“Google today released its promised software development kit for Android, the company’s new Linux-based operating system for cellphones and handheld devices,” MacNN reports.
“Conspicuously, the introduction also reveals influences from Apple in both the interface and in software. By default, the web browser is based on the WebKit rendering engine used by the iPhone and shares the same emphasis on rendering sites as they would appear on a computer. Devices with a touchscreen can similarly control pages by dragging and tapping, though Google does not say whether multi-touch devices are supported. Other touches include a Mac OS X-like dock interface for phones with keypad-only controls, a Cover Flow-like web browsing history view, and iPhone-style notification bubbles,” MacNN reports.
Full article, with video and screenshots, here.
Looks good. What is Apple going to do about it?
Competition is good. Especially when it’s good competition.
>Looks good. What is Apple going to do about it?
Hopefully, improve on the iPhone! It is missing some key features and crashes quite often.
Besides… competition is good. Patents aren’t meant to stifle competition and innovation, as implied by your reply.
What is Apple going to do about it?
You’re joking, right?
Apple already released a better, slicker, more powerful phone in June of 2007.
Google’s “answer” smacks of grasping at straws. It’s Zunish. Way too little, way too “Me-too,” and way, way, way too late.
>FactChecker wrote: You’re joking, right?…Google’s “answer” smacks of grasping at straws.
… and so ends the reasonable idea trading MDN is famous for NOT having.
Well not too late to wipe the floor with the iPhone wannabes which is precisely the target it is aimed at. As a mobile platform Linux is potentially far superior to the stripped down bloatware that is Windows Mobile or even Symbian and with Google’s, and others behind it that potential will most likely come to fruition.
Apple doesn’t HAVE to do anything about it. You’re all assuming that this is some sort of threat to the iPhone. Why would it be? If anything, it’s a threat to Microsoft and Windows Mobile. If Android catches on, it will be the end of Windows Mobile.
Good stuff, there – better than WM, certainly. Apple will be able to swipe some of the good, open-source ideas (that tiled web history was a great idea). Lots of stuff that can be done with software.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
I also think that Windows Mobile is in big trouble. I just hope that it’s a stable platform and that it can be installed on existing phones with other OSes.
One thing that I don’t quite understand (hopefully, someone here can explain) is how Google stands to benefit from this if everything is open source.
Looks good. I may consider buying a Google operated phone. I don’t want an iPhone at the moment.
Apple doesn’t have to respond to this at all really in that by the time you can buy a device with Android on it, iPhone 2.0 will be out. iPhone will be ahead by the same 4 to 5 months of development and hopefully can maintain or even extend it’s lead. The only thing Apple *might* have to “answer” this with is a lawsuit if the copying gets too close to the original.
This does seem far better than Windows Mobile though (even in Beta/Alpha/Pre-release), and blows away all the Linux and Symbian mobiles completely.
Windows is officially “history” on mobile platforms the day this is released on a real live phone.
The reason it’s iPhone-like is that in 4-5 years, this will BE the iPhone OS, and Google and Apple will conquer the phone market together.
And Apple will stay a generation ahead by controlling both the hardware and the software, and by avoiding the communications gap and production delays caused by separate hardware manufacturer, OS manufacturer, application developer, and vendor.
People. IT IS WEBKIT!!!!!
It is an group effort against Adobe and SUN and MS!
It’s all open source now. Screw the old ways.
My iPhone never crashes.
Screw Flash, Screw Java.
and well just screw MS.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
The Android SDK is aimed at killing off windows mobile.
Apple shouldnt be worried about this, especially as they are probably involved with it to some degree as one of Googles Directors sits on the Apple Board of Directors.
Microsoft are the ones that should be shitting themselves aboiut this.
With all these great things coming from other companies directly competing with Microsoft’s monopoly I get the impression that in the far future Microsoft are going to be in serious trouble.
As it stands they just cannot compete with all these companies taking parts of their core markets and business away.
Microsoft could endup like Netscape in the future…
By the time “Android” devices are ready for market (optimistically about 2 years), the iPhone will have moved on. Apple’s key advantage of controlling the hardware and software will be even more obvious with iPhone than is has been with Macs and iPods.
All Google needs to do is make this available to the mobile phone manufacturerers for free and Microsoft will be in big trouble.
As it stands all mobile phone makers have to buy a licence to use Windows Mobile on their handsets, imagine if Google gave it to them for free and because its unix it would be more stable, secure and adaptable?
The outcome is obvious.
By the time “Android” devices are ready for market (optimistically about 2 years)
Actually, HTC plans to release 2-3 Android handsets in 2008. That’s 13.5 months away — at most.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/12/htc-said-to-be-planning-2-3-android-based-handsets-next-year/
Buh-bye Windows Mobile.
Yes it looks awfully Mac and iPhone-like.
What’s apple doing about it?
I’d say there’s a lot of overtime being put in at the Cupertino campus and the best from Apple is yet to come.
So say we all.
The iPhone could run Android. First our Macs become a universal platform, and now the iPhone will be too! Take that, competition!
Google aims to profit by selling advertising. Keywords is a big idea for them, the more they know about you the more they can target the advertising at you. Already every time you click on a web page with Google adverts they log your IP address, those users of gmail better watch out what they say. Imagine talking to someone on the phone about a product and for the next few days 10% or 20% of the adverts that you receive are related to that product.
If that sounds good to you consider the ramifications. There is no free, at least from corporations, they take more from you than you receive, that’s how they make a profit. I prefer to give corporations money for things that I want rather than to have corporations take something from me and give me something that they want to give me in return.