Summing up results of the year 2009, it will be quite reasonable to choose the best operating system for successful mobile apps development. So, what operating systems did we have at the turn of the year? Of course, there were Windows Mobile, iPhone OS, Symbian OS, Symbian UIQ, Linux Mobile, Palm OS and BlackBerry OS. Let’s try to investigate which of them has all chances to be called the best one.
Ah, this “old woman” still holds the largest market share. It has relatively out-of-date interface, nevertheless Microsoft delays the release of Windows Mobile 7 with touch-screen interface (as they promise) and complete compatibility with older apps versions. Though this OS has undoubted plus (a large number of good and stable mobile applications with rich functionality that was accumulated over the years), it’s not a permanent advantage. It can be lost soon as new operating systems are constantly adding new applications, offering new features and up-to-date interface. In general, if the next version of Microsoft Windows Mobile does not have any pleasant surprises for its users, the company will lose its market share under pressure of other mobile operating systems.
Yes, it’s beautiful, yes, it’s quite functional and it has already accumulated a lot of good features and high-quality applications. Due to the fact that iPhone has taken a considerable market share its application are relatively cheap (it’s an important bonus for those who choose a platform for a mobile device). But it has the main drawback: only Apple can produce hardware and iPhone source code is closed for mobile development companies. Nevertheless it’s not an obstacle for numerous Apple fans, Mac + MacOS + iPod + iPhone can be considered as a modern religion, it’s a way of live, no doubt.
According to the research company In-Stat, the competition in the OS market is shifting from software basic capabilities to functionality and ‘user’s experience’ which the phone can provide. Smartphones and communicators will develop not only at the programming level but also at the hardware level – sensor screens with high resolution, high-quality cameras, communication tools.
Now you can show your location to the best friends via Google Latitude! The service Google Mobile Maps introduced a new feature called Google Latitude. It gives the opportunity to indicate user’s location and show it to selected contacts via mobile phone (using the GPS). You may be know this flashing blue dot on the map, which shows your location, wherever you are. In other words Google Latitude gives you the opportunity to “share” this blue dot with anyone you want.