Google Android trashing Linux’s good name?
Google is one of the most ubiquitous brands alive today and typically partner organizations benefit from that star power. But Linux-based Google Android may be broadcasting the wrong message.
In 2005, “Google acquired Android Inc., a small startup company based in Palo Alto, CA . . . At the time, little was known about the functions of Android Inc. other than they made software for mobile phones. This began rumors that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market, although it was unclear at the time what function they might perform in that market,” according to Wikipedia.
The Android team continued on at Google, developing the Linux-based mobile operating system.
Fast forward three years to 2008 and Google has just released an early development kit for Android. But, the kit does not include any source code, and that has developers frustrated, according to MercuryNews (registration required).
It has companies interested in Android wondering, what has Google been doing for the last three years? “For the first time, developers are griping about Google the way they used to complain about Bill Gates & Co. The search giant’s phone software is buggy, they say, and lacks key features.”
And, because Android is Linux-based, the penguin will be receiving lots of peripheral attention. If Android succeeds, consumer confidence in Linux will improve as callers begin to use it on a daily basis. If Android fails, Linux may receive negative attention and lose the support of the consumer masses.
Either way, the pressure is on for Google Android to deliver quickly because “Microsoft, which has been shipping its Windows Mobile operating system for five years, said programmers have created more than 18,000 applications to run on Windows Mobile devices – everything from astrology charts to business expense management tools.”
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January 22nd, 2008
As they say, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Anyway, it’s not as if Linux hasn’t been successfully used as the basis for several mobile platforms already. I don’t think a poor product here will tend to sully the name of Linux on mobile devices, though it will probably go towards sullying the name of Google on mobile devices.
January 23rd, 2008
I suspect that the phones will be heavily Google branded and that consumer advertising won’t mention Linux at all. Sure, the information will be out there, but a vast majority of the users will buy it because you can install software on it, it has solid web browsing, and the Google name.
This is sorta like saying “Are Linksys WRT-54Gs ruining Linux’s reputation?” Sure, they run Linux, but it doesn’t matter because most people don’t care that they run Linux.
Another question is: “Will Google Android ruin Google’s reputation with developers?” So far the answer to this I believe is yes for the reasons you outlined, but they still have plenty of time to recover.
January 23rd, 2008
That’s a great distinction Erek, thanks for pointing it out.
February 20th, 2008
Linux is great, All Sony’s of PlayStation have Linux support. I know that Google would destroy all Windows Mobile support since Microsoft OS sucks just like Windows.