The Register: Linux to push Palm off PDA pole position – Sharp

“Sharp wants Linux to dominate the PDA market when it launches a
version of its Zaurus handheld based on the open source operating
system in October (see Sharp tools up with Linux to fight
Palm).”

“So says Hiroshi Uno, head of Sharp’s mobile systems division,
in an interview with Bloomberg. He expects to help achieve that
goal by selling over a million of the devices by next March.”

“There’s certainly plenty of flag waving going on here. “Now
that we are putting up a banner that we will go with the Linux
operating system, we hope others will join,” Uno said. “Our aim is
for [Linux-based] PDAs to grab about half of the market.”

“With Palm currently controlling around 69 per cent of the
global palmtop market, followed by Microsoft’s Windows CE/Pocket PC
platform at 17 per cent and Symbian’s EPOC 32 taking the remaining
14 per cent, according to market researcher IDC’s latest figures,
if Sharp achieves its stated aim, it will mean a massive shift of
power in the PDA arena.”

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