Comparative analysis of mobile operating systems

Good day, dear habrayuzer. I want to present to you for trial a comparative analysis of mobile operating systems, which I did as part of my WRC. The data are given for April-May 2011 and may differ from the current.

For the analysis of software platforms we will use several criteria.

1. Company-developer of the mobile operating system.

2. Age - how many years on the market.
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3. Source Code. May be closed or open. Closed source code - as a rule, this means that only compiled versions of the platform are distributed and the license implies the lack of access to the source code of the operating system; Open - means that the source code is available for viewing, studying and modifying, which allows a third-party developer to participate in the refinement of the system itself.

4. Kernel type.

• The monolithic core provides a rich set of hardware abstractions. All parts of the monolithic core work in the same address space. This is a scheme of the operating system in which all components of its core are integral parts of the same program, use common data structures and interact with each other by directly calling procedures.
• The microkernel provides only elementary process control functions and a minimal set of abstractions for working with equipment. Most of the work is done through special user processes called services. The decisive criterion for “microkernels” is the placement of all or almost all drivers and modules in service processes, sometimes with the apparent inability to load any expansion modules into the microkernel itself, as well as the development of such extensions.
• Hybrid kernels are modified microkernels that allow launching “non-essential” parts in kernel space to speed up work. [one]

5. Supported processor architectures.

• The x86 processors are microprocessors that support the same instruction set and have a micro-architecture derived from IA-32, that is, Intel Architecture 32-bit. The chips are based on the CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) architecture, that is, “with a complete set of instructions”), in which each instruction can perform several low-level operations at once.
• ARM processors are 32-bit chips based on the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture, that is, with a reduced instruction set. This architecture is based on the idea of ​​increasing speed by maximally simplifying instructions and limiting their length. [2]

6. Friendliness - an assessment of how an unprepared user can deal with the system. [3] [4] [5]

7. System performance - how complex and technically difficult operations a system can perform. [3] [4] [5]

8. Computational costs - how quickly the system handles a specific operation. [3] [4] [5]

9. Reliability - the ability of the system to maintain in time the ability to perform the required functions. [3] [4] [5]

10. Fault tolerance is the property of a technical system to retain the ability to function correctly after a system failure or some of its parts. [3] [4] [5]

11. Continuity - shows how the development company supports updating the software platform on devices with an outdated system. For example, take the Motorola Milestone Communicator. With the release it was installed Android 2.1., A year later, Android 2.2 was released. under it. This is not the best indicator. [3] [4] [5]

12. Multitasking - the property of the operating system to provide the possibility of parallel (or pseudo-parallel) processing of several processes.

13. The official app store is created by a software company. This is an electronic store that can be accessed directly from a mobile device. In this store, the company-developer, as well as third-party developers post their applications for free / paid download by users.

14. The number of applications in the store - data from April 27, 2011. [6]

15. Multi-touch is a function of sensory input systems that simultaneously determine the coordinates of two or more touch points.

16. Copy / paste - the ability to copy and paste text.

17. Screen technology.

• The resistive screen is a glass liquid crystal display, on which a flexible membrane is applied. A resistive composition is applied on the contacting sides, and the space between the planes is separated by a dielectric. Electrodes are fixed at the edges of the plates (four or eight, five or six and seven). It is easy to guess that when pressed, the screen and the membrane are in contact at the point of pressing, the coordinates of which are calculated by sequentially applying current to the upper and lower plates and measuring the voltage at the point of contact of the plates. That is why such a screen can be pressed with any hard object - from the fingernail and the stylus to a pencil or a match, and it will work.
• The capacitive touchscreen is generally a glass panel coated with a layer of transparent resistive material. At the corners of the panel are installed electrodes that feed a low-voltage alternating voltage to the conductive layer. Since the human body is capable of conducting electrical current and has some capacity, when the screen is touched, a leak appears in the system. The location of this leak, that is, the point of contact, is determined by the simplest controller based on data from the electrodes at the corners of the panel. [7]

18. Firmware update

• By air - the update takes place via WiFi connection or via 3G directly on the mobile device.
• By cable - to do this, you need to connect your mobile device to a personal computer and install an update using specialized programs.

19. Place in the world - takes into account the pace of development and the current market share for March 29, 2011 and the forecast for 2015. [eight]



References to sources:
1. Wikipedia. Kernel operating system. ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_System core .
2. Nechay O. ARM processors against x86. www.computerra.ru/terralab/platform/537232 .
3. w3bsit3-dns.com. Forum on the portal w3bsit3-dns.com. W3bsit3-dns.com/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=150862&view=findpost&p=7879661 .
4. w3bsit3-dns.com. Forum on the portal w3bsit3-dns.com. W3bsit3-dns.com/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=36065&view=findpost&p=7880309 .
5. w3bsit3-dns.com. Forum on the portal w3bsit3-dns.com. W3bsit3-dns.com/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=36065&view=findpost&p=7879036 .
6. Spriensma, Gert Jan. The Emerging Tablet Market. www.distimo.com/blog/2011_04_the-battle-for-the-most-content-and-the-emerging-tablet-market .
7. Nechai O. Capacitive vs. resistive. www.computerra.ru/terralab/mobilis/518123 .
8. Davies, Chris. Windows Phone number two smartphone OS by 2015 predicts IDC. www.slashgear.com/windows-phone-number-two-smartphone-os-by-2015-predicts-idc-29143143 .