At OSNews, we’ve talked about the possibility of Google’s Android operating system moving to netbooks quite a few times already. It seems to make sense; it’s designed for small displays, is probably light on resources, it’s Free and open, and has the backing of a heavyweight company. Lately, the first actual signs of Android moving to netbooks have appeared.
For instance, T-Mobile has confirmed that it is working on a flurry of Android-based devices, among which is a small tablet computer with a 7″ touch screen display. T-Mobile already has a lot of experience with Android thanks to its G1 phone, of course. However, T-Mobile is not the only one considering devices based on Android.
Asus, the company that more or less ignited the whole netbook crazy all by itself with its EeePC line of computers, has also stated it is investigating offering Android on its devices. A netbook running Google’s Linux-based operating system may arrive as early as before the end of this year, but only if Asus actually decide to commercialise the effort; it’s still in development at this point. HP is apparently also considering Android for its netbooks.
These are some cllear signs that OEMs are indeed interested in the idea of Android on netbooks, but so far, it all seems to be in an exploratory state. Let’s hope there will be some more clarity soon.
Android is disappointing and limiting enough on a phone (I’ve had one for six months).
Unless Google makes it a true Open environment, then it would be a pity so see a NetBook burdened with it.
Linux is the real option. (Android != Linux)
Anything has got to be better than the God awful “Linpus Linux” that came on my wife’s Aspire ONE!
Android runs on Linux smart guy.
Unless Google makes it a true Open environment
It its open source Apache License I think, what else do you want?
If what you want is Google bending to “The community”, forget it, It wont happen.
Edited 2009-04-07 23:50 UTC
The source may be totally free, but the devices are free only partially.
Only apps written in Java using Android API are allowed, which makes porting applications and libraries from other Linux platforms almost impossible. And network operators can impose limits on the applications’ functionality (such as T-Mobile prohibiting thethering apps).
I do like Android, and firmly believe it will be the #1 or #2 smartphone OS really soon, but I also think that Symbian S60 is today the most open. C/C++ apps? Check. Python? Check. Java, Javascript, AJAX? Check. And soon there will be Qt, which will bring in tons of free apps from Linux.
Mono runs on Android also, if Mono was able to be ported is more likely that others will.
It’s not even normal Java. So it doesn’t run existing Java apps either. Not that I would want to I think.
This Android on Netbook thing is disturbing me. Apart from the positive on getting more OS software on devices (rather than Windows) I can’t see the end result being successful. If the “experience” going to be anything like running Windows Mobile on a Netbook then it won’t go near my Netbook. Lot’s of people I know expect the real deal, not cut down versions of anything.
I work for an educational institution in the US. I am currently working on a fairly large RFP to purchase a large number of netbooks. My team and I met with HP representatives yesterday. In addition to the normal folks there was another fella who was identified as a “senior technical person”, but he did not have any business cards to give us. What was also weird was that he did not seem to know any technical answers about the 2140 (I asked him how long it takes for the device to achieve 90% charge and if/when they will include the Z530 as opposed to the N270 Atom chip). Any ways, at the end of the meeting he tried to ask us nonchalantly, “If we included Android as an OS option, would you be interested?” and he had his pen out and a business trapper keeper thing already open. We answered probably (I have very little experience with Android). We have had good success running Ubuntu’s 8.10 MID release on the 2133 (along with other VIA UMPC chipset devices) as well as Ubuntu’s 9.04 UNR on the 2140 and other Atom devices. We are a SUSE site (SLES/SLED/openSUSE) and like to focus on those OSes. The lack of a solid MID or UMPC GUI from the GNOME folks or the SUSE folks is really disappointing… Any ways, my experience seems to back up the story.
Edited 2009-04-08 00:59 UTC
I’ve long since thought that QTopia would be a great UI environment for a constrained screen.
At the end of the day, the purpose of these Netbooks is maximum battery life and portability; you and I might find that these devices aren’t as flexible but for the average user they’re never going to demand what we want. What the average user wants is a device they can open, double click on an icon, get some work done and then close the lid. The key is to provide a UI that allows them to get on with their work and not have to learn a maze of new ways of doing things.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Linux didn’t fail on the netbook; OEM’s fail to turn the components in the opensource world into a coherent product to deliver to end users. What it speaks volumes about is the lack of direction and focus by these OEM’s when it comes to developing a complete product, software and hardware, for the consumer.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Linux didn’t fail on the netbook; OEM’s fail to turn the components in the opensource world into a coherent product to deliver to end users. What it speaks volumes about is the lack of direction and focus by these OEM’s when it comes to developing a complete product, software and hardware, for the consumer.
Most PC makers are just re-branders. The netbooks come from the actual OEMs (that make computers for name brands) which have even less experience. They slap parts on boards, tweak some manufacturer drivers, just enough to get MS Windows to run. That’s the extent of MOST netbook OEM experience. None have real experience developing software… let alone building a software brand. They’re “job shops” that take chips and assemble them they have almost nothing to do with software.
If you really want to use your netbook, you will need processing power. Not only the OS use resources, but the Mozilla, OpenOffice, PDF reader, etc. If you want to use this apps flawlessly with 1024×600 resolution, you will need at least 900Mhz x86 or similar processor, and at least 1GB RAM. But in this case you can use linux or windows on your computer.
I think there’s a typo in the Post,
“However, Android is not the only one considering devices based on Android.”
I think you meant “However, T-Mobile is not the only one considering devices based on Android.”
Anyway…
If Android means we can have netbooks starting from lower specs, and hence lower prices, then it’s definitely a good thing else there’s little point switching from Windows or Linux.
Forgive me for being ignorant but I want to know this: Is Android’s GUI using some type of mini version of X.ORG on the phones or is it a *new* windowing environment (like what Apple did with BSD). If it is a new windowing environment with its own apps then it may stand a chance when ported on PCs otherwise forget about it (my own opinion).
Edited 2009-04-08 08:49 UTC
Android on a netbook is today a totally ridiculous idea. Maybe in four years time it will be sensible, but today, who wants a computer with no available apps? The kernel is Linux, OK, but all the libraries needed to run the miriad of available free programs are missing (GNU and otherwise).
Why go for this instead of using a light Linux distro like Nokia has put in its webpad, or even a fuller distro like Ubuntu Netbook Remix? Their vast, free software repositories and the shitty puny programs you can get for $3 a pop from Android’s store (or from iTunes, for that matter) really bear no comparison.
Let’s focus on the $3 a pop. That gets a LOT of apps developed quickly! Small devs are making $50k in a weekend over on iPhone. Extend that to netbooks and Android becomes the next big thing, especially if everybody does it. It also allows them to be subsidized thru wireless companies because the system has protections from pure “freedom”. That means companies can ensure that they have customers for things like MS formats and other things… the things that Linux lags terribly on. Android is run by a third party that doesn’t have a sunk interest in competing with apps or hardware but it willing to front the bucks to fix things when needed.
Android would probably run well on a netbook, the problem is that most apps that have been developed for Android so far are targeted at cell phones.
On a netbook people will want things word processing, peresentation programs and things like that.
They want to be able to put dokuments from their regular PC on the netbook (or access them over the net) so they can access them when they are out of office and need some small device they easily can carry everywhere. So to make Android a good netbook OS it would at least need software that can read and write common Microsoft formats.
If I remember correctly there is/was some java based OpenOfficelike applikation for Macs, perhaps that could be ported to Android, that would solve some of the problems.
The MID profile of Android is still way behind the Phone profile. This is going to really hold back any development of Mini Laptops running Android – unless they are going to run the Phone oriented version of the OS..?