We will see sooner or later a big match between Google's Android and Apple's iPhone OS in smart phone platforms. This two platforms are following different business models: Google's Android is free and open-sourced, and Apple's iPhone OS is proprietary and exclusive right-based.
This interesting article is talking about the different business models of Android and iPhone OS, and mostly focused on estimated problems of the open source software, Google's Android. (You would expect this if you saw the website address. It's from appleinsider...) However, I want to believe the power of global collaboration in Open Source Software. What do you think?
The article: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/10/inside_googles_android_and_apples_iphone_os_as_business_models.html
I guess open source is better for some things and not so good for others (open source software for running a nuclear power plant?).
SvaraRaderaThe article suggest that smartphones is one of those places where open source might not be so good compared to tighter integration of hardware + software. And I think it has good arguements but I haven't seen the pro-open source, pro-Android take on this question...
Yes, I agree with you in that sense. However, there is a possibility that open-sourced Android platform can compete with Apple platform even if mobile phone needs tighter integration of hardware and software. It can survive just like a Firefox with thousands of open sourced plug-ins.
SvaraRadera