240 Cloud Computing
3. A resource manager to manage access to noncode resources such
as localized strings, graphics, and layout files
4. A notification manager that enables all applications to display
custom alerts in the status bar
5. An activity manager to manages applications and provide a com-
mon navigation stack
Every Android application runs in its own process, with its own
instance of the Dalvik virtual machine (VM). The Dalvik virtual machine
is a major piece of Google’s Android platform for mobile devices. It runs
Java platform applications which have been converted into a compact Dal-
vik Executable (.dex) format suitable for systems that are constrained in
terms of memory and processor speed.
3
Dalvik has been written so that a
device can run multiple VMs efficiently. The Dalvik VM relies on the
Linux kernel version 2.6 for underlying functionalities such as threading,
low-level memory management, and core system services such as security,
Figure 9.4 Major components of the Android operating system. (
Source
: http://
d.android.com/guide/basics/what-is-android.html.)
3. “Dalvik Virtual Machine,” Wikipedia, retrieved 8 Mar 2009.
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Mobile Operating Systems for Smartphones 241
memory management, process management, network stack, etc. The ker-
nel acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the rest of the
software stack.
9.3.3 Blackberry
The BlackBerry solution consists of smartphones integrated with software
that enables access to email and other communication services. Developed
by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM), the BlackBerry is a
wireless handheld device originally introduced in 1999 as a two-way pager.
In 2002, RIM released their version of the smartphone, named BlackBerry.
It supported push email, mobile telephony, text messaging, internet faxing,
web browsing, and other wireless information services. BlackBerry first
made progress in the commercial marketplace by concentrating on enter-
prise email. The BlackBerry has a built-in QWERTY keyboard, optimized
for “thumbing” (the use of only the thumbs to type). System navigation is
primarily accomplished by a scroll ball in the middle of the device (older
devices used a track wheel on the side). Their current solution gives mobile
users access to email, phone, data, applications, games, and the Internet
from a state-of-the-art smartphone, as shown in Figure 9.5.
The BlackBerry offers an end-to-end encryption solution with two
transport encryption options, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and
Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple DES) for all data transmitted
between their BlackBerry Enterprise Server and licensed BlackBerry smart-
phones. Private encryption keys are generated in a secure, two-way authen-
ticated environment and are assigned to each BlackBerry smartphone user.
Each secret key is stored only in the user’s secure enterprise email account
and on the user’s BlackBerry smartphone. Data sent to the BlackBerry is
encrypted by the BlackBerry Enterprise Server using the private key
retrieved from the user’s mailbox. Next, the encrypted information is trans-
ported securely across the network to the smartphone, where it is decrypted
using the key stored on the smartphone. Data remains encrypted in transit
and is never decrypted outside of the corporate firewall.
9.3.4 Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a compact operating system offering a set of basic appli-
cations commonly found on mobile devices. It is based on the Microsoft
Win32 API. Devices that run Windows Mobile include pocket PCs, smart-
phones, portable media centers, and on-board computers for certain auto-
mobiles. Windows Mobile is designed to appear similar to desktop versions
Chap9.fm Page 241 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:28 AM
242 Cloud Computing
of Microsoft Windows. The platform supports third-party software devel-
opment. Originally, Windows Mobile appeared as the pocket PC 2000
operating system, then known as Windows Compact Edition (CE). Since
then, Windows Mobile has been updated several times. The next planned
release, Windows Mobile 7.0, is slated for the latter part of 2009. Figure 9.6
shows what it is expected to look like.
Microsoft had projected in 2008 that it would see an increase of devices
shipping with Windows Mobile from 11 million to 20 million units. It
missed its initial goal, selling only 18 million licenses, but even that number
indicates the phenomenal growth of this market. Microsoft attributed the
shortfall in its prediction to the delayed launch of some smartphone devices.
Since then, Windows Mobile’s market share as an operating system for
smartphones worldwide has fallen from 23% in 2004 to 12% in 2008.
4
Windows Mobile now has a worldwide smartphone market share of 14%. It
is interesting to note that Microsoft licenses its Windows Mobile platform
Figure 9.5 The Blackberry.
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Mobile Operating Systems for Smartphones 243
to four of the world’s five largest mobile phone manufacturers—a strong
testament to its popularity in the marketplace.
9.3.5 Ubuntu Mobile Internet Device (MID)
Ubuntu MID Edition is designed specifically for mobile internet devices
(MIDs). Ubuntu MID is based on the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu.
Ubuntu MID is highly flexible and customizable. It is an open source plat-
form that is best suited to the kind of product differentiation that reaches
target users in the mobile marketplace. MIDs generally have the following
common features and attributes:
1. Small size/form factor, typically a 4- to 7-inch touch screen
2. Physical and/or virtual keyboard
3. Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, WiMAX
4. 2- to 8-GB Flash or disk storage
4. Prince Mclean, “Microsoft Plans “Skymarket” Apps Store for Windows Mobile 7 in 2009,”
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/09/01/microsoft-plans-
%E2%80%9Cskymarket%E2%80%9D-apps-store-for-windows-mobile-7-in-2009, Rough-
lyDrafted Magazine, San Francisco, CA, 1 Sept 2008, retrieved 9 Mar 2009.
Figure 9.6 Windows Mobile
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244 Cloud Computing
5. 256 to 512 MB RAM (the more the better)
6. OpenGL 3D graphics support
7. USB, camera, headphone jack, speakers, microphone
8. Customizable (Flash or Clutter
5
-based) user interface (see Figures
9.7 and 9.8).
Ubuntu MID Edition has a suite of applications that work seamlessly
to meet the needs of mobile users. Web applications such as Facebook,
MySpace, YouTube, and Dailymotion are easily supported. Ubuntu MID
needs no stylus—you navigate using a touchscreen. Just tap the screen or
drag a finger for navigation and control. To launch applications, tap the
application icon with your finger or tap menus and buttons to use them.
You can swipe a web page to pan up, down, or sideways, and you can swipe
a video, photo, song, or thumbnail page to move to the next or the previous
one. Figure 9.9 shows the home screen of Ubuntu MID.
In the next few pages we highlight some of the applications found in the
default distribution of Ubuntu MID, to give you a feel for what capabilities
exist on modern mobile devices and how they can enhance daily life, simply
by facilitating collaboration via the Internet. When you first get the device
running, it is important to set preferences such as time and date (see Figure
Figure 9.7 Clutter user interface.
5. Clutter is an open source software library for creating fast, visually rich, and animated
graphical user interfaces.
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