Mamory is not the main reason, actually [LWN.net]

Mamory is not the main reason, actually

Posted Nov 13, 2007 21:48 UTC (Tue) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: A technical reason by szoth
Parent article: Dalvik: how Google routed around Sun's IP-based licensing restrictions on Java ME (Betaversion)

If you'll dig in Android SDK somewhat you'll find that it's using quite unusual approach to java: it loads and unloads whole applications with full java machine. Java machine starts slowly. No exceptions. And it loads classes slowly. So yes, they needed this streamlined format for technical reasons, not political ones. Of course it's always possible that political reasons played some role, but I don't think it was such a big role...

P.S. BTW this approach makes lack of C/C++ support so much more suspicious: if they isolate all applications at the linux kernel level and not at java classloader level then why they refuse to support C/C++ ? It should be trivial...

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Mamory is not the main reason, actually

Posted Nov 13, 2007 23:45 UTC (Tue) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link]

They probably refuse to support C/C++ because those programs are not portable on a binary-only
code level. They are portable on a source code level, but not binaries.

Since it's obvious that they want to allow for easy packaging and compatability between
different architectures then it makes sense to go with Java, since Java can be portable across
different cpus on the byte-code level and be able to keep the source code private.

They are taking the web-thought approach of using Linux and open source as a base for
launching rich proprietary applications. This is the classic Google approach and doesn't seem
to be anything new to me.

This may seem a negative at first blush if your a Free Software fan.. but if you think about
it it's not so bad. This is the first time in history when the the modern approach of FLOSS
software (as opposed to classic open source being used as research like early BSD and TCP)
versus Microsoft/Wintel-style proprietary applications being able to compete with each other
on a equal playing feild. (that is if this Android thing takes off)

It's a new platform, a new approach at making highly human oriented mobile computing and both
sides are starting off with a decent history, similar tools, open platform. If everything
works out for Google and Android it can be a watershed momement in the history of computer
science.

Can Free software ideal work out and will it be attractive to the average person? Or will the
capital that proprietary software can gather quickly be required for creating the innovative
programs people desire and need?

Android can potentially provide a platform for learning this answer in the real world.