none of these mobile manufacturers want to have linux drivers released for their chips, IMO. They like the nice closed shop they have now.

Basically, the way i see it, google is holding out on releasing the driver code for the various mobile chips until it is pretty much obsolete. Chris DiBona said right in the article it will be a multiyear process.

The handset manufacturers and carriers(and now google) are determined to not let what happen to the pc market happen to the handheld market, namely that any joe schmo can buy the hardware and make his own.