Is Android going the Windows Way?

Remember the time when ‘you think of a computer as a body, you think of MS Windows as its soul’. Almost every computer in the world had Windows operating system. Now Android seems to be doing that with its impressive growth as the OS for the Smartphones.

Since its introduction in 2008, Android has been successfully in capturing the market and emerged as the market leader. A recent Gartner report said, “Android in the Smartphone operating system (OS) market doubled to nearly 62 percent in the second quarter of 2011, up from just over 31 percent in the corresponding period of 2010”.

As per my perspective, Android came in at the right time when the market was changing. The scene was changing from the computer to Smartphones. It was able to address the pain-points and the needs of the market. Additionally, it was open and flexible—and gave everyone the option to play and develop. If you look at the apps currently provided by Android market—it’s simply amazing.

The buzz in the market about Android is positive. There are rumors that Google is planning to foray into manufacturing of mobile hardware like Smartphones and tablets. Another step that will likely change the market scenario is the recent buy of Motorola mobility. It gives Google access to 17,000 patents!

But the most significant change would be mobile OS providers teaming up with the handset manufacturers and churning out products that meet the needs of the manufacturers and the customers. You might why is this change or step so significant?

Well, do you remember the major step that ushered in the personal computer revolution? Companies like Microsoft tied up with OEMs and brought in the revolution where Windows became the dominant player. The same revolution will happen in the mobile handset space, and Android will likely become the dominant player (going by the latest reports).

But will Android become as popular as Windows? As of now that it’s hard to say. Personally, I feel the market dynamics will not allow a single player to become as dominant and popular as Windows became in the personal computing space. But let’s wait and see what the future has in store for Android and its competitors?

What are your views on it?