Opinion: Mobile Linux is Not About Free Software

“Linux is by far the software most commonly associated with (and
often mis-identified with) open source and free software, where
free refers to liberty, not costs. However, access to source code,
ability to modify or redistribute, and the royalty-free nature of
Linux are hardly the reasons why four out of five handset OEMs have
adopted Linux. In other words, mobile Linux has not been adopted
because of its ‘free software’ qualities.

“In 2007, handset OEMs have adopted Linux to varying degrees,
from Motorola’s portfolio-wide Linux strategy to Nokia’s Internet
Tablets segment-specific strategic experiment with Linux…”

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