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Sober IT truths from the island-state

by Michael Tan, Singapore

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Google's Android to hit almost every household

Jun 12, 2009 18:57

Android on phone. Check.

Android on X86 PC and Netbooks and laptops. Check.

All this is fine. But it doesn't give Android the incredible reach which will really make Ballmer have a heart attack yet.

Until I came across this article.

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700920. In short, Android on the MIPS processor. Complete source code. In 60 days.

The MIPS processor is everywhere. DVD players, settop boxes (including your cable TV box), digital media appliances, many phones, routers, Tivo boxes, Sony PlayStation 1, Sony PlayStation 2, the Wii, N64, most Windows CE mobile devices, PSP, most video arcade consoles, PDAs, everything!

And it changes everything. Talk about a retrofit, imagine a PSP running Android. Converting your PS2 to an Android device. Making old things new again and useful. More than enough CPU power to run Android, with a full browser, Gmail on your N64?

Talk about new devices, wow. A new DVD player with embedded Android, playing DVD with full browser? Sigma Designs is the world's no. 1 supplier of MIPS chips to the settop box industry, and what magic any idiot could perform on a settop box with MIPS with hardly any effort--all the apps are done. The full browser is free. Gmail app built-in. Capability to run any application on Android Market, contact address book, Google Maps, Google Finance, messaging integration, Google Talk, Webcam support, Facebook applets, Imap email, YouTube, and now Adobe Flash Lite run on Sigma Designs' chips, giving you inline flash--watch Vimeo, Viddler, everything. And that's only a lowly DVD player.

Bluray players, digital media appliances (basically a networked DVD player without a DVD drive), anything.

It's not like Linux on these boxes, with no great browser, no easily usable apps. Android has a full suite which makes anything which runs it have the full functionality of a PC and more. This will be millions of people added to the Google family every month.

Now, it's truly Android everywhere. Waiting for Android 2.0 with Chrome in it.

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ShiningStar

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ShiningStar says...
Doesn't Linux have firefox?

For me PS3 running Andriod OS would be something I like. Then again I'm cautious with anything Google.

Jun 12, 2009 22:24

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michaeltan

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michaeltan says...
Firefox is not really optimized for mobile, being big and heavy.

Jun 13, 2009 12:19

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About Michael Tan

Michael Tan is lucky enough not to have to choose between his job and his passion. He is the responsible for all aspects of developing new businesses and sourcing new productlines for a regional IT distribution company. He also oversees the company's legal affairs as General Counsel. In real life, he is a technology enthusiast, from both the fun and business viewpoint. The only choices he has to make are whether to play with his astro telescopes, his PC games, his Wii console, hit the track, tweak his car, or refine his biofilters, post his blogs, research for a new digicam, scour every forum to feed his habit further, play with his son… You can reach Michael at michaeltanyk@gmail.com ALL BLOGPOSTS ONLY REFLECT MICHAEL'S OPINIONS AND NOBODY ELSES'.