MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

ASSIGNMENT

By:

Arun Koshy Thomas PRN: 11020541065 Systems & Finance

INTRODUCTION
Over the past decade, smartphones have taken the world by storm and recently, tablets have entered into the arena as well. These mobile devices are having a significant impact on our lives and are in fact redefining the way we access information and communicate with others. This is due to not only the hardware but the specialized software that these devices run and most importantly, their operating systems. Just like a PC can run different operating systems (like Windows, Linux, BSD etc.) or different versions of the same operating system (like Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 etc.), most smartphones can also run different versions of the operating system they were made for and in exceptional cases, they might even be able to run operating systems they werent made for. They can be classified in the following manner. 1. Manufacturer-built proprietary operating systems 2. Apple iOS RIM BlackBerry OS HP WebOS Bada from Samsung Electronics

Third party proprietary operating systems Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Microsoft Windows Mobile

3. Free & open source operating systems Android MeeGo Symbian

Lets now take a look at some popular operating systems

1. Apple iOS
Apple's iPhone OS was originally developed for use on its iPhone devices. Now, the mobile operating system is referred to as iOS and is supported on a number of Apple devices including the iPhone, iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch. The iOS mobile operating system is available only on Apple's own manufactured devices as the company does not license the OS for third-party hardware. Apple iOS is derived from Apple's Mac OS X operating system.

Pros
Excellent UI The largest number of applications available, exceeding all others combined Apple validates applications Consistent UI across devices Frequent free OS updates

Cons
Closed architecture No assisted GPS and Haptics Can't be unlocked No multi-tasking for applications although it is promised for the future. Applications must be approved by Apple before being made available via the Marketplace No Adobe Flash support

2. Blackberry OS
BlackBerry OS is produced by Research In Motion (RIM), and has been very successful in the corporate and government markets. It offers the best integration with corporate mail systems and offers excellent security.

Pros
Excellent integration with company mail systems Secure send and receive email using proprietary encryption Applications better targeted at the corporate environment than other OS application offerings Multi-tasking Phones available from most service providers Support for Adobe Flash 10 in a future update Assisted GPS on some devices

Cons
Closed architecture Limited number of devices to choose from - all from Research In Motion Very few touch-screen models Limited number of applications available Dated UI Application development is more complex and difficult that other OSes Applications tend to be more costly

3. Android OS
The Android mobile operating system is Google's open and free software stack that includes an operating system, middleware and also key applications for use on mobile devices, including smartphones. Earlier versions required considerable additional effort by the device makers, but Google has now built in support for many hardware standards reducing this effort. Google has also continually added new features and improvements, and delivers free advanced development tools.

Pros
Largest number of devices to choose from Frequently enhanced Large number of application available Excellent UI Multi-tasking Free developer tools No restrictions on applications Phones are available from every service provider Many devices (although not all) can be unlocked with third-party applications Adobe Flash 10 support (in v2.2+) Many devices include Haptic Assisted GPS on most devices

Cons
Some device manufacturers add alternative UI front-ends which reduces OS consistency Generally, updates are controlled by device manufacturer and may be slow or non-existent Applications are not validated

4. Windows Phone 7
Windows Mobile is Microsoft's mobile operating system used in smartphones and mobile devices with or without touchscreens. The Mobile OS is based on the Windows CE 5.2 kernel. In 2010 Microsoft announced a new smartphone platform called Windows Phone 7. It replaced the dated and obsolete Windows

Mobile series of OSes. WP7 delivers a fresh approach with improved social media integration and a new tile styled UI called Metro.

Pros
Integrated and merged social media abilities Excellent home screen status Built in support for Windows Office documents Works with Xbox Live multi-player gaming Multi-tasking Excellent development tools, with free versions available to students. Phones available from most service providers Support for Adobe Flash 10 in a future update Updates available directly from Microsoft The minimum hardware reference standard exceeds most other OS maker's requirements Many devices include Haptic Assisted GPS on most devices

Cons
Closed architecture Small number of applications available Unusual Home page visual style disliked by some Browser is a mix of IE7 and IE8 (a bit dated), although IE9 is expected to be made available in the future Applications must be approved by Microsoft before being made available via the Marketplace

5. Symbian OS
Symbian is a mobile operating system targeted at mobile phones that offers a high-level of integration with communication and personal information management (PIM) functionality. Symbian OS combines middleware with wireless communications through an integrated mailbox and the integration of Java and PIM functionality (agenda and contacts). Nokia has made the Symbian platform available under an alternative, open and direct model, to work with some OEMs and the small community of platform development collaborators. Nokia does not maintain Symbian as an open source development project.

Pros
dedicated to devices with very limited resources good support for popular IDEs on Linux, Mac OS and Windows open in terms of Open Standards very popular on smartphones very well documented APIs very good support for Java wide variety of programming languages

Cons
no choice of user environments proprietary

6. Bada OS
Bada is a proprietary Samsung mobile OS that was first launched in 2010. The Samsung Wave was the first smartphone to use this mobile OS. Bada provides mobile features such as multipoint-touch, 3D graphics and of course, application downloads and installation.

7. MeeGo OS
A joint open source mobile operating system which is the result of merging two products based on open source technologies: Maemo (Nokia) and Moblin (Intel). MeeGo is a mobile OS designed to work on a number of devices including smartphones, netbooks, tablets, in-vehicle information systems and various devices using Intel Atom and ARMv7 architectures.

Comparison of Mobile Operating Systems

Feature
Company Current Version OS Family License Core applications missing Package Manager On-device encryption Local Full backup Voice over IP

iOS
Apple 5.0.1 Darwin Proprietary Bookmarks

Android
Google 4.0.1 Linux Free and open source Calendar

Windows Phone
Microsoft 7.5 Windows CE 7 Proprietary -

Blackberry
RIM 7.0.0 Mobile OS Proprietary Text messages, calendar BB desktop manager Yes Yes 3rd party software

Symbian
Symbian Foundation 9.5 Mobile OS Eclipse Public License -

iTunes Yes Yes 3rd party software

APK Yes No Yes

Zune No No Yes

Nokia OVI suite Yes Yes Yes

Mobile Operating System Market Share (As on November, 2011)

Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/11/01/ios-market-share-balloons-in-october-android-climbs-to-no-2-mobile-os/

Conclusion:
Traditional monolithic mobile operating systems have conceptually remained almost unchanged like its forefather, the UNIX. Several experimental mobile operating systems from the research community have been based on alternative paradigms. The new operational environment needed for a new DNA of a Mobile Operating System is possible when targeted towards robust operating systems that are strong in system integrity, connectivity and enhanced power management. And the days are nearing to witness them.