I think there are about seven now...? OSX, Windows Mobile, Android, Maemo, Moblin, Symbian, and I dont remember.

So I think we will see an explosion of mobile OS's in the near future, and then the big fish will eat the little fish.

I wonder whats going to happen with Moblin and Maemo now that Nokia and Intel are working together.

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archi...pri_20090623rb

There's about a dozen active/mainstream mobile operating systems:

Some of the other manufacturers have their own proprietary operating system, e.g: Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and LG. Typically these are only used for 'dumb phones' as it's a major turn off due to the lack of applications for them.

I would certainly like the proprietary operating systems disappear and I would expect them to be swallowed up -- probably by Android, due to costs and its popularity.

Samsung won't let their "TouchWiz-based OS" go. They're currently working on a different path: to combine it with the Linux kernel. It sounds interesting, but it's the reality that's important, not how is sounds. According to Eldar we'll see the first devices using this "kind of OS" either late next year, or early 2011. As of now, they're only prototypes in their early stage.

In my opinion the losers will be WinMo and Symbian. The winners will be the Unix-systems, most likely lead by Android, simply because Android is used by a lot of phones while Maemo and WebOS are restricted to only a few.

iPhoneOS is also restricted to a few devices from one vendor.

Android is not POSIX...

Maemo/iPhoneOS/WebOS are not UNIX (tm).

Of these, only Maemo runs X11 while that is example of one of defacto definitions of UNIX with GUI.

You're not including BlackBerryOS.

...but I think you are partly right. However I believe Symbian and Windows Mobile will stay. For one, for their current usage. Second, they play catch up. Question is will they succeed catch up, and where succeed, where fail, what do others do in meantime, ..

It is just, the newcomers missed and miss features the old beasts did and do have while old farts miss new features of newcomers. It goes both ways really, while the former is sometimes (initially) forgotten or overlooked. For example, Maemo misses MMS and advanced way of handling phone like Symbian does.

Basicly you're saying that Iphone will dominate the entire world, huh!?

I get your point, but Symbian has India as its stronghold (huge userbase, bigger than USA and Europe combined). It'll take more than about one year for Android to localize its sources around there, and until then, Symbian will have improved as well. Symbian^4 looks very promising, but the big question mark is whether it'll keep its huge market share until then. If it successfully does, then you shouldn't really leave it out.

As for WinMo, it depends on how much Microsoft will push it, and if they consider to weaken Windows as a whole to maintain a strong position in the mobile device market. WinMo has the most to catch up: its reputation. And this might be a difficult task, which might weaken Window's computer share. And that's also why it depends on if Microsoft determinates that it's worth the effort, risking various consequences.

Blackberry and WebOS are the ones that are in trouble, at least as long as they'll be locked down to one manufacturer. Remember, not every company has such a rapid fanbase as Apple does.

Maemo will be fine, due its openness. Iphone will be fine, due its loyal fanbase, but will therefore never threaten domination. Android is the real threat here, and if Google play their cards right here, they might get another step closer to their highest goal of them all: world domination. That is, if we don't do something.

People might find my posts being irritation because the vast majority of them are constantly bashing Google, but soon enough (actually almost already) their world domination will be a fact that can't be changed, as they're slowly but steadily taking over the world - one step at a time, one market at a time. If we don't do something now, then it might be too late. And you should fear it, because Google's monopoly will make Microsoft's counterpart look like a child's play.

Let me put it this way: it's debatable whether Google is evil or not, but if you know for sure, then it's you who are the evil one!

iPhone is not UNIX (tm). Mac OS X Server 10.5.0 Intel is UNIX (tm).

What does you refer to?

They roughly share the same kernel (Darwin) but that's all I think.

I would see Palm and WebOS dead within a year. I would also see WinMo marginalized if not outright dead. RIM is an unknown. The Crackberry base is as rabid as the iPhone base but the experience has started to look and feel dated. One possibility would be to develop a proprietary Blackberry UI and associated apps to run on top of Android.

I see Maemo 5 as not a great deal more relevant than Maemos 1 through 4 in the mass market. I take Nokia at their word that Maemo 6 will be the big release. However, I also take Maemo at their word that they see Symbian as the iPhone competitor. I would expect a renewed push in the Symbian world, both with hardware and with software.

Moblin is the wild card. There are mixed rumors (most recently revolving around the rumored iTablet) about how successful Intel has been with their next generation of netbook and, potentially, smartphone chips. If they can make it work with the 2010 Moorestown series, they could become a major player.

WinMo is bad right now. But Windows Mobile 7 is supposed to be great. The Zune OS is very good and will probably influence WinMo 7. And let's not forget Microsoft was already late once to the party with the PocketPC (Windows Mobile 3.0) and still nearly crushed Palm with its Palm OS.

RIM is at a difficult point. Will the stay focused on the business phones or will the expand even further into the multi media phone market? But I would say they are here to stay.

WebOS... hmm, could go either way.

Symbian, Symbian^1 (current) is done, there are no more bunnys that can be pulled out the hat. I think S60 5th editon is as far as it can go, but Symbian^2 could be good. So I would say Symbian will be around for a while. If only on 'dumb' phones.

Android. A big yes, I don't have to like it, but it will be there. There are a few obstacles in its way, multitouch in the US or speed to name two, but nothing that could not be fixed (see Droid). Plus Google, nuff said.

Moblin as mobile OS, I just do not see that.

iPhone OS, (OSX Mobile). Can you really take over the world with just one phone? I don't think so. I do not want to see everyone around me using the same phone. (two colors don't count as different, neither does the 3g vs. 3GS) I want a pink slider phone, that glows in the dark and can be worn as belly piercing on the weekend... (Ok I don't want that phone, but someone does...)

Here comes the problem, I think there is only room for 4 different mobile OSes. I named already seven, so what about Maemo?

I think it will be hard. Don't get me wrong, I ordered a N900, I own an N800 and I think it is great.
But there is hope, if Nokia really can provide a developmet plattform (with QT) that is identical on Symbian and Maemo, I think Maemo has a chance.