Mobile Computing: 2011 Summary

Mobile Computing: 2011 Summary

A Surprising Trend:

NetMarketShare published some interesting data, summarizing mobile OS usage in 2011 - Apple IOS and Google Android peaked while Oracle JavaME bottomed out in October 2011... but JavaME but reversed the trend, pushing Android into 3rd place in November and December 2011.

Between the Lines:
Android from Google uses Java Code stolen [improperly licensed] from now acquired Sun Microsystems, where Oracle is fighting to get their royalties restored. Android is little more than Linux combined with JavaSE. The combined Java mindshare in the mobile arena [combining Oracle's stolen JavaSE and JavaME] is almost equal to the Apple MacOSX UNIX based iOS.


Java is Competitive
The conclusion we can draw from this market share analysis is that Java on mobile clients is competitive. The uncertainty experienced by Android manufacturers continually being sued by operating system manufacturers and Google being sued by Oracle for Java license violations, however, continues to make Apple a secure ecosystem for developers.


The Future
With products used under Apple's iOS diversifying (i.e. iPad, iPhone, iPodTouch, AppleTV, etc.) - Apple iOS will remain competitive.

While JavaME manufacturers receive some indemnity (protection from lawsuits) - Android manufacturers have been giving more and more of their profit share to companies like Microsoft, whose patents were stepped on.

Once the Oracle lawsuit against Google has been settled, Java may be in a position to become more competitive, since the people who created the technology [JavaSE and JavaME], has cross-technology licensing agreements with Microsoft, and will be properly compensated, rather than a third-party [who is competing with their own Windows phone] sucks the profit well dry from Android.