A rough guide to mobile open source

What is Maemo?
The upcoming, open-source Symbian is far from being Nokia's only mobile, open-source play.

For the last three years or so, the Finnish manufacturer has been behind the Maemo Linux operating system, which it uses for its internet tablets such as the N810 (the WiMax edition of which is pictured above).

What are the pros?
Maemo has garnered a lot of interest from developers who are keen to address what many think will be an exploding market: that of the mobile internet device (MID). A lot of interesting applications have been created for the operating system, and N800-series devices have been the most visible MIDs to date.

Nokia also recently announced that the next generation of Maemo would, for the first time, support cellular connectivity. This will make it possible to create Maemo-toting MIDs that can use, for instance, HSDPA for data connectivity — until now they have only been able to use Wi-Fi.

What are the cons?
Developers have, thus far, been about the only people to buy Maemo-toting devices. The operating system remains, for now, fairly small fry in the mobile, open-source market.

Next: Openmoko.