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Android source code released

As Google's Android operating system hits shelves on the T-Mobile G1 today for $179 with a 2-year service contract, Google has posted, as promised, the source code to Android in at effort to further the technology and boost its acceptance into the mobile field in a way Apple's iPhone hasn't allowed.

(Side note: The iPhone, in a 'stunning' move, says Steve Jobs, now makes up 40% of Apple's revenue -- which could only be surprising if the thing didn't start off costing $400 before Apple chopped the price in half.)

What does this mean? Source code is the actual bits-and-bytes language written by developers that tells a particular computer program what to do. Some companies keep a very tight hold on their source code, rarely letting anyone save for internal developers working it to actually see it, and even then they are only allowed to see parts. Think of it like a famous recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken or the formula for Coke -- it makes the product special and unique.

These companies feel the code is proprietary and a direct source of their income and revenue -- and they're right. Most notable for it's iron grip is Microsoft, which is constantly attacked for its stance on its source code by open-source developers (who, in my humble opinion, wish they were getting a chunk of the Redmond paycheck). But, that's beside the point.

Anyway, Apple has come under fire recently for not allowing developers to tinker with its source code, and -- in a rare case of me sticking up for Apple -- I think its right to keep a lid on it. Google is taking the open-source approach only because no one else in the large smartphone market has allowed it.

It'll be a tough uphill battle for Google even without giving millions of developers access to Android, and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out for them and affects the Android market share, which, despite widespread reports that the phone is sold out around the U.S., will need more than a good buzz to boost it above RIM's Blackberry and Apple's iPhone in terms of overall sales, staying power and, of course, popularity.







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“Android source code released”