Mobile operating systems - is history repeating itself?

The article does not say Android = Windows, it equates the dominant position Android might enjoy on mobile to the position Microsoft has on the PC

but if everyone adopted Android it would create a similar situation to everyone using Microsoft's products on the desktop PC.
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n00berizer said:
Saying Android is like Windows is just plain silly!
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He means it's the same, because anyone can write apps for it.

And if everyone DOES start writing apps for it, it will become like Windows where you will be forced to use Android, because all your apps that you use are on it. It's the exact same issue as with Windows on the desktop at the moment. Why move to another OS when it won't run your games?

Understand?
 
EtienneK said:
He means it's the same, because anyone can write apps for it.

And if everyone DOES start writing apps for it, it will become like Windows where you will be forced to use Android, because all your apps that you use are on it. It's the exact same issue as with Windows on the desktop at the moment. Why move to another OS when it won't run your games?

Understand?
Click to expand...

+1
 
Apple are clearly in a stronger position than they were in the 80's when they started waning. Steve Jobs has learned from his mistake.

Clearly Android will (or already has) overtake iOS in marketshare, but they're not going to dominate like Windows did in the PC arena. Apple will be a solid second.
 
As long as there is an OS that caters for the tinkerer, and an OS that caters for the managed interface crowd things will be okay in mobile OS land.
 
Cloud said:
As long as there is an OS that caters for the tinkerer, and an OS that caters for the managed interface crowd things will be okay in mobile OS land.
Click to expand...

So how will it end? Like the pc market share?

Tinkerer OS = #2 position?

Managed Interface = #1 position?

It's not currently like that. Symbian, though waning, is very tinker-friendly (perhaps not the most, but for sure not as constipated as Apple's or BB's breed).

I am referring here to the mod-ability of the system (due to the openess of the OS and the underlying hardware) and not the availbility of apps (free or otherwise)
 
Cube said:
So how will it end? Like the pc market share?

Tinkerer OS = #2 position?

Managed Interface = #1 position?

It's not currently like that. Symbian, though waning, is very tinker-friendly (perhaps not the most, but for sure not as constipated as Apple's or BB's breed).

I am referring here to the mod-ability of the system (due to the openess of the OS and the underlying hardware) and not the availbility of apps (free or otherwise)
Click to expand...

You got it the wrong way around

- Tinkerer (Android) will become the most widely used thanks to it running on more than one hardware platform.
- Managed (iOS) only runs on the iPhone / iPad systems, which will limit its numbers.

So speaking in pure numbers, Android will be more widespread (imho). Which is better is open to debate, but I believe they cater for different crowds.
 
One difference is that there is a "new" world of open source this time around. OK - it's not entirely new as it's technically been around since the 50's, but this time round the Internet has enabled geographically dispersed developers to work together. Android is open source and this may have a big impact on other "Android like" OS's. The Linux/Google kernel may become a standard upon which others are based which could allow for multiple different OS's to work together fairly seamlessly. This way, there is no single absolute monopoly.

It must also be added that the iPhone OS, Darwin is also open source as well, however the license prohibits use on non-Apple hardware as well as certain parts of iOS being closed source.

This battle is repeating itself, but the outcomes are going to be very different!
 
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