Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Sat 2nd Apr 2005 20:44 UTC
The future is mobile. That much we know for sure. But it seems that the operating system world in this market is being rapidly taken over by --again-- Microsoft. The new smart phones are are using WinCE, Symbian or Palm. Linux has barely 1% of this new, smartphone market.
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As someone pointed out, you cannot build a cellphone-so you take whatever is on it. The success of Linux on servers and now desktops has succeeded in spite of the corporate behwemoths telling us "IBM recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional." etc.
Why? Because we can. On a cellphone, which has formerly been a single use device, we are pretty much locked out. We don't expect much from a cell phone other than speaking, so it's not important that it's not running an embedded Linux.
As for handheld multi-use devices, there are some excellent Linux projects, for those who are interested. Those involved with Linux projects have not targeted hand helds, perhaps, but that's their business, we still have plenty of choice.
http://www.handhelds.org/minihowto/
I do not think it is the job of Linux professionals to target hand helds, or target anything for that matter. The projects grow as interested programmers start pet projects. The attack at all costs mode- that sort of mentality is for Microsoft.
I am sure that going forward, Linux will be as big in the hand held as it is elswhere. It's a natural evolution, not a scheming strategy. All improvements in Linux generally will trickle down to handhelds, so in reality, the Linux handheld concept is not really behind at all...it's as current at 2.6.11 and going forward!