If you've heard about Google Android and you want to know what the basics of the Google Android Mobile Operating System this article will help explain some of the major supported functions of the new OS, along with some of the hurdles still facing Google as the company develops Android.
What is Google Android?
These days there seems to be a new mobile operating system announced for development every other day, yet one Mobile OS has been named more than any other, even though it has yet to release a fully operational software package.
Google Android as the OS is known is an open source software platform and Operating system developed by Google and a consortium of manufacturers, software developers and wireless carriers known as the Open Handset Alliance, an organization who's sole goal is to create open source mobile operating systems with the backing of large telecommunications companies such as Nokia, AT&T and Verizon Wireless among many others.
Under the alliance the Google Android Operating system will be released under the Apache Free-Software and Open Source License agreements, meaning more open access to the code that the program derives from.
What Does Google Android Offer
Today I want to take a little bit of your time and explain some of the offerings that will be available and supported by the Google Android Operating System along with some of the hurdles the Android OS faces.
Video support for the Android OS will include VGA output, a 2D graphics library, 3D graphics library, and OpenGL ES 1.0 specifications, if you are unfamiliar with OpenGLS ES its basically an Open Source API for 3D graphics and multimedia, meaning programmers will have even more access when developing their software for handsets with specific specs.
In terms of connectivity Google Android will support SMS, MMS, and XMPP messaging types and will feature threaded messaging capabilities along with Email support.
Internet functionality will also be streamlined thanks to Google's use of Webkit, a software program that also helped usher in the Mac OS X Safari web browser, and which should allow Android to offer full web browsing capabilities like those found on the iPhone.
Android will also feature Java support thanks to a built in Java virtual machine, and which has specifically been designed for use within mobile platforms.
Android will also feature a host of other increasingly crucial components such as support for GPS and Camera Phones, the ability to use Touchscreens and the ever popular Accelerometer, if you are unfamiliar with Accelerometer technology its pretty basic, if you turn your phone from Vertical to Horizontal for instance your device will switch to landscape mode, or if your playing a game you can control movement by tilting your device, its a very nice feature that is growing in popularity.
Since Google Android is meant to help developers more easily build applications, which will in turn work better than traditional 3rd party applications its also important to note that the program uses a device emulator, debugging tools, performanc profiling, and the Eclipe IDE which helps aids developers in creating programs that are optimized for best use on your Google Android ran device.
Challenges Facing Google Anroid
Its easy to see why many programmers and consumers alike are excited about Google Android, yet there are some concerns. The biggest concern being whether the open source application can become mainstream enough to exist as a singular platform, with open source there is always the fear that the base of the application will continually change, thus creating compatibility issues among software offerings, while Google originally attempted to control the basics of the OS via several areas of closed sourced areas, they have since announced the Apache Open Source license agreement which could lead to less control over the program by the Open Handset Alliance which has created the Linux standards that should be implemented to ensure proper compatibilites.
Another issue facing the Operating System is whether carriers will pick up the Google based devices. Many carriers use Operating Systems that have been tried and tested on their networks, it will take some leg work for Google to convince them that another OS is needed in the marketplace, this is a hurdle however that i'm sure Google can overcome.
My biggest concern at this point however is that Google is not offering an application certification process which means users will have to certify the apps they download as safe, meaning you just have to take the developers word that their program is safe, otherwise you may have your personal information transmitted without your permission.
On the positive side Google is working towards some type of storefront, i'm assuming like the iPhone Apps Store but with no official announcement on the horizon convincing developers to create applications could be tricky, even with the millions of dollars in Google prize money being handed out for developing top notch programs for Android.
This is by no means a complete list of Google Anroid supported applications, rather I wanted to highlight that Google is developing an application that offers the conveniences currently given to mobile handsets while at the same time setting out with the help of many large telecommunications partners to streamline the Linux Operating system for use on mobile phones. The iPhone offers its own Operating System for mobile use that has been hailed as the Rolce Royce of Mobile OS, perhaps Google Android can take the know how of Google and offer even more.