So, what's the big deal about Android here? The app sounds cool, but as far as I'm concerned, couldn't something like that run on pretty much any mobile OS?
Android is an OS, an open, Linux based OS. As opposed to the current batch of "phone" and "pda" applications, you should be able to run an application built for Android on any device running Android. Android is a bid to open and standardize the mobile OS instead of having MS's proprietary, Verizon's proprietary, Symbian proprietary, etc. If someone writes an Android application on their Sprint device, you should be able to install it on your T-Mobile device. Currently, there are VERY few things that you can do that with. Most applications have to be written and compiled for specific platforms. There's no consistency.
Seems like Android will be a developer's API that gives developers access to features of the phone. In other words, if you want to write an app that uses location-awareness, you'll be able to. If you want to write an app that prevents you from drunk-dialing your ex at 2am, you'll be able to. Most other phones compartmentalize what you can do assuming that giving you that level of access would mean problems and lost revenue, whereas Android seems to be saying "this is going to happen eventually ... why don't we lead the way?". That's my take on it anyway. It'll be interesting once the API is released.
You know, you are basically describing windows mobile - completely open, with an open and consistent API amongst devices from various OEM's. Thats why Android is a competitor to WM - it aims to do the same thing, but for free.
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So, what's the big deal about Android here? The app sounds cool, but as far as I'm concerned, couldn't something like that run on pretty much any mobile OS?
Android is an OS, an open, Linux based OS. As opposed to the current batch of "phone" and "pda" applications, you should be able to run an application built for Android on any device running Android. Android is a bid to open and standardize the mobile OS instead of having MS's proprietary, Verizon's proprietary, Symbian proprietary, etc. If someone writes an Android application on their Sprint device, you should be able to install it on your T-Mobile device. Currently, there are VERY few things that you can do that with. Most applications have to be written and compiled for specific platforms. There's no consistency.
Seems like Android will be a developer's API that gives developers access to features of the phone. In other words, if you want to write an app that uses location-awareness, you'll be able to. If you want to write an app that prevents you from drunk-dialing your ex at 2am, you'll be able to. Most other phones compartmentalize what you can do assuming that giving you that level of access would mean problems and lost revenue, whereas Android seems to be saying "this is going to happen eventually ... why don't we lead the way?". That's my take on it anyway. It'll be interesting once the API is released.
You know, you are basically describing windows mobile - completely open, with an open and consistent API amongst devices from various OEM's. Thats why Android is a competitor to WM - it aims to do the same thing, but for free.
@Dave:
That's has got to be the best idea for a phone app I've ever heard of. I bet Android would let you do it.
Did you just explain the Linux/Windows relationship as a whole?
You mean as open as Microsoft wants it to be at the moment. History shows how that turns out.
Android is a consortium of software AND hardware companies. Microsoft is a single entity. I wonder which will be more open?