Intel and Nokia Get "Cute" With Mobile Software
When executives from Intel (INTC) and Nokia (NOK) took the stage in Barcelona Monday to explain their latest joint effort, both sides hastened to say they wanted to avoid the “f-word.” That’s “f” as in “fragmentation.”
The term arises because the world of operating systems for cellphones is extremely complicated and seems to be getting more so, not like the neat world of PCs where Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows dominates. In smartphones, programmers have many potential targets for their application-development efforts.
There’s Apple’s (AAPL) hot iPhone, which has its own operating system and a vast array of apps. Google (GOOG), meanwhile, not only has its Linux-based Android operating system for cellphones but is promising to develop what it calls Chrome OS for broader applications.