LinuxInsider: Linux and the Asian PDA Markets: The Fight Begins

“Asia’s PDA markets have long been dominated by local players
that have developed their own proprietary operating systems, with
support for local languages serving as one of their strongest
selling points. But Palm and Microsoft have targeted the Asian PDA
market, and regional players increasingly are turning to Linux to
fight against the global giants.

“No one doubts the Linux upstarts face an uphill battle. For
one, Palm and Pocket PC offer a wider range of software. Moreover,
most Linux PDAs lack the ability to synchronize with Windows and
Mac OS. Perhaps most importantly, the smaller players lack the
marketing clout of their bigger rivals.

“But proponents claim the Linux players can take advantage of
Asia’s growing aversion to proprietary software and its restrictive
licensing terms. They also argue that Linux is more flexible. In
addition, a growing number of Asian PDA makers have concluded that
hardware cannot sustain the industry and that profits must come
from network services–which could level the playing field for the
Linux upstarts…”

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