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Why is Linux shunned by hardware manufacturers?
My newest phone is due a firmware upgrade, and there's no way I can do it on my own computer. I have very little understanding as to why this is.
iPhones come with software for Mac. Of course they do. They wouldn't exist without Apple, who make Macs.
Windows phones come with software for Windows. Of course they do. They wouldn't exist without there first being Windows CE, the platform they are built around.
Android phones do not come with software for Linux, despite Android being based on the Linux kernel.
Does anybody know why this is? Wouldn't it be a lot easier for the manufacturers to release source code and allow ports to be made, if they are unwilling to stump up the resources to make native applications?
Red: You'll see it has been climbing quite quickly over recent years (I cite your same source), and 5% of people with internet access... that's a LOT of people
3 Answers
- MarvinLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Simple!
They want to sell you the software, and the updates.
How else can they pay their executive board members those huge salaries. You did know that 50% of all the money you spend is used to pay executive salaries, and perks (yup that comes out before expenses like rent and utilities).
- 1 decade ago
Apple OSX is based on BSD linux.
Many Windows functions are built from linux/unix counterparts.
Android is based on the Linux kernel.. so are 300 other linux distros.
The question is really, Why can't we choose the software that we load on our telephones?
Apple won't let you load any BSD-compatible software...
Windows won't let you load any posix-standard stuff,
and Android doesn't grant you root access unless you violate terms of service.
Apple will not let you develop "Apps" for the iPhone even if you are Torvalds or Starstroup. Pay the high app-developer fees and pass the application program. Sign the NDRs, then maybe they will let you peek at some API code.
Google is a little easier to work with, but still has limits to what the phone companies will allow.
Microsoft,. well - they are microsoft. They did make a lot of positive deals with the Novell/SuSe Linux folks over the last couple of years; maybe they will actually start cooperating.
besides. the rumor mill says Windows phones aren't gaining enough market to be profitable. Unless something changes in the next 2 market quarters, expect them to get tossed on the heap with Handspring and MS Bob.
A lot of other hardware mfrs are supporting Linux. NVidia is developing linux drivers - even releasing source code to allow GPU computing; and HP has started to distribute linux ports that work with print daemons. It depends more on the marketplace.
--- I do know a couple of Novell techs that had rooted and installed Linux on their Droid (1st gen ) within a week after official release. It isn't impossible, but again - the phone company - and probably the FCC regulates the heck out of what phones can and cannot do - and we pay heavily for it.
- ?Lv 61 decade ago
Because such a small percentage of people use Linux.
According to this graph by w3 schools (which means it's a pretty good measure of the userbase) only %5 use Linux operating systems.
