I don’t understand all this enthusiasm for android.
Everybody forget the big list of failed Google proojects. Like the Google Video, Google Catalog Search, Google Notebook, Dodgeball, Jaiku, Google Mashup Editor…
Nokia still has a nice percentage of the market 38% compared to the 2% from android. I think it’s too early to give up.
If Nokia is betting on the enthusiasm of the open source movement to support maemo I guess it can be in big trouble since nobody here give it a vote of confidence.

I also think the enthusiasm for Android is overblown. However, I would not see it as a potential failure.

I would say that Symbian was, is, and will continue to be the dominant smartphone OS. Both Nokia and existing developers are invested in it and will continue to promote it.

Apple will continue to be a major factor but will become a bit of a niche product in the same way that their desktops and laptops are.

Android will become more prevalent as hardware manufacturers cede their software development to Google. I would see it essentially eliminating WinMo and WebOS.

Maemo 5 will be Symbian's poor cousin. This may change with Maemo 6 but for now there does not appear to be a big push by Nokia.

Androd will go the same way that Winmo has. It will suffer from not having tight device integration and fragmentation. Google will also have to revenue share its services with the carriers for an os that they are baring the cost of research and dev for and may just get bored.

The thing is, Google's business model is centered around ad revenue, not Android sales. Android is a tool to move users from the desktop to the cloud where Google can target you with their ads. Revenue from Android, if any, is a rounding error on their books. Other than linking to more Google services than competing OSs, Android is just another eyeball driver.

In the greater scheme of things (for whatever good or evil purposes they have) Google wants you to move from desktop/laptop applications like Microsoft Office to cloud applications like Google Documents. Android is a way to smarten phones (at minimal development cost to the device manufacturer) and thus make them cloud capable.

I think you misread my post -- I am no Android enthusiast and would prefer Maemo on my own device any day. And I'm rooting for Maemo.

But I am not a fan of Symbian. And, right now, Nokia still seems very tentative about Maemo. Just compare the all-out marketing blitz and media coverage to Droid to the confusion, frustration, and letdown surrounding the n900 release (expressed right here in these forums). My lack of confidence right now is not in Maemo and its fantastic community but in Nokia and the dead weight that is Symbian.

My post was simply extrapolating out from the current facts. Android, despite its small market share, has a huge amount of momentum now, and a lot of manufacturers and carriers will be rolling out new Android devices in the next couple of years. Most of the predictions I've read have Android gaining a large percentage of the market share in the next couple of years.

So to conclude. I think Android is an inferior product (at least for technically inclined users). But so was Windows. And as the 80s and 90s demonstrated, momentum is everything in the software business. If Android becomes the dominant mobile platform, it will be very hard for anyone else to catch up.

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Also, for what it's worth, some hardcore FOSS folks are expressing a preference for Android (despite its obvious limitations) over Maemo (which has too many proprietary components):

http://www.ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2009/10/26/symbian.html

Sure I understand that, but they get the benefit of me clicking on their Ads on Maemo, symbian, windows,Linux or what ever also, so they may eventually realize they dont need to be control freaks as long as they keep thier services (including search) available to whatever access device. Which is why they just might get bored.

Maemo can't wait forever - it's now or never!

The argument "wait for Maemo 6" doesn't work anyone. Google is getting stronger each day, and it only gets more and more difficult to compete with them. However, the side effect is that Microsoft's and Apple's positions weaken, but even their competition on the market is a good thing for mostly everyone (besides Google of course ). But it's nice to see the Iphone decline (finally!).

One thing must be said though, which should get some attraction by Nokia's marketing team, so they can focus on "the right treat". Right now there is only one serious competitor for Maemo, but that's a really greedy one, and we all know Google doesn't want to share any of their pies.

Intel's Moblin or any other upcoming OS (along with LiMo and the like) might take a piece of the pie - but that's in the distant future, not now. Iphone and WinMo are declining, as previously noticed. WebOS and Blackberry won't most likely ever become any important in the big game. And Symbian won't be a competitor - at least if Nokia will play their cards as they intend to (not saying that it's the right decision, though). To sum up, Google Android is not only Maemo's biggest competitor, but also the only major one.

Nokia must realize this, as it would simplify their fight against Google by a lot. Nokia must market Google's privacy issues, or Nokia's lack of them. This is the only area where Nokia will be constantly superior, and if that becomes a selling point, then Google will get in serious trouble - but only if people know about it!

Once again, Google is really difficult to compete against, since all their really innovative (I mean it, it's hard to resist) services are "free", while Nokia's often inferior counterparts aren't. But, here is their (possibly only) hope: Communism is considered as an evil thing by the general public, and Nokia shouldn't really be afraid of drawing some parallels here and there, I mean, hasn't Google motive always been "a la Lenin" (everything should be "free" for everyone, but everyone shouldn't be free as themselves). And Nokia really have to market this - and do that correctly - else they risk to let Google win yet another battle, and thus let them settle another monopolistic domination.

Personally I've always found Google being a Lenin-wannabe, but it's time to reveal this little "secret" for everyone (just like Google wants it - free information for everyone - right?). A nice slogan is "the best things are always free". Because of this, it might feel a bit awkward to say "watch out when something is free, consider first why it is this way".

But there are several ways to support such a claim, especially not forgetting to have this classic in the pocket: "Steve Jobs told be the Iphone costs no more than $99!". The majority knows that this is complete bullsh*t from Apple, and because of the somewhat logical argument, they might actually like the idea itself. A claim that everyone can understand would fit to follow: "Why would a commercial company like Google make anything for free, without any winnings for the company at all? There must certainly lie something within, since all multi-billion companies have never ever made a product for free."

Waiting a year won't be a good choise, because Android will already have a steady position on the market, and people won't be enough convinced to upgrade. Iphone was an evolutionary step behind Android, and that's why Google's OS has got the hype it did. However, the difference between Maemo and Android isn't that big. Even if Maemo 6 will be much better than Android 3.0 (which I believe it will), it won't gain much attraction, simply because it isn't good enough to be considered as a whole step better than Android, and thus people will be waiting for "the next big thing" instead.

It's time to fight back, now - or not at all!


- - - Here's a rant, but a meaningful one - - -

I might be depeating myself from time to time, but I'd really feel bad if all the precious work put on Maemo will be shown being unnecessary, even if I didn't contribute with anything at all. Of course Maemo can stay niche without being abandoned, but Nokia has actually spent a whole bunch of money for the development, and there would be a huge risk of less funds in the future if the project flopped (even if the risk is minimal, it shouldn't be underestimated).

Now, if Maemo is ever going to take off, to unleash all its potential, then it should be done soon rather than later. Of course, individuals like us can't do much alone, but there's actually something that we can do: spread the word about the truth. Honestly, Google is a too big treat to be ignored, and everyone who understands this should do something in the public.

Obviously, I'm not saying you should do public boycotts or something like that, but really, more people should be aware of the treat we today call Google (more than half a century ago: Lenin). Honestly, I can't stand with all the undeserved praise Google gets all the time; more people need to know the truth! The least we can do is to make users to consider whether privacy is important, that will at least be one step closer towards freedom.



Maybe you think I overreact, or being paranoid, but unless youself or someone that you really know very well have either worked for Google or lived under the regime of Lenin, then you'll never understand. One person or organisation alone can't control the world, one object just can't rule everything, and I think the history has proven this several times already.

THE LACK OF CHOISES, FREEDOM AND PRIVACY IS NEVER GOOD FOR THE SOCIETY AS ENTIRETY, LET ALONE INDIVIDUALS.

Now, live in peace, I mean no harm to anyone.

I've used Android for a bit and it's rather slick. In some ways, to me, a better and more successful OS.

Everyone here that keeps bashing Google better give up their gmail, google calendar, youtube, google docs, google voice, picasa and google search engine - otherwise the constant bashing and fear-mongering is really a joke on themselves. That and it's getting reeeaallly old.

Personally, I use a lot of Google's products. Not because of what company it came from - but because they work well for me.

I take the same approach when buying a phone, OS or tablet.

Actually they try to share their pies all the time. For example, they just released Google Search by Voice for Symbian. More users mean more eyeballs mean more ad revenue.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10388716-1.html

I would like to know what privacy issues are introduced by Android? If you use an Android phone and don't register with or use any Google services, what privacy do you lose to Google? If you use Google services with an Android phone, what additional privacy do you loose versus using a Maemo phone?

You are confusing propaganda and fear-mongering with logic and facts