The Origins of Android

The original meaning of the word Android refers to the "robot", also is Google announced on November 5, 2007 on the Linux platform-based open-source mobile phone operating system name, the platform by the operating system, middleware, user interface and application software composition, Claims to be the first truly open and complete mobile operating system for mobile devices.

The production of Android has to be said from Andy Rubin (Andy Rubin). Andy Rubin is a Silicon Valley famous geek who has worked in Apple, General Magic, WebTV and other companies in 2000 and was involved in the founding of the danger company. The company's Hiptop (T-mobile Sidekick) Smartphone features Internet access, full keyboard and camera functions, which were popular in the United States in 2003. After leaving danger, Andy Rubin started a new company dedicated to developing a mobile phone operating system. Because Linus Torvalds wrote his own operating system called Linux, Andy Rubin's name was Andrew, plus he was a robot fan, so the new company was named Android. This is the origin of Android.

Note: Geek: also translated as technical guest, odd guest, is the transliteration of English word geek. In the "American Slang", a scholar or an intellectual who is superior in intelligence and who is good at studying but does not know how to communicate with others, contains derogatory meaning. The word now means a person with a great intellect, a keen interest in computer and web technology, and a lot of time to delve into it.

Andy:andrew's nickname

In July 2005, Android, which was founded only 22 months ago, is being rushed into Google's acquisition of wireless internet business, and Andy Rubin has joined Google with Android, continuing to lead the development of mobile operating systems. From this time onwards, the industry began to rumor that Google will enter the mobile communications market, and the launch of its own brand of mobile products. Others have compared it to Apple's newly launched iphone, which is named "Gphone", and the online speculation about Gphone is flying all over the place.

Gphone conjecture diagram

In the uproar for more than two years, after countless media reports and speculation, November 5, 2007 Google finally released the answer, it is surprising that the legendary Google phone or Gphone did not appear. Google announced its alliance with 33 other handset makers (including Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG), handset chip suppliers, software and hardware suppliers, and telecoms operators (such as China Mobile) to form an open mobile phone consortium (open handset Alliance), which released the name Android Of the open mobile hardware and software platform.

      September 23, 2008, Google and American telecom operator T-mobile jointly launched the first Google phone in New York--t-mobileG1. The phone, made by HTC, is the world's first mobile phone with an Android operating system, named Dream (Chinese Meaning: Dreams).      The world's first Android phone

The Android system will be upgraded every six months in the future, each year in the summer and the end. and starting with version 1.5, every generation of Android will be named after the food. For example, the current 1.5 version is called cupcake (cupcakes), the next version will be named Donut (Donut), followed by Eclair (French Cream sandwich dessert) and flan (Fruit pie).

Android's system architecture

Android is a Linux-based platform, fully open and free open source mobile phone operating system, its system architecture and other operating systems, the use of layered architecture. From the architecture diagram, Android is divided into four tiers, from the high-level to the lower layer, which are application layer, application framework layer, system run-level and Linux core.

Android System architecture diagram

1. Application

Android is published with a range of core application packages, including system interfaces, contact management programs, browsers, and more. All applications are written in the Java language.

2. Application Framework

Application architecture Design simplifies the reuse of components, and any application can publish its block of functionality and be used by any other application, making it easy for users to replace program components. The application framework layer contains most of the view system, content provider, explorer, Notification Manager, Activity Manager, window manager, Phone manager, Package Manager nine.

3. System Runtime Library

A. System library. It contains a library of C + + libraries that can be used by different components of the Android system. They provide services to developers through the Android application framework.

B. Run Library. By the core library and Dalvik virtual institutions. The core library provides most of the functionality of the Java programming language Core library, with each Android application running in its own process, with a separate instance of the Dalvik virtual machine.

4.Linux kernel

Android's core system services are based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, such as security, memory management, process management, network protocol stacks, and drive models. The kernel, as an abstraction layer, exists between the software stack layer and the hardware layer

Technical features of the Android operating system

Compared to other mobile phone operating systems, Android has four advantages:

One is openness. Android is a truly open mobile device integrated platform that includes all the software needed for mobile phone work such as operating systems, middleware, user interfaces, and applications. The Android operating system is provided free of charge to developers, and there are no proprietary barriers that have previously hindered the innovation of the mobile industry, which can save up to 30% of costs for third-party vendors.

The second is an application without boundaries. Android breaks the boundaries between applications and creates a new operational experience for users. Applications on Android can access the core mobile device functionality through standard APIs. With the Internet, applications can declare their functionality and be used by other applications. Software developers are free to use SDK development kits to develop a variety of applications that run on the Android platform.

Third, the application of equality. All Android apps are created under equal conditions, and they are completely equal. Applications on mobile devices can be replaced or extended, and users can even replace the default phone dialing software in the system with other third-party phone dialing software. You can also change the contents of the main Interface display window, or replace any app in your phone with other apps you need, which is almost impossible on other mobile platforms.

Four is that the application can be easily embedded in the network. Applications can easily embed HTML, Javascript, and stylesheets, and we can display their own HTML files, or Web content, through WebView in an Android app.

The Android system swept the smartphone market in less than two years, gaining the favor of mobile operators, handset makers, developers and consumers. ARM, Asus, Sony Ericsson, Huawei, Toshiba, China Unicom and many other enterprises have joined the Open mobile Phone Alliance, will further promote the application of Android system. In addition to HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, ACER, Huawei and other companies have launched a new version of the Android system, and the Android platform has begun to reach the netbook, digital TV, mobile Internet equipment (MID) and other mobile phone areas. According to data from the open source software PRODUCT and service provider Black Duck, the Android platform is the most popular platform for open source developers after the iphone in 2008, and the release of Android SDK 1.5 has attracted a lot of developers, currently Android The number of applications on the market has exceeded the 10000 mark, and free software accounts for 64.2%. On the whole, Android operating system is increasingly popular, according to market analysis and Media research company Informa forecast, Google Android mobile platform will surpass the Apple iphone operating system within three years, I believe that the development of Android space will be more and more broad.

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Here are some ideas about Android from bbs.meizu.com

Android, strictly speaking, is not considered a Linux
Android is a generic term, specifically, Google uses a core of Linux, using this core to manage processes, control hardware.
then Google took advantage of Java technology, made its own virtual machine, to the application Software a running platform.
Java technology was originally Sun's, Sun has its own standards (useful in Mobile Phone On the server), but Google feels that Sun's plan limits too much. So with Java technology to make a different set.
This is Android.
Android programs are running on the virtual machine provided by Google, and then the relationship between the virtual machine and Linux, and hardware.
strictly speaking, Google does and Meizu do the same job, is in an existing operation system core, plus one of their own middleware, but others in their own middleware development.
Because of this characteristic, so China Mobile can be developed again on the technology of Android, join its own middle layer, this is ophone.
Therefore, Android and Linux applications are not matter. WinCE and Meizu system applications are not matter, OPhone and Android are not the same.
now Meizu to Android, if you follow Google's rules Strictly, you can run a variety of Android programs. Google's program upgrade, no problem for Meizu .
But Meizu if the road to China Mobile, and one more layer, then the application porting will be troublesome. Similar to the situation faced by M8.

go from: http://blog.163.com/[email protected]/blog/static/4013190720106201920381/