Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Android Operating System 101

By Arthur Madrick


The Android OS is similar to the Windows OS you have on your PC. However, it is specifically developed to operate on small, low power handsets like smartphones and tablets. It is meant to operate as efficiently as possible while using as little electricity as it can. Android Incorporated received world wide recognition when in Aug 2005 Google acquired the business and then immediately announced that they will be making the operating system Open Source so anyone can use it without having to pay for it or pay out any royalties.

The Android OS is in fact based on a customized variant of a Linux Kernel, Linux certainly already being an established open sorce option to Windows and OSX. At its most elementary level, an operating-system supplies the layer between the hardware and the software made to run upon it. With regards to Android it needs to be capable of passing instructions to the processor, mic, camera, GPS, touchscreen as well as keypad and so forth. Different programs can then be developed to run on Android Operating System to make these devices operational.

The Android os is undoubtedly an advanced piece of software and delivers a big punch in a tiny package. It utilizes a compact relational database called SQLite to maintain and retrieve data for the assortment of apps that you install. It has built-in playback capability for many various media types like PNG, JPEG, BMP, MPEG, MP3, MIDI, WAV, WebM, H.263, H.264 and GIF. When it comes to connectivity it can work with all the latest technologies out of the box which includes GSM, IDEN, CDMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and WiMax, SMS and MMS forms of messaging turning it into the most suitable platform for application developers to develop innovative new software.

At present time, Android has overtaken nearly all other smartphone os around, like Apple's iOS that powers the iPhones and Blackberry's own OS. By the end of 2010, Thirty-three million smartphones had been bought which ran version of the Android OS and research analyst NPD Group now predicts that 50 percent of all smartphone purchases are for an Android smartphone.

The driving factor behind this rapid uptake is the open source aspect of the operating system. This means any phone, tablet or handheld device maker on the globe can download the source files, modify and customize it to their exact requirements and distribute it on handsets created by them. The royalty free nature of Android has inspired some of the biggest names in the smartphone industry like Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola to build attractive devices utilizing the Android operating system.

One more reason for the big demand of Android phones is that by the end of 2010 there were above 200,000 apps available for download including everything from games to tools, image editing to location based services. Unlike Apple's app store, the vast majority of Android apps are free or have free versions, which in turn motivates people to use Android phones.




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