Blah Work in Progress

Islands .. yay for fragmentation.

Platforms

Android

• Tools - Free tools, simulator, runs on OS X and Windows
• Languages - Java
• Native Code - Possible to write code in C or C++ and call from Java using JNI. See [NDK Site]
• Hardware - Phones, Tablets
• Status - Widely deployed on phones and tablets

Blackberry OS

• Tools - Eclipse on Windows, Simulators, Free downloads
• Languages - Java MIDP 2.0 and CLDC 1.1
• Native Code - Not possible
• Status - Widely deployed
• Hardware - RIM's Blackberry phones

BlackBerry Tablet OS

• Openess - Free SDK and Simulator available
• Hardware - PlayBook
• Languages - Adobe Air
• Native Code - Not available, coming later
• Operating System' - QNX Neutrino
• Status - 'iPad Killer', Vaporware, Can become potentially huge

Is supposed to be BlackBerry OS 7 to be used on future RIM phones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry_Tablet_OS http://www.qnx.com/company/announcements/blackberry_tablet_os.html

iOS

• Tools - Free tools, free simulator, requires paid/registered account to test on device
• Languages - Objective-C, C, C++
• Operating System' - Darwin, POSIX compliant UNIX much like OS X
• Native Code - Only native code is allowed
• Hardware - iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. Future maybe also Apple TV.
• Status - Highly popular

Maemo

• Languages - C, C++, Java, Python, Mono
• Hardware - Nokia Internet Tablets

What is the deal with Maemo? Will this be replaced by MeeGo?

MeeGo

• Languages - C, C++
• Tools - Completely open source. All code and tool available.
• Frameworks - Linux, Qt, GTK
• Platforms - Mobile devices and information appliances
• Status - Real OS releases, but afaik no actual consumer hardware that runs it. Could be potentially huge as Nokia and Intel are pushing it.

Symbian

• Openess - Became open source recently but the dev tools and source code have been pulled from http://www.symbian.org. COmmunity site has shut down. Getting the tools now requires an email to Nokia, who will send back a DVD. Weird.
• Languages - C, C++
• Operating System - Symbian.
• Fragmentation - Huge. Many different devices with different specifications, many different Symbian versions.
• Status - Dying? Sony has committed to Android, Nokia is moving to MeeGo/Meamo?
• 'Cross Platform' - Symbian is very different. There is however [P.I.P.S] to provide a POSIX compatibility layer.

WebOS

• 'Openess - Free developer tools and simulator that runs in VirtualBox
• Languages - Javascript
• Native Code - C and C++ through the PDK. But see the note below.
• Hardware - Phones and there are rumors of WebOS based tablets to be shown at CES.

"Currently, to be distributed, an app must be developed either entirely within the PDK, or entirely within the SDK. While apps combining C/C++ and HTML/JavaScript/CSS can be developed, distribution is not allowed at this time. A webOS update will be required to allow distribution of these apps."

Interesting. This means that the native SDK is pretty much useless for apps that want a standard webOS html/js/css GUI. We would have to do everything using SDL and OpenGL instead.

Windows Phone 7

• Tools - Free developers tools available. Visual Studio 2010, Simulator.
• Hardware - Many phones. Some listed at http://www.joeydevilla.com/2010/12/28/windows-phones-in-canada/
• Status - Upcoming. First Phones have just been released. No lineups at stores. Big potential though.
• Languages - .Net languages, C#, Visual Basic, Managed C++
• Frameworks - Silverlight or XNA
• Native Code - Not possible