Linux Solutions

Well I doff my hat to Google, they lived up to their promise of releasing the source code for their new Google Android platform. The release comes just one day from the general release (in America) of the new G1 handset, available exclusively through T-Mobile.

Google made the announcement to release the source code in November 2007, as part of an open source computing and software initiative headed up by the search engine giant.

Open software development is fast becoming the cool thing to do (if you are a g33k and proud of it) and is becoming more prevalent in the computer and software industry.

“In the last five years, Google has witnessed firsthand through social networking sites that the applications development community at large is stronger than any collective of corporate programmers,” Colin Gillis, an equity analyst with Canaccord Adams, said.

“The real potential will be when the developer community gets their hands on the source code. We want to see what the community does with a powerful code base like this,” he added

It’s fair to compare Google’s strategy with that of the Apple iPhone - The Apple App Store allows users to develop their own applications for sale or otherwise, but they have never opened the source code.

“When you open up your operating system to other developers, you never know where good ideas are going to come from,” Steve Weinstein, an equity analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, said. “Apple’s iPhone App store is great. Time will tell if Google will be as successful.”

So far, there have been mixed reviews of the G! handset.

“In terms of its styling and design, G1 does not break new ground,” wrote Wired blogger Priya Ganapati. “It is thicker and heavier than the Apple’s iPhone and lacks some of the iPhone’s features, including video playback. Instead of standard headphone and USB ports, it has a proprietary combination port.”

PC Magazine blogger Sascha Segan called the G1 “an initial solid effort” that is, “missing a bunch of key features right now - like a decent media player and support for corporate e-mail, for instance. But the G1, manufactured by HTC, is a quality phone with few bugs, and given the open nature of Android, I’m confident that more features are on the way.”