Mobile managers face a tough choice when weighing which mobile
platform or operating system to deploy to mobilize the workforce.
There's BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Symbian, Linux and
J2ME. How do they choose? Which platforms perform which functions
well, and where do they fall short?
We at SearchMobileComputing.com want to make that choice a
little easier. We've assembled a team of experts and asked them to
weigh the good and bad of each mobile platform. With this series of
stories, we hope to help you choose the platform that's right for
your company and help you cast aside those that may not fit your
needs.
BlackBerry -- mobile email's 'gold
standard'
Part 1: BlackBerry. BlackBerry is among the most popular mobile
platforms. Experts say it's great for mobile email, but its
functionality as an application device needs some fine-tuning.
Windows Mobile -- not quite there
yet
Part 2: Windows Mobile. It's Microsoft, so it will gain its share
of the market on name alone. But when it comes to functionality,
Windows Mobile may have a little house-cleaning to do before it
goes truly mainstream
Palm OS -- not the best for the
multitasker
Part 3: Palm OS. Palm makes a fairly popular operating system. And
as Palm's Treo smartphones continue to sell like hot cakes, it may
become more widely used. As an operating system, it's pretty simple
to master, but the platform's inability to multitask may prompt
some users to close their fists.
Symbian -- that 'European operating
system'
Part 4: Symbian. As an operating system, Symbian is huge in Europe,
but it has yet to really catch on in the U.S. Some experts
attribute that to the limited number of Symbian devices available
here.
Linux -- a land of misconceptions
Part 5: Linux. Not so much an operating system as it is a kernel,
Linux has a loyal following and is bound to take mobility by storm
-- if mobile purists allow it.
J2ME -- looking for its place in the
enterprise
Part 6: J2ME. As a platform, J2ME, or Java ME, is used on mostly
consumer devices. It has gained minor traction in the enterprise,
but its many flavors can create headaches.