Thursday, February 7, 2013

Android OS For Noobs

By Jan Everone


The Android operating system is much like the Windows OS you have on your PC. However, it is mainly designed to work on small, low power units like smartphones and tablets. It is intended to operate as efficiently as it can be while using as little electricity as possible. Android Inc. got worldwide attention when in August 2005 Google bought the business after which it immediately announced that they're going to be making the operating system Open Source in order that anyone can use it without having to pay for it or shell out any royalties.

The Android OS is actually founded on a customized variant of the Linux Kernel, Linux certainly already being an established open sorce option to Windows and OSX. At its most rudimentry level, an os provides the layer between the hardware and software designed to operate on it. When it comes to Android it must be able to pass instructions to the processor, microphone, camera, GPS, touchscreen and keypad etc. Different applications can then be created to operate on Android Operating System to make the device functional.

The Android operating system is an advanced piece of software and packs a big punch in a small package. It utilizes a lightweight relational database called SQLite to store and access data for the various applications that you install. It also has built-in playback capability for numerous different media types like WebM, H.263, H.264, PNG, GIF, BMP, MPEG, MP3, MIDI, WAV and JPEG.. When it comes to connectivity it will deal with the latest technologies out of the box such as GSM, IDEN, CDMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and WiMax, SMS and MMS types of messaging allowing it to be the perfect platform for application designers to develop innovative new software.

Android has overtaken nearly all other smartphone os available, including Apple's iOS which powers the iPhones and Blackberry's very own operating system. Towards the end of 2010, approximately 33 million smartphones were purchased which ran version of the Android operating system and research analyst NPD Group now estimates that half of all smartphone purchases are for an Android smartphone.

The driving factor behind this rapid uptake is the open source design of the OS. As a result any phone, tablet or portable device producer on earth can download the source files, alter and customize it for their unique needs then distribute it on handsets manufactured by them. The royalty free nature of Android has encouraged most of the biggest names in the smartphone market like HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola to build extremely attractive devices using the Android OS.

One other reason for the high demand of Android devices is that towards the end of 2010 there were above 200,000 applications for download which included everything from games to utilities, image editing to location based services. Unlike Apple's iTunes store, the vast majority of Android applications cost nothing or have free versions, which in turn motivates users to use Android devices.




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