Tuesday Challenge Summary

Tuesday Challenge for 14 April 2009 was:

I'm interested in reasons *not* to select Android as a baseline OS for MEP stations.
Here are a few more details:

Android is an open‐source operating system primarily intended for cellular phones.
www.android.com

Android scales to systems like MEP, third party development is encouraged, it's supported by a consortium of all sorts of people we've heard of (http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/), and it uses lots of linux‐like process protection protocols that would seem to enhance stability and usefulness. People seem interested in developing for Android, and it might help MEP greatly to go in this direction. What do you all think?

I have an image for the TI OMAP from the Embedded Systems Conference, and would love to hear from anyone else pro or con on Android.

Philip Balister, Assi Friedman, Eric Fort, Bob McGwier, Paul Williamson, Roger Thompson, Ken Easton and Frank Brickle contributed to the discussion of the consideration of Android for MEP.

Thank you to all the participants in and followers of the discussion so far.

The consensus was a well‐reasoned preference for embedded linux over Android, primarily due to the insular nature of Android (Android is based on linux but it is not linux) and also due to the fact that it is at this time an unproven platform that may not be as flexible as we need for MEP.

The potential advantages of Android are significant, and space will be made in the software section of the page for anyone that would like to branch off and pursue Android for MEP. However, the primary effort will be in the direction of embedded linux. Both Moblin (mobile linux http://moblin.org/) and QtExtended (http://qtopia.net/modules/devices/) were recommended for consideration.

‐Michelle W5NYV