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from an open platform to an alternative to Microsoft products, closed to anything that is not Linux or Linux-like. It is clear already that the dominant position for developers and users is a 'with us or against us' one.
Of course the fact that Android specification and that a free SDK are publicly available will give the benefit of having a fully customizable and expandable product, something like Linux is for Computing at this time.

This may anyway not be enough. Handheld devices are so popular now that they are owned by far more common users than expert computer geeks. Because of this, an easy to use handheld will probably always be the most successful one. The open, fully-customizable and easy to develop on platform maybe a daydream for programmers, but may not meet the requirement for the common man.

At this point it is also unclear what the business model will be: a somehow free-of-charge hypothesis was made since the beginning, but this is not discussed officially after the platform announcement. So what will actually OHA became after all? It is actually a revolution in the mobile market, just like Linux was to ICT, or will it become just another micro operating system on just another kind of mobile phone?
OHA gathered the biggest group of hardware and software companies ever seen to joinly work on a common platform, but will this work spread to the wide public or will it eventually become a niche product for technology enthusiasts and for high profile end users?
Only time will tell, but it is crucial for the OHA to find a way to actively involve users in their designing process: developers are a precious resource to Android, but users are crucial for the commercial success of the enterprise.

Learn more about this author, Luca Mauri.
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