Tizen-based smartphone could come in 2013, reports say

IDG News Service - Japan's biggest cellular network operator, NTT DoCoMo, is working with Intel and Samsung on development of the Tizen operating system and the first smartphone based on the platform could be out in Japan in 2013, according to a Japanese newspaper report.

The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest circulation daily newspaper, didn't attribute the source of the information, which was published in a report on its website on Dec. 31.

Tizen is a Linux-based operating system targeted at smartphones, tablet PCs and other consumer applications. It is hosted at the Linux Foundation but counts Intel and Samsung among its major backers.

Tizen's backers have said little about commercialization of the OS, but, if successful, it could play a balancing role to Android. The Google-developed OS, which is also based on Linux, has grown to dominate the smartphone sector in just a few years and put a lot of power in the hands of Google.

A Tizen-based smartphone has been expected from Samsung ever since September, when a phone called the "GT-I9300_TIZEN" was listed in a Wi-Fi Alliance document as passing a Wi-Fi interoperability test. GT-i9300 is the model name Samsung gives to Galaxy S3 smartphones. After reports of the document surfaced, it was later modified to delete the Tizen name, but the phone is still expected.

For Samsung, developing a Tizen-based phone is only half the battle. It then has to sell it to cellular network operators, so support from a major carrier like NTT DoCoMo could help Tizen make the jump from engineering project to consumer OS.

NTT DoCoMo had 60.8 million subscribers at the end of November, according to data from Japan's Telecommunication Carriers Association. That gave it a 47 percent share of the entire market.

But even with the support of DoCoMo, Tizen's success isn't guaranteed. The history of smartphone operating systems is littered with failures and the market is getting more competitive with the recent launch of Windows Phone 8 as well as the January launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn's e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Consumer Reports makes case for Windows 7 PCs

Computerworld - Windows 7 may be the better choice as a PC operating system on new systems than the just-released Windows 8, Consumer Reports magazine said this week.

"Windows 7 generally received favorable reviews when it was released," Consumer Reports' Donna Tapellini said in a piece Tuesday on the consumer watchdog's website. "[Three years] after its 2009 launch, there still haven't been a lot of complaints. If you've been happy with Windows 7 and even Windows XP up until now, there's no compelling reason to switch to Windows 8."

Consumer Reports does not evaluate and rate operating systems, as it does, say, clothes washers, cars or even computers. Instead, it staked out its position this fall when it praised Windows 8 as great for tablets, but because of its split personality, not for everyone.

Tapellini argued that several factors make Windows 7 a better choice for some consumers even two months after it was superseded by Windows 8.

Since Microsoft devoted so much time and resources building touch and gesture support into Windows 8, it makes little sense to opt for the OS unless the new PC offers a touch-sensitive screen, Tapellini said.

Others have pointed out that while Windows 8 doesn't demand touch, it's a tough sell without it. Many consumers have already figured that out. Earlier this month, for instance, research firm NPD Group said its retail tracking showed touch-sensitive PCs selling best among Windows 8 machines, even though their prices were higher and they were in short supply.

Tapellini also pointed out that Consumer Reports' testing had found that some Windows 8 systems performed poorly, something she attributed to driver issues.

Although Windows 7 PCs have largely disappeared from brick-and-mortar retail chains like Best Buy, they can still be found at many e-tailers and direct from some computer makers, Tapellini said.

Consumer Reports' highest-ranking Windows notebook, the Windows 7-powered Samsung NP900X3C-A01US Ultrabook, for example, is still available through Amazon.com for $1,139. The Samsung's rating of 82 (out of a possible 100), puts it above Apple's highest-rated laptop, the 15-in MacBook Pro with a Retina screen and Consumer Reports' top-rated Windows 8 portable, the Dell XPS 12 Convertible Touch Ultrabook. Dell's hybrid -- part tablet, part notebook -- earned a 75; the MacBook Pro pulled 78.

Microsoft will allow OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to sell Windows 7-equipped PCs until October 2014, two years after Windows 8's launch, so there's no immediate danger of the older operating system vanishing.

In fact, most enterprises will continue to migrate from the 11-year-old Windows XP, which will be retired in April 2014, to Windows 7 rather than bet on Windows 8, research firms have predicted.

Buyers who take Consumer Reports' advice, in other words, will have plenty of company.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at  @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

See more by Gregg Keizer on Computerworld.com.

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