Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Servers

    Linux in Hand

    Written by

    Jason Brooks
    Published February 16, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Its been about eight years since Palm Computing launched its first Pilots and brought handheld computing into the mainstream, yet many companies are still asking themselves how mobile devices fit into their computing plans.

      With the amount of power thats available, youd think handhelds would be firmly enmeshed in more enterprises. Todays handheld computers are capable of a lot more than theyre doing—Dells $300 Axim X3 sports a 400MHz processor, 64MB of RAM and built-in Wi-Fi. However, while we now have a crop of mobile devices powered like general-purpose computers, these devices are often stuck serving as single-purpose appliances.

      I place much of the blame for the underutilization of these devices on a rats nest of disparate, device-specific operating system platforms and application development frameworks. Microsoft, PalmSource and Symbian each offers multiple versions of competing platforms, and each is tied tightly to the hardware on which it ships.

      Although useful handheld applications certainly exist, theres a general stagnation in development. Its striking, for instance, how little Microsoft has improved its Pocket Office applications over the years and how often device users, regardless of their chosen platform, must purchase an entirely new device to pick up some new bit of software functionality.

      It may seem counterintuitive to suggest that the best way to get mobile application development on a smoother track is to add another platform into the mix, but the emergence of Linux as a mobile platform could help.

      Unlike the mobile platforms from Microsoft, PalmSource and Symbian, handheld and embedded Linux kernel development is closely tied to desktop and server systems as well. Due in part to the continuity among handheld, desktop and server flavors of Linux and to the kudzulike nature of open-source software, there is a wide range of applications for Linux on mobile devices, many of which began life as applications for full-size systems.

      The Linux development community is large and active, and software projects that enable enthusiasts to turn almost any handheld device into a functional Linux system have been maturing nicely over the last few years.

      Motorola and Samsung ship Linux-based smart phones in Asia, and Sharp has been selling full-featured, Linux-based handheld computers under the Zaurus mark for a couple of years now, so its not as though Linux is totally new to mobile devices. Still, persuading handheld computer makers to shift to a new platform can be a hard sell—handheld Linux will have to prove itself before enjoying a broader OEM embrace.

      In what could prove a successful end run around direct OEM support, desktop Linux distributor Lycoris has announced plans to begin selling a Linux distribution for handheld devices such as Sharps Zaurus and Compaqs iPaq next quarter.

      The distribution, which Lycoris is calling Desktop/LX Pocket PC Edition, will run a version of the 2.4 Linux kernel and a standard suite of PDA applications. The products GUI will hail from Trolltechs Qtopia, the embedded version of the Qt application framework on which the popular K Desktop Environment is built.

      It remains to be seen how well Lycoris will manage the installation process, in which the platform that shipped on a devices flash ROM is blown away and replaced by the new operating system. The process can be rather tricky and presents a risk of rendering a device unusable. As with earlier, preproductized incarnations of Linux on the desktop and server, installation of handheld Linux has been one of the biggest barriers to mainstream adoption.

      En route to Linuxs current position of strength in the server world and its strengthening presence as a desktop operating system, distributions of the Linux operating system began as projects and branched into products. The same process is now happening with handheld Linux. The project-to-product model has been working with server and desktop systems because it provides users and companies with more choice and more vigorous competition, and it might be just the trick for helping us all get more out of our mobile devices.

      Senior Analyst Jason Brooks can be reached at [email protected].

      Jason Brooks
      Jason Brooks
      As Editor in Chief of eWEEK Labs, Jason Brooks manages the Labs team and is responsible for eWEEK's print edition. Brooks joined eWEEK in 1999, and has covered wireless networking, office productivity suites, mobile devices, Windows, virtualization, and desktops and notebooks. Jason's coverage is currently focused on Linux and Unix operating systems, open-source software and licensing, cloud computing and Software as a Service.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.