Analyst: embedded Linux costs more
Posted Jul 16, 2003 16:05 UTC (Wed) by
davidl (guest, #12156)
Parent article:
Analyst: embedded Linux costs more
What do they mean by Linux? These is not defined. If you develop 'embedded' applications with Linux, from scratch, then yes it will take longer. Using Montavista Linux, and development tools like Embedded Qt it will take no time at all. What about J2ME on Linux? This is being used everywhere in mobile phones for instance. What tools are being used with Linux? The only thing mentioned was VS.NET, and I know that doesn't run with Linux. The only thing it mentions with regards to Linux are 50 anonymous OEMs (not developers or companies - OEMs - a Microsoft term) using various 'distributions' of 'embedded Linux'. Hardly a definition. Anyway, I doubt whether anywhere near 50 OEMs are using Microsoft embedded tools in projects of the size and cost they seem to be talking about.
Notice how the figures of time-to-market, the average number of developers and the cost(!) are simply increased without any explanation. "Yer, we'll add a million to it. That sounds good". Of course, no Microsoft-sponsored report would be complete without the "We're not slinging mud at Linux, honest!" line:
"Embedded Linux can be effective in distinct scenarios, but does not broadly translate into lower cost or faster development,"
I couldn't get access to the site, www.embedded-forecast.com - which bizarrely, gets forwarded to www.embeddedforcast.com - as it was down. The latter is a shiny new Windows 2003 server running IIS 6.0, so no shocks there. They should have stuck to www.embedded-forecast.com which apparently is running hosting software on Solaris 8. Something can be inferred from that, I'm sure, such as a feeble attempt to mask what they're using or a 'Microsoft takeover'. Anyone's guess. Wow, it's now back up and it's got the look and feel of a Microsoft site. When I try and download the PDF report I am presented with a certificate warning which tells me that this certificate is registered to registeredsite.com not embeddedforecast.com. I accept and, yes, the ubiquitous IIS 404 error which tells me the document cannot be found. These people really know what they're doing. The site is now down again. Hilariously outstanding.
This report (from what I've managed to read) is meaningless as it doesn't define what it is talking about. It just talks about 'Linux' as a one-size-fits-all thing, like Windows, which it isn't. This is exactly the sort of concept that Microsoft is having no luck whatsoever in getting it's head around.
It is yet another transparent Microsoft-sponsored report that will simply be forgotten. It's simply another desperate attempt to get Microsoft software accepted in the embedded (small devices) market, and to turn it into a PC market clone where companies simply make devices and pay an OEM license to run Windows. Notice how Pocket PCs have to be more powerful and more expensive than anything else just to get it to run Windows. It hardly qualifies as an embedded device in my book.
This isn't happening and it isn't going to happen because companies like Nokia and Sharp aren't thick, they have good dominant products already and they want control over the development of them. Linux, Symbian and J2ME in particular are entrenched in the embedded development market and they are not budging. I'm wondering when Microsoft are going to learn that they will not make a monopoly out of this market. They are still kicking and screaming in that stairwell I'm pleased to say.
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