Mobile Operating System
A mobile operating system (OS) is the operating system that operates hand-held devices like mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones and so on.
It is just a mobile version of an operating system found on laptops or personal computers. They are different in a way as to enable the mobile device to connect to the internet using mobile technologies, accepting/processing/outputting content format – that include voice, text, and images.
Currently the known mobile operating systems are Google’s Android, Apple’s iPhone, Nokia’s Symbian OS, Research in Motion’s Blackberry OS, Palm’s WebOS and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. The mobile operating system market is still growing. It is not mature and consolidated yet, but is surely making inroads to get there.
An operating system’s primary responsibility is to manage the processes within the system. Processes imply the various jobs being carried out by the processor. Along with this it also maps the memory usage and file usage. It carries out all input and output requests, and manages networking and allied activities.
Mobile operating systems are indeed subject to risks. Bluesnarfing software accesses information without permission from your Bluetooth device. It does so by using a Bluetooth connection and use subversive protocols. Bluesnarfing will access all information from your mobile. Your contacts, emails, and other sensitive information will be stolen. This is a major concern for mobile operating system makers, and all efforts are being carried out to snuffle these attacks by using preventive technologies.
Now the question arises…which is the best mobile operating system. Most technologists would say that a Linux based mobile operating system is good, as it offers robustness. However, Linux is open-source, so some may prefer other mobile platforms that are not open source like Symbian or Windows OS.
When looking at a mobile operating system, you need to see to a lot of factors. Check the programming language the OS is made in. Is it C, C++? Is it open license or proprietary? Check its web browser. It will have a default web browser. You can also download your own web browser when you start using it. Most Mobile OS will have the standard email protocols like POP3, IMAP. Some Mobile Operating Systems will have in-built GPS. Other’s will use third party software.
