Google’s Android: Study report with other Mobile Operating

System
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Butchi Babu for introducing IT for
Managers to us and for giving us a chance to do this project.

We are grateful for his continuous support without which this project would not have been
completed.

I express my sincere gratitude to my parents, friends and all others who have directly or
indirectly inspired and helped me to complete my project with unremitting zeal and enthusiasm.
Open source
Open source is an approach to the design, development, and distribution of software,
offering practical accessibility to software’s source code. Some consider open source as one of
various possible design approaches, while others consider it a critical strategic element of their
operations. Before open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of
phrases to describe the concept; the term open source gained popularity with the rise of the Internet,
which provided access to diverse production models, communication paths, and interactive
communities.

The most well-known open source software is Linux, a UNIX operating system derivative
named after its creator, Linus Torvalds. The Linux Foundation, where Linus works, is more or less
"in charge of" the operating system kernel. (Of course under open source development philosophy,
anyone can take it and fork it into something else but Linus owns the name Linux.) The Linux
kernel is turned into a platform by adding a wide range of utility software, primarily developed
under the banner of the Gnu organization.

How Open Source Software Is Developed?

One or more developers--meaning people who have the skills to create software--get an idea
about creating software to solve a problem. The developers start writing code to create a solution.
This is frequently called "scratching an itch."The developers put this code where other developers
can find out about it, download it, and play with it.
 Usually the source code is published under one of several popular open source licenses that
ensure that the source code and any derivative works remain open source. Through an informal
process of sharing ideas, fiddling with each others' code, and trial and error, the software gets better
and better, sometimes changing direction to solve new problems as new people discover the
software.

At some point, the software gets finished or doesn't. It becomes popular, stays obscure, or
fades away. Programs like Linux and Apache have had thousands of contributors. Other projects
have been created by one or two people. As time goes on, developers come and go, and projects
become active or dormant.

Mobile operating system:

A Mobile operating system, also known as a Mobile OS, a Mobile platform, or a handheld
operating system, is the operating system that controls a mobile device—similar in principle to an
operating system such as Linux or Windows that controls a desktop computer. However, they are
currently somewhat simpler, and deal more with the wireless versions of broadband and local
connectivity, mobile multimedia formats, and different input methods.

Types of Mobile Operating System:

1) Symbian OS
Symbian is an operating system (OS) designed for mobile devices and Smartphone’s, with
associated libraries, user interface, frameworks and reference
implementations of common tools, developed by Symbian Ltd. It was a
descendant of Psion's EPOC and runs exclusively on ARM processors,
although an unreleased x86 port existed.

Symbian OS was created with three systems design principles in mind:

 The integrity and security of user data is paramount,

 User time must not be wasted, and
 All resources are scarce.
 2) Java Platform, Micro Edition
Java Platform, Micro Edition, or Java ME, is a Java platform designed for mobile devices
and embedded systems. Target devices range from industrial controls to mobile phones
and set-top boxes. Java ME technology was originally created in order to deal with the
constraints associated with building applications for small devices. For this purpose Sun
defined the basics for Java ME technology to fit such a limited environment and make it
possible to create Java applications running on small devices with limited memory,
display and power capacity.

Java ME platform is a collection of technologies and specifications that can be combined to

construct a complete Java runtime environment specifically to fit the requirements of a particular
device or market. This offers a flexibility and co-existence for all the players in the eco-system to
seamlessly cooperate to offer the most appealing experience for the end-user.

The Java ME technology is based on three elements;

 A configuration provides the most basic set of libraries and virtual machine capabilities for a
broad range of devices,
 A profile is a set of APIs that support a narrower range of devices, and
 An optional package is a set of technology-specific APIs.

Over time the Java ME platform has been divided into two base configurations, one to fit small
mobile devices and one to be targeted towards more capable mobile devices like smart-phones and
set top boxes.

3) RIM-BlackBerry

RIM provides a proprietary multi-tasking operating system (OS) for the BlackBerry, which
makes heavy use of the device's specialized input devices, particularly the
scroll wheel (1999–2006) or more recently the trackball (September 12 2006–
present) and track pad (September 2009-present). The OS provides support
for Java MIDP 1.0 and WAP 1.2. Previous versions allowed wireless synchronization with
Microsoft Exchange Server's e-mail and calendar, as well as with Lotus Domino's e-mail. The
current OS 4 provides a subset of MIDP 2.0, and allows complete wireless activation and
synchronization with Exchange's e-mail, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, and adds support for
Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes.

Third-party developers can write software using these APIs, proprietary BlackBerry APIs as
well, but any application that makes use of certain restricted functionality must be digitally signed
so that it can be associated to a developer account at RIM. This signing procedure guarantees the
authorship of an application, but does not guarantee the quality or security of the code.

4) Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a compact operating system developed by Microsoft, and designed for
use in smart phones and mobile devices. It is based on Windows CE, and
features a suite of basic applications developed using the Microsoft Windows
API. It is designed to be somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows,
feature-wise and aesthetically. Additionally, third-party software development
is available for Windows Mobile, and software can be purchased via the
Windows Marketplace for Mobile.

The Windows Mobile OS and applications are "embedded" programs, which means that
Microsoft licenses them to the companies that manufacture the handhelds (known as "original
equipment manufacturers" or "OEMs"), and they build them into the devices that they manufacture.
With the exception of system-wide upgrades offered by some OEMs, the Windows Mobile software
cannot be deleted or reinstalled by the handheld user.

5) iPhone OS
The iPhone OS, known as OS X iPhone in its early history, is the operating system developed
by Apple Inc. for the iPhone and iPod touch. Like Mac OS X, from which
it was derived, it uses the Darwin foundation. iPhone OS has four
abstraction layers: the Core OS layer, the Core Services layer, the Media
layer, and the Cocoa Touch layer. The operating system takes less than 240 Megabytes of the
device's total memory storage.

iPhone OS' user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch
gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. The response to user
input is supposed to be immediate to provide a fluid interface. Interaction with the OS includes
gestures such as swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching. Additionally, using internal
accelerometers, holding the device sideways (so that the screen is in landscape orientation) alters the
screen orientation in some applications.

6) Android
Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel. It was initially developed
by Android Inc., a firm later purchased by Google, and lately by the
Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed code
in the Java language, controlling the device via Google-developed
Java libraries.

 Software development kit

The Android SDK includes a comprehensive set of development tools. These include a
debugger, libraries, a handset emulator, documentation, sample code, and tutorials. Currently
supported development platforms include x86-architecture computers running Linux (any modern
desktop Linux distribution), Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later, Windows XP or Vista.

Requirements also include Java Development Kit, Apache Ant, and Python 2.2 or later. The
officially supported integrated development environment (IDE) is Eclipse (3.2 or later) using the
Android Development Tools (ADT) Plug in, though developers may use any text editor to edit Java
and XML files then use command line tools to create, build and debug Android applications.

 Features

 Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components

 Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
 Integrated browser based on the open source Web Kit engine
 Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the
OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
 SQLite for structured data storage
 Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3,
AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
 GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
 Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
 Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)

 Architecture
 ANDROID ARCHITECTURE

 Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like
operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software.

Market Description:
Operating systems that can be found on smart phones include Symbian OS, iPhone OS,
RIM's BlackBerry, Windows Mobile (marketed as Windows phone), Linux, Palm WebOS and
Android. Android and WebOS are in turn built on top of Linux, and the iPhone OS is derived from
the BSD and NeXTSTEP operating systems, which all are related to Unix.

The most common operating systems (OS) used in Smartphone’s by Q2 2009 sales are:

Symbian OS from Symbian Ltd. (50.3% Market Share Sales Q2 2009)

Symbian has the largest share in most markets worldwide, but lags behind other companies
in the relatively small but highly visible North American market. This matches the success of its
largest shareholder and customer, Nokia, in all markets except Japan. It is used by many major
handset manufacturers, including BenQ, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. Various
implementations of user interfaces on top of Symbian are incompatible, which along with the
requirement that applications running on mobile phones be signed is hindering the potential for a
truly widely accepted mobile application platform.

RIM BlackBerry operating system (20.9% Market Share Sales Q4 2009)

This OS is focused on easy operation and was originally designed for business. Recently it
has seen a surge in third-party applications and has been improved to offer full multimedia support.

iPhone OS from Apple Inc. (13.7% Market Share Sales Q2 2009)

The iPhone uses an operating system called iPhone OS, which is derived from Mac OS X.
Third party applications were not officially supported until the release of iPhone OS 2.0 on July
11th 2008. Before this, "jail breaking" allowed third party applications to be installed, and this
method is still available.

Windows Mobile from Microsoft (9% Market Share Sales Q2 2009)

The Windows CE operating system and Windows Mobile middleware are widely spread in
Asia. The two improved variants of this operating system, Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for
touch screen devices) and Windows Mobile 6 Standard, were unveiled in February 2007. Windows
Mobile benefits from the low barrier to entry for third-party developers to write new applications for
the platform. It has been criticized for having a user interface which is not optimized for touch input
by fingers; instead, it is more usable with a stylus. However, unlike iPhone OS, it does support both
touch screen and physical keyboard configurations.

Android from Google Inc. (2.8% Market Share Sales Q2 2009)

Android was developed by Google Inc. Android is an Open Source, Linux-derived platform
backed by Google, along with major hardware and software developers (such as Intel, HTC, ARM,
and eBay, to name a few), that form the Open Handset Alliance. This OS, though very new, already
has a cult following among programmers eager to develop apps for its flexible, Open Source, back
end. Android promises to give developers access to every aspect of the phone's operation. This
lends many to foresee the promise of further growth for the Android platform.
Comparison of Different Mobile OS with Android:

1) Android Vs IPhone

Apple's iPhone OS and Google's Android OS have a great deal in common; both are Linux-
based operating systems for smart phones that have been put together by companies best known for
their accomplishments in the PC space. But there are some dramatic differences that make these
mobile platforms almost as different as they can be.

The iPhone's operating system is completely closed. It is being developed by Apple and for
Apple. The only smart phones that will ever run it are made by this one company. Android, on the
other hand, is open. It is developed primarily by Google, but with the help of a collection of
companies. Many of the members of this group, the Open Handset Alliance, will release smart
phones based on Android, including HTC, Samsung, and Motorola.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems, and the competition between the
two is going to shape the smart phone market for years to come.

IPhone: Closed System

Before Apple came along, the poster child for closed operating systems was BlackBerry.
RIM has built a very, very successful company by developing a proprietary operating system to run
only on its smart phones, and Apple is following in its footsteps.
 The biggest advantage of this is it lets the developers target the OS for a specific group of
devices. Apple's engineers know exactly what the hardware running their OS is going to be, and can
tweak the OS to make it run as efficiently on that hardware as possible.

In addition, because there's just one company making Blackberries, iPhones, etc. these
operating systems and associated software are targeted to fulfil that company's goals for their
products. The developers don't have to try to meet the disparate needs of a variety of companies.

The disadvantage of a completely closed platform is that limited input can lead to limited
devices. For example, Apple prefers built-in memory to memory card slots. If you want a
Smartphone with a memory card slot, an iPhone isn't an option for you.

Android: Open System

Google and its partners are creating a completely open operating system. It will even be open
source, so anyone who would like to can take a look at the source code.

The real strength of this system is it allows a huge amount of people and companies to
collaborate on this OS. Any company who wants to make a Smartphone based on Android can do so
without paying a licensing fee, and can modify the software in any way to make it suit its specific
needs.

The drawback of this arrangement is it can waste huge amounts of time. The OHA members
are either going to have to spend a great deal of time hammering out their differences to make an
OS that meets all their needs, or each one is going to have to spend time and resources modifying
the generic version to suit themselves.

Even in the best circumstances, the default version of this operating system is going to have
to be fairly generic, as it will have been developed by companies who plan to use it on a wide range
of Smartphone, with different screen sizes, input methods, processors, RAM, etc. There's the danger
that by trying to be everything to everyone, Android won't be very good at anything.

Of course, companies will be able to modify the generic version to suit their specific needs,
but if they have to spend months tinkering with Android, there's not much time savings over starting
from scratch. And if all the versions of Android are very different from each other, the OHA loses
much of the advantages of it being a cohesive platform.

2) Android vs. Windows Mobile

Android is at least a million times faster (exaggeration) than Windows Mobile.  I even had
hacked my Windows Mobile phone to be FASTER and it was STILL really slow.  Not to mention
the screen was horrible compared to the G1’s.  Windows Mobile can’t support capacitive touch
screens, whereas Android can.  This, right off the bat, makes Android a lot more kick-ass.

Capacitive Touch screens = only respond to human touch.  Meaning if you try to touch it
with a glove, it wouldn’t work.

Resistive Touch screens = work if you touch them with anything.  They just sense pressure
on the screen, so you could set it off with a door handle.

The G1, in many ways, is better than the iPhone.  I’ll only get into the one topic for now
which is "how do you use the iPhone with gloves on?"  You can’t.  Same question for Android?
You use a TRACKBALL.  That’s thinking outside the box.  I’ll get into that some other time.

ANDROID:

PROS:

Fast, sleek, sexy, refined, MARKETPLACE FOR ALL APPS, capacitive touch screens, open
source, can use in winter, better onscreen keyboard, made by Google.

CONS:
Only one phone (for now…this will change in a matter of months), less software currently
available, can’t record video (will be able to as of update coming in a matter of days).

WINDOWS MOBILE:

PROS:

Lots of software available, on a lot of phones, extremely customizable.

CONS:

Buggy, slow, ugly, only resistive touch screens, no marketplace (yet).

  In Windows Mobile, you have to go on your computer and search websites for .cab files. 
You then have to find one, somehow get it onto your phone, and then install it onto your phone.  In
order to update that application, you have to repeat the entire process.

In Android, you merely click on the Marketplace app, browse / search to find the app you
want, and click Install.  It then downloads the file onto the device for you and installs it.  It’s even
simpler than I made it sound.  In order to update any application, you merely have to wait until it
tells you that there is an available update for a certain application.  Then you just click "update" and
it does the rest. 

3) Android Vs. Symbian

In the battle of the open-source mobile platforms, developers have at least two choices:
Google Android, which is open source but (relatively) closed development, or Symbian, which is
open source...once it gets around to releasing the full source code.Gartner expects Android to
become the second-most popular mobile platform within the next few years as it continues to gobble
up Symbian's declining market share.
 Symbian has been dismissive of Google Android, as well as smaller upstarts like the LiMo
Foundation, arguing that the latter is overly focused on middleware for wireless operators and the
former is fake open source with more hype than substance. All of which might be true, but the
reality is that it seems to be working for Android. Google has been signing new handset
manufacturers at a frenetic pace, while Symbian has been holding steady with Nokia...and that's
about it.

Despite Symbian announcing new handsets, Google is actually shipping Android. There's a
big difference between marketing and reality. Google Android offers the latter. For all the buzz that
Android gets from developers, its success owes more to handset manufacturers than to open-source
developers. Handset manufacturers and wireless carriers are hungry for alternatives to surging
Apple and declining Microsoft. And while others may not be seeing source code in copious
amounts, handset manufacturers are apparently getting their fill.

More than this, though, Google gives them a safe, consumer-friendly brand. Symbian does
not. This is the reason Google Android is winning. It's not about developers--at least, not yet.
Neither Symbian nor Android really offers developers open communities and open code. No, the
difference today is brand. Google has it. Symbian does not, and that's despite decade-long
dominance of the mobile market.

Symbian still has a ways to go. It has a weak user interface (UI) that is supposed to get better,
but that describes much that is wrong with Symbian today. Everything (source code, revamped UI,
and resumption of market dominance) is always spoken of in the future tense.

4) Android Vs. RIM

1. Android Market
 Applications can literally transform the enterprise. A variety of apps designed specifically for
business users could lead to a serious improvement for Android in the corporate world. Granted,
RIM has an app store as well, but so far, Android has more than twice as many apps that are, at least
right now, far more appealing.

2. Android is open source

RIM is the only company that controls the BlackBerry, which means only its decision
makers, decide what companies will get. Android allows any vendor to create its own Android
experience.

3. Remember Chrome OS

Android would seem like a natural mobile partner for Chrome OS. Imagine doing work using
Chrome OS, transferring it to Android and going about the day. That should appeal to several
companies.

4. Google Docs

Google Docs is an extremely important component of Google's strategy for Android. The
company is trying to push it on customers in a new advertising campaign, highlighting the fact that,
for many companies, Google Docs might just be enough. Microsoft Office is a powerful program,
but as Google Docs continues to be improved and Google pushes for better integration with
Android, it could be the company's Trojan horse for entrance into the enterprise.
 6. RIM's advantages aren't unique

One of the biggest problems facing the BlackBerry today is that its advantages don't
differentiate RIM's products. Sure, Blackberry’s are currently the best when it comes to push e-mail,
and BlackBerry Enterprise Server is fantastic. But it's not beyond the realm of possibility to see
Android-based devices featuring the same technology. If RIM can do it, why can't Google?

7. Android looks to the future

Say what you will about the iPhone, but it has appealed to enterprise customers. It looks like
the next generation. And it appeals to what people want—a touch-screen with engaging features.
Android-based devices have followed Apple down that path. They look like they're the future. They
appeal to users. That could be important in the future.

8. Its Google

Google is, well, Google. It has billions of dollars of cash on hand. It has set its sights on the
enterprise. It has online tools that can be easily integrated into its mobile platform. Simply put, it
has the money and the vision it needs to revolutionize the space. I wouldn't count it out. And neither
should RIM.

Suggestions for Google Android Improvement

1. Video Support Needs To Be Added:

I was surprised to find out that the G1 and for that matter Google Android only supports
video playback for YouTube videos. Google's idea here is that third party developers can create a
video player option and then add it to the Google Marketplace. If anything I would suggest Google
at least release a "beta" player with video recording support and allow programs to build upon the
open source of the code, this could be a great way to develop a standardized backbone in which
programmers can build upon each other’s successes to build the ultimate mobile video player.

2. Desktop Sync?

As of right now there is no desktop sync option. This alone creates some big issues with the
Google Android System. Windows Mobile, Symbian, even Blackberry devices off syncing options
that allow users to more easily create a seamless connection between their devices and their desktop
operating systems. Google is again leaving this option up to third party developers.

3. Increased Hardware Abilities

Where is multi-touch? Don't get me wrong the display is great at 3.2 inches on the HTC G1,
but in order to compete and offer true easy navigation users need multi-touch capabilities. The
device is also missing a dedicated headphone jack, and the RAM and ROM is not top notch
considering other devices on the market such as the recently announced HTC Touch HD among
others. The screen on the device could also use a virtual keyboard, as of right now you have to enter
all of your text via the keyboard, which is great when your typing a lot, but all that opening and
closing on your keyboard can get annoying and overtime wear down the unit.

4. 3G Needs More Abilities

I heard that users can only download tracks over their WiFi connections. 3G is being so
highly promoted these days I think Google needs to step up and work on a way to allow for 3G
downloads, especially considering iPhones 3G abilities and Symbian V9.5 around the horizon
which will offer some of the best data connection abilities on the market if everything works as
they've recently advertised.

Restrictions and issues

 Android uses Linux as its kernel, but according to Google, it is not a conventional Linux
distribution. It does not have a native X Window System, nor does it support the full set of
standard GNU libraries like its system libraries (GNU C Library). This specific modification
makes it difficult to reuse existing Linux applications or libraries on Android.
 Android does not use established Java standards, i.e. Java SE and ME. This prevents
compatibility among Java applications written for those platforms and those for the Android
platform. Android only reuses the Java language syntax, but does not provide the full-class
libraries and APIs bundled with Java SE or ME.
 Because of potential security issues, Android does not officially allow apps to be installed on,
nor run from, an SD card. Current Android products such as the HTC Dream and Magic have
 limited onboard memory and many users feel restricted by this lack of functionality. Several
unsupported modifications exist, however, to give the user this capability.
 Android is criticized for its limited multitasking abilities and the lack of a significant driver
base. For these reasons ARM Holdings and Real Networks have expressed doubt that it will
gain a major market share as a net book OS.
 Developers report that it's difficult to maintain applications working on different versions of
Android, because of various compatibility issues between versions 1.5 and 1.6.

Conclusion:
I expect Android to have a much higher and faster growth rate than other OS. Now, I can
understand this if Android was the pre-eminent OS and everyone wanted it. Android’s market share
stood at a paltry 1.6 per cent during Q1 2009, but will grow to 14.5 per cent by the time Q4 2012
rolls around. As a result, Android will move from its current position as the sixth most popular
operating system for smart phones to become the second most popular mobile operating system.

“Android rises to number two simply because, unlike Apple, they license their OS to multiple
OEMs,” Dulaney said. “They have the number 2 OEM, Samsung, and strong players like LG,
Motorola, HTC and now Dell. There are others in the works.”

By comparing with the other operating system, android needs some development in their side
so that they can have a huge success in the mobile sector. Already it created a big mass in the open
source developer’s world so it will find a big market share in the upcoming years.