Nokia goes the Linux way with Maemo - Cool specs, but another OS?!

It's now official folks - Symbian and the S60 platform are soon to be defunct. (I may be reading too much into this; but if not today, tomorrow for sure.)

Nokia has just announced the Maemo 5 SDK. Slated for the Nokia Internet Tablets the OS is 100% opensource (well so was Android till they circulated newer SDKs to the elite. Disclosed later, but that's another story) and will feature a revamped UI called 'Midas'.

Some of the new features include (although I don't quite get the data connectivity part, WiFi?):

• OMAP3 support.
• Cellular data connectivity.
• High definition camera support.
• hardware-based graphics acceleration.

Nokia warns that the release is pre-alpha (that's a new one. pre-beta = alpha? So pre-alpha = zeta :) and is not at all suitable for development. More of a heads-up fashionable entrance. Impressive specs, yes you've got our attention. I forgot the best part... it's Linux!

I was curious to find if Android had moved into Nokia territory and came across this. Check out the video of Andriod on an N810 Internet Tablet. Also came across this interesting quote by Ukko Lappalainen, Vice President of Nokia's markets units “In the longer perspective, Linux will become a serious alternative for our high-end phones,” I can't agree more, but wait “I don’t see anything in Android which would make it better than Linux maemo.” What I see here is bruised ego than anything!

Geek talk: Since Maemo 5 SDK is not backward compatible, implementation on the N810 would not have been possible anyway.

Quite certain there would be very stong drivers for Linux in the future, however I'm seeing it restricted to the consumer electronics, small devices space - where there is a lesser chance for the user to muck up. In many ways Nokia is the Microsoft and Dell duo, if they pull their weights in the Maemo direction, there would be alliances being formed.

With the Linux synergy and being 100% opensource I certainly hope the Meamo and Android application are compatible. As long my system is stable all I want is functionality and not operating systems.

We certianly are living in interesting times...