"I'd put the Linux phenomenon really as threat No. 1."

--Steve Ballmer, 2001

Summary: Signs of gains and prospects for mobile Linux, but whose Linux?

GNU/Linux leads to the cheapening of Windows Mobile, just like in sub-notebooks. In simple terms, GNU/Linux is a competition so strong to Windows that Microsoft is left without choice but to reduce its prices. The following report, which is based on another from The Digital Times€® (subscription required), states in its headline that "Microsoft Will Make Windows Mobile Cheaper To Compete With Open Source."

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) will adopt a two-pronged approach to the mobile operating system market that will be able to compete against both the iPhone and Android, according to a report in DigiTimes that claims to know Microsoft’s Windows Mobile roadmap.

This may have a negative effect on profitability in the already-struggling unit of operation which is Windows Mobile. Some wonder why Microsoft has seemingly given up on this market. From Matt Asay for instance:

Microsoft's curious lack of ambition in mobile

[...]

Microsoft is fond of talking about just how much it spends on research and development. But it's time to stop talking and start shipping. I've heard rumors of an exceptional mobile product on the way from Microsoft, but that's all I ever hear: something "in the cooker" that will "rock the world soon!"

As Morrissey used to croon for The Smiths, "How soon is now?"

Another new report is suggesting that Samsung builds its own Linux-based operating system for mobile devices.

So far Samsung has been pretty platform agnostic, merrily churning out phones for any open mobile OS available, with unifying TouchWiz interface on top. But now it seems that Samsung has started working on their own Linux based mobile OS. According to Mobile Review:

(Samsung is) now working on a vertical Linux-based solution of their own, using their proprietary TouchWiz interface to tie up various platforms and prepare themselves for the upcoming Linux-powered devices… Samsung might be a little late (with their mobile Linux OS effort), but through various marketing tricks is covering it up. For now Samsung is spreading it’s widgets to phones and netbooks, but it is too early to call it fully vertically integrated solution.

The big problem here is that Samsung pays "Linux tax" to Microsoft.

According to MoblinZone, the SUSE-based Moblin may gain in the future and the problem there too is that "Linux tax" remains a possibility.

Linux x86 vitality bodes well for Moblin project

We could not determine if the above site is an Intel marketing blog because it was registered at "Domains by Proxy, Inc." (betterwhois reveals nothing more). Microsoft's front group ACT registers domains in the same way. Regardless of what's behind Moblin, here is a new review of the beta.

The Intel backed linux OS reaches beta stage so we decided to give it a test drive

Linux seems likely to gain dominance in the mobile arena, but products like Android exclude GNU and add DRM. Moreover, it is concerning to see this potential that Microsoft will leech off of Linux-powered devices using software patents. Involvement by convicted felons like Intel and companies like Samsung and Novell (which joined Microsoft's patent racket) does not help at all. ⬆

"It puts the Linux phenomenon and the Unix phenomenon at the top of the list."

--Steve Ballmer, 2001