Smart Phone and Next Generation Mobile Computing

Mobile Terminal Platforms 241

wireless solution for mobile devices. In this sense, BREW is com-

peting with J2ME. However, these two technologies are not entirely

competitors. For example, Qualcomm has selected IBM’s J9 Java vir-

tual machine for BREW, thereby making it possible to execute Java

applications.

4.9 Comparisons of Mobile Software Platforms

Symbian OS and Palm OS are historically dedicated mobile operat-

ing systems for cell phones and PDAs, respectively. Both of them

are tightly connected to a group of mobile device manufacturers:

Symbian is in effect funded by a number of cell phone manufacturers,

and Palm OS is dedicated to Palm devices. The trend of conver-

gence of these mobile devices opens up enormous opportunities for

Symbian and