Android vs. LiMo: What's the Difference?

[Neya]

Android vs. LiMo: What's the Difference?
<http://latestlinuxnews.blogspot.com/2008/05/android-vs-limo-whats-difference.html>

With LiMo’s recent announcement that Verizon had hopped onto their Board
of Directors, things are starting to heat up between the LiMo platform
and Google’s competing product, Android. Both are open-source
Linux-based platforms, and both are aiming to rock the handset market
sometime in the next year or so.

LiMo is Linux-based. Android is Linux-based. But they’re far from the
same. Below, I’ll try to explain some of the key differences without
going /too/ heavy on the tech jargon. (Fiiine. It gets a bit heavy for a
paragraph or two. But I’ll avoid it where possible.)

**

1) Backers/Funding

*LiMo:* The LiMo platform is backed by the LiMo Foundation, which was
founded by Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Panasonic, Samsung, and
Vodafone, and has since added 34 other members to the list. In
membership fees alone ($400k a year for each of the 9 “Core” members,
and $40k a year for each of the 25 “Associate” members) , the foundation
has raised at least 4.6 million before adding in whatever funds the
founding members pitched in at the start.

*Android:* Android is backed by the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). OHA has
33 founding members besides Google, including 3 of the LiMo Foundation’s
7 founders (namely Samsung, Motorola, and NTT DoCoMo). No word on
Android’s budget so far. While the way Google flashes cash with things
like the $10 Million Dollar Android Developer Challenge doesn’t
absolutely prove that their budget is larger, it certainly implies it.

*In other words:* Both platforms have massive companies as partners, and
presumably a good amount of money behind them. Android is largely touted
as a Google project, where LiMo isn’t really pushed as being under the
wing of a single company.

*2) Dev Status*

*LiMo:* LiMo was announced in January of 2007, the first handsets hit in
early 2008, the API (Application Program Interface, a set of pre-defined
routines for developers to utilize) is available now , and their
software development kit (programming tools and documentation for
developing and testing applications) is set to release in the second
half of 2008.

*Android: * Android was announced on November 5th of 2007, and an early
version of their SDK was released within a week. The first Android
handsets are planned for the end of 2008.

*In other words:* LiMo has devices on the market and an API available,
but no SDK. Android isn’t available on any handsets yet, but already has
an SDK in the hands of developers. Before anyone has really began
working on LiMo applications, we’re already seeing Android apps being
demoed.
<http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/05/09/mit-students-demonstrate-their-android-applications/>

*3) Applications*

*LiMo:* LiMo applications can be written in C/C++, allowing them to run
natively.

*Android:* Android applications are written in Java, so all applications
will be running in a Virtual Machine. Virtual Machines mean CPU
overhead, meaning applications that may not be as efficient as if they
were running native. However, it almost absolutely guarantees a standard
application environment across Android devices.

*In other words:* LiMo applications are running in a language the
operating system (OS) inherently understands, while Android applications
are running in a virtual environment on top of the operating system.
More importantly - you can write a Java virtual machine in C or C++, so
while it could be possible to run Android applications on LiMo be it
someone wrote a compatible virtual machine, it is far less likely to see
LiMo’s C/C++ applications somehow emulated in Java. I was wrong -
Android apps aren’t running in a Java VM, they’re running in a Dalvik
VM. As such, portability in either direction is unlikely.

*4) Handsets/Carriers*

*LiMo:* There are a number of LiMo based handsets on the market, from
Panasonic, NEC, Motorola, Purple Labs, LG, or Aplix. Current carrier
partners are Vodafone and NTT DoCoMo, and Verizon has announced plans to
offer LiMo devices in 2009.

*Android:* HTC has mentioned that they’re working on at least 2-3
Android handsets for 2008, and LG is working on at least one for 2009.
The other handset manufacturers registered as Open Handset Alliance
members are Motorola and Samsung. Current carrier partners are Sprint
Nextel, T-Mobile, China Mobile, Telefonica and Telecom Italia.

**

5) Hype

*LiMo: *Fairly low. There just isn’t much chatter about LiMo, besides
articles summarizing press releases. I couldn’t find any LiMo
enthusiasts, or communities focused around LiMo devices.

*Android: *High, largely because of Google’s involvement and all the
speculation that went on before it was announced. I found a number of
opinion articles on Android, and a handful of budding fan forums.

**

6) Design Aspects

*LiMo:* Middleware only, meaning LiMo only handles things that are
tucked below what the user actually sees. User experience items, such as
the interface, are the responsibility of those developing the device.

*Android:* Android is a full software stack, meaning it consists of an
operating system, middleware, user interface, and applications. Android
will have a standard user interface, but as it is open source, the
carrier/manufacture, and potentially the end user, are free to change it.

*In other words:* LiMo is only part of the software package that goes on
a device, while Android is pretty much the whole package. If those
developing the device are looking to start with a complete software
solution, they’d probably go with Android. If they’re looking to write
their user experience layer from scratch, they’d go with LiMo.

*So who will win?*

That’s a hard question to answer, as they both offer a totally different
solution. Google offers a complete solution, which can be remolded from
the top down. LiMo’s solution provides a foundation, on which developers
can build the user experience from the ground up.

In terms of adoption, I’m willing to bet Android will reign victorious
in the end. The crowds are already buzzing about it, and a number of
developers are already cracking out code for it. Thanks to Google’s name
being beside it at all times, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard a
mobile operating system discussed amongst my non-gadget-obsessed friends
(Even though it was just another “OMG! Is this going to be better than
what’s on the iPhone?!?!” conversation,) and it hasn’t even hit the
market yet.

http://latestlinuxnews.blogspot.com/2008/05/android-vs-limo-whats-difference.html