not so consistently whored itself to dodgy network operators who wanted things that ticked all the buzzwords, but were so cheap they didn't actually do any of the things on the box well enough to be useful.
It seems like only the salesmen and tech guys are talking here... If you look at the market, you see only the phones with flash for web are increasing in popularity.. guess what those are???
Nokia is like a millionaire, moaning that he cannot afford his California mansion any more, saying nothing about the other 10 houses he owns round the world....
Nokia is still selling lots, mainly the basic handsets.. they would have to be really stupid to lose that!!!
If they want to get back the smartphone market, they need to look at their n900 design and OS, make it as thin as their current phones, with a full multi-tab flash enabled browser and make it FAST and easy to use as makes like SE, HTC, samsung... other wise they may go the way of IBM... they thought they would never lose, but where are they now???
"Look, we've got Flash" is what manufacturers say to score points with tech bloggers.
"Look, we've got a good browser on a big screen, available for free on a contract and for not all that much on pay as you go" is what manufacturers say to win consumers.
Smartphones are high margin devices.
The low-cost candy bar phones make very little profit.
As costs get squeezed the smartphones are increasingly encroaching into candy bar phone space and in 5 years or so maybe candy bar phones will only be made in China, with Chinese branding, for third world use.
So if Nokia don't get their act together in the smartphone space soon, they will get squeezed out completely.
- Lawyer CEO: Replaced by Codetalker CEO. NOT FIXED.
- Customer Perception: Nokia perceives the Telecom Operators as their customers and gives $hit about real people using their contraptions. I once offered them a SMS-killer technology and all they said is that it would offend the network operators. The technical merits were of zero concern. Basically, they tell skilled developers w/o a billion dollars to go away and leave them alone with their friends Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom.
- Software Updates: PTTNDFA model. As in Pay-Through-the-Nose-Does-Not-Fix-Anything.
-Crap API: J2ME is crap and will be crap. For example, the 6300 has very nice "internal" applications for the phone book, caller list, SMS editing etc. Unfortunately, Nokia does not expose the API to create these nice and responsive applications to a smelly, unshaved certified computer-science hacker like me. I have to accept the stnkin J2ME and shove off, anyway.
Actually, it would only be fair for Nokia to go belly-up; considering the fact that their only passion is a Passion For Money.
The decision is purely political. Both WP7 and Android would work.
1. Android - add hardware driver, nothing else is required. This way, any further update is dead simple, and customers will get a proper phone that works, and without all those crapware no one wants. Very minor hardware redesign would be required.
2. WP7 - add hardware driver, nothing else they can do anyway. MS will take care of any OS update. Customers will get a phone that works (if WP7 is what they want), and Nokia doesn't need to care anything else but the hardware warranty. Some small hardware redesign is required (eg. remove SD card slot, add the required "buttons").
For the money matter only, they'd go with Android option. However, we all know this is politically incorrect, therefore, WP7 is the only option left.
And, the sales number is highly misleading. Android is not the number one, Apple's iOS is. To general public, a touch screen smart phone = iPhone, a tablet device = iPad, a portable music/media player = iPod.
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"And, the sales number is highly misleading. Android is not the number one, Apple's iOS is. To general public, a touch screen smart phone = iPhone, a tablet device = iPad, a portable music/media player = iPod."
So Android is not number one in units shipped because people think all touch phones are iPhones?
I suppose in your world people must get confused about hoovering the carpet with a Dyson.
They would probably doom theirselves if they go with WP7. That's what Palm did, it took away the only distinction they had and soon Treos were interchangeable with any generic WinMo trashphone. Nokia would go the same way with *any* of these options, but MS is a surefire road to failure.
BTW, numbers aren't lying. iOS is nowhere near the "#1" anywhere, not even in the US. It still hasn't managed to overtake RIM. I expect the Android share of the market to keep taking larger chunks at the expense of Symbian, Palm, WinMo and probably Blackberry and iPhone deserters. The only ones seeing iPhone as #1 are the Appleista fanbois.
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I think the great British public are more intelligent than you give them credit for. They know what an iPhone / iPad / iPod is and what is not. A great many of them believe the hype and go for the apple product because they want to or because it's what their friends have, or maybe it's the natural progression once you are locked into the apple store.
A great number of us, look at the figures, don't want an apple device and go for something else. And the best thing right now is an Android device. Simples.
I bet that even if Nokia were to switch to something as succesful as Android they'd manage to screw it up, much like the peeps at Sony Ericsson, who have completely failed to get the whole 'support the user, ideally with upgrades and nice customer support' ever since launching the P series of Symbian phones, and are continuing that fine tradition with the X10. Why would Nokia be any different?
Better they stick with a new OS like WP7 that is being sold to neophytes who see the name 'Microsoft' and think that all good flows out of Redmond. And, of course, the MS vassals who have a vested interest in the Microsoft dominance being extended beyond just the desktop.
Look: The "average" smartphone user is an unemployed bloke like me ^W^W^W^W^W^W businessman that need his phone (sorry, 'device' nowadays) for his work. Ask him about 'MeeGo' and, assuming you're from the Orient, will direct you to the toilet.
I've got an N8-00*, and until I read the article, didn't bloody know what OS it ran. Now I know it's Symbian^3. But still doesn't make me love it any less. Or more.
Does it do what it says on the tin? Yes? Does it work well? YES!
Well, I couldn't be fuc*ked if the thing's sky-blue pink**. Does the job.
*OK, on previous posts I've stated I've never seen the need for a phone to have 2 cameras, video, radio, MP3, WiFi, FM transmitter, output to HDTV, etc. but I've stopped thinking that way.
When I was a kid, a radio was a coil of wire on a bogroll, and a 1N94 (OA97??) germanium diode, coupled to crystal earphones. If you wanted your mates to hear the BBC World Service, or Radio Caroline, you'd drop the headphones into your mom's precious china bowl for amplification. Removing the petunias, natch. Later, our family wanted a phone. I think the standard model (bit like pink NHS spectacles) was called a "7-0-1", not to be confused with the eeepc.
And so onwards.
** Actually, I wanted an orange one, but the shop didn't stock them "No-one wants orange N8's Sir".
"Well, I fuc*king do, 'cos no Canute will nick the fuc*ker!!!!"
ANDROID IS NOT NUMBER ONE,
As for nokia adopting a new OS, how about it being meego? the fact it supports QT will mean that by the time the handsets get to market, they'll be plenty of support, we are already seeing QT apps appearing for symbian
http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2011/02/paging-stats-police-canalys-jumped-gun-rather-badly-android-is-not-yet-ahead-of-symbian-but-will-be-.html
The average man in the street doesn't care less about the OS.
All they care about is the user experience - ease of use, nice icons, etc.
Symbian is a custom designed OS. Absolutely fit for purpose software.
It's the UI which has let Nokia down every time.
I own a N8. Great hardware, shit UI. Skin it with SPB's UI and the phone is transformed.
If a 3rd party can integrate a fantastic UI, then why can't Nokia?
Nokia should be hiring creative software guys who can design "with bling" and fire the middle managers who stifle creativity.
I'm so tired of hearing how Android is taking over the world because it is "great" or something. Android is doing well for three reasons: 1-Apple redefined what a Smartphone is, (chocolate bar form factor, touch screen), 2-the existing "smartphones" (RIM, MS, Nokia) have not been able to migrate over there (MS maybe gets there with WP7), and 3-Apple has one phone model on one US carrier, so many people can't/won't get an iPhone.
Smartphones are the new "feature phone", as in, the new baseline for people. Everybody I know who is a non-techie got an Android phone *not* because they wanted an Android phone, but because their contract was up, they wanted something a little more flashy like all their iPhone friends, and the Android phone was the new free or seriously cheap phone they could get. Most of them don't know how to use any of the features, including the browser, (they didn't browse on their feature phone, so they aren't browsing on the new phone).
Many, in fact, thought they got an iPhone because it looked kind-a-like an iPhone.
This doesn't mean that Android is "bad" or anything. It just means you can't look at the number of installed Android phones, or the number of activations of Android phones, and draw *any* conclusion about Android as a platform. Nokia Symbian used to dominate (and still dominates in much of Europe), and that isn't really a platform. RIM still dominates in many businesses, but that doesn't make it a platform, either.
Android was dreamed up (as a startup) to replace Win Mobile, RIM, and (the older) Palm, and it has done quite well at that. Apps and heavy duty browsing are slap-dash add-ons for Google to respond to the iPhone, and even Google admits that they have a poor implementation for doing that.
Nokia would have to be "brain dead" to make Microsoft Mobile OS a strategic part of their overall Mobile plan. They would no worse off by sticking with Symbian until the MeeGo platform is completely in place and robust. At least there would not be an appearance on confusion and lowered quality by rejecting the Windows mobile disaster.
It is bad enough they hired an executive from Redmond, a place where there has been no innovation in the latest technologies - Mobile, Cloud Computing and Multi-Media.
W. Anderson
How many mobile chips on the market will actually feature hardware assisted virtualisation??
The ARM Cortex A15 will, but when will they start shipping? Not this year.
I wonder if the main ruse of virtualisation will be to make phones and tablets that are harder to jailbreak, and to make it easier to lock down DRM media, as with the PS3. Walling off DRM protected playback in a virtual machine looks like a plausible reason for using a hypervisor on a mobile device.
The device driver argument is probably a red herring. One of the biggest roadblocks to using hypervisors is that they still need device drivers written for them if they wish to truly abstract the hardware.
Seriously, once you have some sort of hardware platform, maybe emulated with a hypervisor. The idea is to do it like in the PC world, distributing the OS and the hardware independently. So you'll get an SD card for your OS, you stick it into your mobile and maybe even copy it to your internal flash for speed reasons. If you want another OS, you install another OS.
Once this happens, the mobile business will get out of it's 'home computer' era.
BTW, seriously if you ever consider WP7, just look at this list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP7#Features_removed_from_Windows_Mobile
It includes things like a file browser, or Bluetooth file transfer functionality. You cannot even use SD-cards or send USSD codes used by many operators.
Makes sense to me. After all, we've had quite a number of articles recently suggesting that Nokia couldn't find a viable product strategy at the moment, even if the CEO walked up to his desk to find a fat envelope on it labelled "viable product strategy" and containing a viable product strategy.
WP7 is a no-brain decision for Nokia and it sounds like they might have the requisite number of thinking organs to run with it.
Nokia should add an Android application compatibility layer MeeGo, it's entirely possible and just requires the Dalvik VM to be ported, and Android apps could also be provided via the Ovi Store. They could also add it to Symbian, or just keep it for MeeGo as the run-everything high-end smartphone solution.
The Android Apps would be second class citizens as far as Nokia are concerned, with the primary platform still being Qt but it would at least give Nokia the opportunity to dip it's toe into the Android eco-system without becoming just another Android ODM. And once Qt has established itself, the Android support can be deprecated in favour of 100% Qt.
Backing WP7 is a mistake, as WP7 has an even smaller eco-system than Nokia has already. Adding Android App support is a pragmatic solution that would not mean losing control of your own platform, or having the huge cost of supporting a third part OS which may cannibalise sales of your own platform OS(es).
"RIM is expected to adopt the Dalvik virtual machine, which is also used by Android, and this would allow the firm's QNX devices, such as PlayBook, to run apps written for the Google OS."
No, no it wouldn't. RIM may well go for Dalvik, and in many ways that would make sense, it's a much leaner VM than that bloaty POS that you get from Snoracle. But in doing so, it doesn't automatically mean it will run Android apps. In order to do that they would either have to incorporate the whole Android framework (which would need porting to QNX) or provide a suitable compatibility layer to map the thousands of Android APIs onto suitable APIs in whatever application framework they do put onto QNX. Neither of those is a trivial task, and neither of those has been implied by RIM, AFAIK.
Of course it will take more than porting just the VM, as all the classes will need to be ported too but that isn't impossible, and a relatively quick win compared with any other alternative.
Nokia could, for instance, port/implement the Dalvik Android UI classes using the Qt UI framework, and the majority of native Android apps would in most cases be none the wiser.
What RIM might do is anyone's guess.
What Nokia should do is paste the Android user interface on top of the Symbian kernel. That way you get a quality hard realtime kernel rather than Linux which is really not up to the job and I say that as a hard core Linux user of 18 years, with the popular Android user interface and hence access to the applications.
I reckon if Nokia did such a move it would not be long before most other vendors ditched the Linux kernel in favour of Symbian.
"What Nokia should do is paste the Android user interface on top of the Symbian kernel. That way you get a quality hard realtime kernel rather than Linux which is really not up to the job and I say that as a hard core Linux user of 18 years, with the popular Android user interface and hence access to the applications."
So you're saying that they should drop the Linux kernel, which seems to do the job for the Android vendors, and do the hard work porting a decent user interface to run on Symbian? Even with the Qt stuff to help out - and you'd need it, given the terrible reputation that Symbian development has - you'd be running flat out just to stay still.
"I reckon if Nokia did such a move it would not be long before most other vendors ditched the Linux kernel in favour of Symbian."
You reckon? Symbian's resource footprint may have mattered ten years ago, but most vendors would save themselves the bother and benefit from the convenience of developing atop Linux these days. Symbian's days are running short, and it's a lot more likely that Elop pulls the plug a bit harder on Symbian when he finally tells everyone what he thinks Nokia should be doing.
The Android UI is heavily tied to the Dalvik VM. That currently makes use of some features provided by Linux and other POSIX OS, but not by Symbian. No doubt the fine people at Symbian could bodge the support into Symbian if need be.
Relative to the Linux kernel, the Symbian kernel is a bloody nightmare to work with. Its build system is arcane and based on a mashing of various bodgy scripts etc including stuff which still keeps it wedded to Windows development. Been there got the scars to prove it!
Yes, its possible that Nokia could form some sort of merger with Microsoft, or for them to adopt the Jalvik VM.
But to take on WP7? Thats been far from a runaway success, its more like limping into action. Even with the "assistance" of being readily available in the states, WP7 hasn't even got close to the sales of S^3 devices.
WP7 and S^3 have been on the market for a similar length of time, and during that period Nokia have been regularly rolling out minor updates, something that Microsoft seem to be incapable of doing.
And correcting one item in the article. Android is only on top in the last quarters sales. That is not the same as being on top in absolute terms.
Its still got a massive way to go to beat Symbian for an installed user base.
HTML5 - overhyped. Even on Android, a lot of users are choosing native apps over mobile optimised sites. Developers hyping web-only solutions need to seriously ask why - most of the reasons benefit the developer (write-once) not the user.
(There are legit counter-arguments - a web version benefits the users of minority phones).
And I say that as someone developing a mobile web app . . . then getting questions from the non-tech management as to why it's noticeably slower / not as slick as the native apps they are comparing it too.
Basically - it may be the technology of the future, but it isn't the technology of now.
(And arguably, any phone that supports C++ and OpenGL is going to maintain a better games library than one insisting on developers using the web technology stack - it's about developer familiarity).
I'd also question whether different Android phone models are selling on differentiated user experience. I'm not convinced most customers think about it, or even know what they're getting. My guess is it's more traditional factors (how they feel about the brand, what the phone looks like, what features it has) - consumer awareness of Android isn't strong enough that the general public is distinguishing between different Android UI.
Lastly - I also don't think the public is making buying decisions based on the 'supports Flash' question. It's noticeable that since mobile Flash has finally shipped, a lot of people have become strangely muted - as they realise a lot of existing Flash is unusable / slow.
Android phones are becoming popular because (a) it's a decent system but (b) because it's increasingly what is on offer, when you make your choice between a Samsung, HTC, LG, etc.
Nokia are still the number one company - since Android share is split across many companies. We've had years of doom and gloom and FUD from the media, but Nokia remain number one.
And who cares about being number two platform share? Did anyone moan about Android only being number two? Does anyone moan that Iphone is number three or number four? No! For years when Symbian was number one, it was virtually ignored by the media. I've got to laugh that the minute Android is number one, in only one quarter, suddenly market share is important!
Claims that they should switch to another OS are ludicrous - they could, but there's also no need to. Should Apple Macs switch to using Windows, because Windows has much more market share than OS X? Indeed, should the Iphone switch to using Android or Symbian? Did anyone suggest Google should adopt Symbian, in all the years that Android had lower market share? I also wonder why people care - if you want an Android phone, why care what Nokia sells? I might as well demand that HTC release a version of the Desire that runs Symbian, which I would still rather have than Android (better battery life, decent offline mapping, better API).
Nokia may have lost market share, but their actual sales have exploded. Would you rather be 60% in a tiny market, or 30% in a massive market, with much greater share?
Nokia sell more phones a quarter, than Apple have ever sold - yet all we hear is Nokia either being ignored, or moaned about in the press, whilst Apple are hyped constantly.
I agree with Andus McCoatover's comment above - most people don't care about the OS. It's amusing to see a bunch of geeks arguing about Android vs Apple, when Nokia are still the number one phone company.
Ubuntu Is a Better Slide Rule: "Crap API" Eh? The main Symbian API is Qt/C++, which is one of the best APIs around. J2ME is there for their low end phones, and J2ME is the same thing you get for all phones in that price range. (And whilst Java might not be great, it has the advantage of being cross-platform across all phones. And Android uses Java anyway.)
"it would only be fair for Nokia to go belly-up; considering the fact that their only passion is a Passion For Money."
Yet people are also here saying Apple are better based on them making more money.
ThomH: I have no trouble doing basic things on my Nokia 5800, including the browser. Now, tell me how you do basic things like copy/paste or multitask on an Iphone?
bojennett: "Apple redefined what a Smartphone is, (chocolate bar form factor, touch screen),"
Both of these were around years before Apple. The definition of "smartphone" has never been well defined.
On an iPhone I copy and paste by (i) selecting the text; (ii) selecting 'copy' on the little sign board that pops up; (iii) putting the cursor somewhere else; and (iv) selecting 'paste'.
I multitask by (i) launching an application; (ii) going back to the home screen; (iii) launching another application.
For the record, I do pretty much identical things on my Nexus One. If you have no trouble doing basic things on a Nokia 5800 but can't figure those out, I guess you're used to looking for complexity that isn't there?
Let's just talk something sensible. Would you say China has the most powerful military because China has the most troops? I don't think any sensible people would agree with that.
Apple may not sell as many iCrap, but Apple makes the most cashes. And Apple absolutely dominate the market by its name. Talk to average public, ask them what mp3 player is, they tell you iPod; Ask them what is a "touchy phone", they tell iPhone; and an oversized touch screen flat thingy must be iPad. Even some one who knows the difference, the usual 3rd party crap and lack of update by the majority of Android handset, has done some considerable damage to Android brand name.
I'd love to recommend an Android phone to anyone I know, but the hard fact is there is hardly any good phone around. HTC Desire HD, Google Nexus One and Nexus S are the only three phones I can recommend. Nexus one - you cannot get one any more (not for general public). Nexus S - hard to get one, and without sd card, it is a big disadvantage. HTC - good phone, but update is questionable.
Nokia makes good hardware, but they fail at software. I still have my old N95 (love that phone), that hardware was top, but the software was crap. If Nokia wants some quick fix, that makes a little more money, costs less, and fix at least part of their bad reputation, which one is better? Android or WP7?
Android is cheap initially, but in the long run, Nokia needs to spend effort to support the users and provide update (unless Nokia does what everyone else does - give finger to its customers as usual). WP7 costs money, but MS takes care of the rest (and anything goes wrong, blame MS).
Myself, I will keep my Nexus One as long as possible, unless Google release another phone that gives a GOD DAMN Micro SD CARD SLOT.
'Do I go with Android and expose my Nokia handsets to the most popular, flexible and dynamic IOS on the planet or do I go with WP7, lock myself into a series of unbreakable legal agreements and ultimately end up with an established end user base of 1200 who endlessly waffle about on the forums how bad it is? Hmmmmm, what would the better choice be for the long term benefit of my company?'
Dropping Symbian for Android would allow Nokia to cut 60-75% of their current developers and get the company away from soup to nuts IOS development and into the core business of selling phones. Gee, what a thought! Streamlines the company, dramatically improves the bottom line and improves services to the end user.
Don't get me wrong, I like Symbian and have used it on several handsets through the years. However, I also liked LP albums and cassettes at one point; I have none today. Symbian had its shot. It lost. Time to move on Nokia.
>Dropping Symbian for Android would allow Nokia to cut 60-75% of their current developers and get the company away from soup to nuts IOS development and into the core business of selling phones. Gee, what a thought!
Yes, what a dumb thought. If Nokia drops Symbian for Android, you would have fewer choices in the market and consequently fewer differentiation between brands. The ones selling cheaper hardware wins (aka not Nokia).
On the other hand, if Nokia drops Symbian for MeeGo, you would get a better Linux platform (not the half-assed Linux/Java contraption they call Android) on more phones. There's a disadvantage using MeeGo on all Nokia phones: they would need more iron to run the OS, hence increasing the price and reducing their market. Not a good strategy in the current situation.
Keeping just Symbian and not going ahead with MeeGo without fixing the horrible (for touch phones) Symbian interface is a ridiculous idea. Symbian is like Windows Mobile 6 Smartphone Edition (the one for non-touchy phones): Symbian UI was/is great for non-touchscreen phones, but terrible on touchscreen phones, and WinMo was designed for touchscreened devices back in the ol' tymes, not for things without a point-and-click/touch device.
As it was already stated here by the sane commentards, the end-user doesn't care about the underlying OS, so Nokia can use both Symbian and MeeGo as the OS for their devices with Qt being the common API that can be relied upon. ("framework" for those who need their daily buzzword fix)
PS: Seeing a Nokia device running Windows Mobil-- I mean, Windows Phone 7 would make me laugh so hard at Nokia's management...
Its normal for large companies to offer incentives for other large companies to use their products. If Nokia's hurting due to competition then cash-rich Microsoft can buy their way to getting WP7 on Nokia by making them an offer they can't refuse. Its a win-win for both companies -- Microsoft gets some much needed traction for WP7 and Nokia gets a much needed software refresh.
The only element that's missing in this is the user -- the customer. This sort of deal is likely to include a serious marketing push -- advertisements, puff pieces in media relevant to the demographic, product placement, all the stuff designed to convince the user that this is a happening product. This will be successful, but whether it will be successful enough is problematic. WP7 is neither iPhone nor Android and, for better or worse, Microsoft these days spells 'incompatibility'. Its a third entry in a fast maturing marketplace, an entry that has no compelling reason to exist except for the brand name.
And now we're not allowing comments on Nokia stories at all. Tsk, Reg, tsk.
Ok, prediction time: MWC 2/11/2011 (four days from now). Nokia puts Windows 7 Enterprise on Intel Medfield PHONE and TABLET with a custom small-screen touch UI and tablet Kinect UI, abandons mobile operating systems altogether on high-end devices planned to ship by Christmas. Steve Ballmer declares victory over mobile to quizzical stares, stunned disbelief, and the rare snort.
I was a bit cynical about the talk of alternative OSes, but having managed to get Meego running on my N900 I'm shocked at how unready it is; don't hold your breath for any decent devices just yet. This is doubly astonishing because in my view Maemo 5 was just about consumer-ready, intuitive and clever; Maemo 6 would have been brilliant. Going back to square one like this looks to me like, not so much Nokia shooting themselves in the foot again, as blowing off both legs with a bazooka. So yes, I expect some alternative devices as an interim measure; I'd like that to be Android, but knowing Nokia, they'll probably go for WinMo7.
and have you seen this news yet???
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/08/elop_burning_platforms/
other sites seem to think it is nothing to do with hardware or software, but nokias' unwillingness to allow companies to disable major features, to get a revenue stream - so in the US AFAIK, they are 'freezing out' nokia...
dont believe me, look at the stories, and see what you think....
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