"Harald Welte has issued a scathing opinion of Android on his blog. He bases it on Matt Porter's presentation at the Embedded Linux Conference Europe, called "Android Mythbusters" [PDF]. Porter outlined what he learned while porting Android to PowerPC and MIPS architectures. Welte characterizes Android as Google having "thrown 5-10 years of Linux userspace evolution into the trashcan and re-implemented it partially for no reason. [...] Executive summary: Android is a screwed, hard-coded, non-portable abomination." " -- I do _not_ necessarily share all Harald's opinions but thought it might make sense to read them anyway - A.T. from Bookmarklet

"thrown 5-10 years of Linux userspace evolution into the trashcan and re-implemented it" may make all the sense for fitting things on a mobile device. - 9000

@9000 well, there are pro and contra if we go that way... many desktop/server paradigms don't work in pocket device, starting from multi-user environment (and access control system based on that) and down to many applications necessities from OS... but throwing away years of work will bite into reliability - and you, dear users, will be lab rats... - A.T.

he says "Linux userspace evolution" like it's a good thing. - over 9000 other people

he meant that reliability and security do not come with *revolution* of any kind, if I were given privilege to interpret his words - A.T.

but the reason is, that Android as the "end-user platform" doesn't need linux's userspace. It is a vm-based solution which doesn't need linux at all. Linux is there because it was easier to make vm-starter using it. They can change underlying OS at any point and users won't notice the difference - Indeyets

vm-starter, sounds like Minesweeper starter, hehe :) yes I know what they do is TiVo-alike-only-mobile path... whether it is good or bad - for end-users, developers, non-Google business, public institutions and other NGOs -- this is still big bold question mark *???* - A.T.