Operating System Android is an open-source software stack for mobile phones and tablet devices. Android was originated by a group of companies known as the Open Handset Alliance, led by Google. Today, many companies have collaborated in the creation and development of the Android operating system. The members of the OHA contributed in the form of allocating significant engineering resources to improve Android and bring Android devices to Market. (Open Handset Alliance, n. d. According to the Android open source Project website, the creation of Android was in response to their own experiences launching mobile applications. The OHA wants to make sure that there will always be an open platform available for carriers, original equipment manufacturers, and developers to use to make their innovative ideas a reality. The organization wants to make sure that there was no central point of failure, where one industry player could restrict or control the innovations of any other. The solution they chose was an open and open-source platform. The goal of the Android Open Source Project is to create a successful real-world product that improves the mobile experience for end users. ”
Android operated under a cloak of secrecy, so little was known about its work. Rubin & Co. sparingly described the outfit as making software for mobile phones, providing little more detail than that. One source familiar with the company says Android had at one point been working on a software operating system for cell phones. Google backed and then purchased the company after only being in existence twenty two months. Elgin, 2012) This operating system has changed the way people have used their mobile devices. Since a Android is an open source operating system, it encourages many developers to create many useful and entertaining applications. With the development of a variety of applications people have more of a choice on how they want to spend their time. The invention of smart phones has changed the way people work and play. Android has a plethora of free applications. Android has helped changed the way developers create and market their applications.
The Essay on Open/Closed Source
Over the past twenty or so years, there has been a never ending debate within the computing social realms, on whether software operating systems should be developed as open source or whether private companies should keep their source code closed from users of the software. This paper will define open source and closed source software models. In addition, a comparison between open source and closed ...
A lot of the applications are free, the reason they are free is that the developers integrate advertising in their product. That might seem like a negative to the consumer but, that is how developers can make money to continue to make free applications. Android in conjunction with Google continues to grow, whether you’re looking for directions, checking email or sharing a picture with friends, applications are now an indispensable part of life. And if you’re using Android, it all starts with Google Play, home to six hundred seventy-five applications and games.
That’s a lot of choice. Google has announced they crossed 25 billion downloads mark from Google Play. (Google, 2012) Android smartphones dominate the industry. They have more than half of the market share. According to the IDC, Android finished the first quarter of this year as the overall leader among the mobile operating systems, accounting for more than half of all smartphone shipments. In addition, Android boasted the longest list of smartphone vendor partners. Samsung was the largest contributor to Android’s success, accounting for 45. % of all Android-based smartphone shipments. Apples iOS recorded strong year-over-year growth with sustained demand for the iPhone 4S following the holiday quarter and the addition of numerous mobile operators offering the iPhone for the first time. Although end-user demand remains high, the iPhone’s popularity brings additional operational pressures for mobile operators through subsidy and data revenue sharing policies. (IDC, 2012) Google’s Android operating system will continue to grow in the tablet and smartphone market.
The Term Paper on Samsung vs. Apple – The smartphone wars
... Samsung uses a system called Android. The Android operating systems have been refined sense the start of the smartphone invasion. This operating system consists of Android Ice Cream Sandwich ... of the name. Other added applications to both phones can include Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, miscellaneous productivity applications, and both have text messaging ...
The tablet in conjunction with smartphones will continue to improve and become more powerful. Tablets will eventually replace laptops and computers. The key to the success of this operating system is, because it is open source, it gives more developer the opportunity to create applications that are practical and fun. The more people involved in the process of creating better application the stronger the chances of the operating system of being around and still be on the number one smartphone operating system.
