New technologies and platforms on mobile market is something normal nowdays, and some of this inventions use Linux as a base. Maemo 5 and the newest Android 2.1 are both based on Linux in a slightly different way.

In case of Maemo users get almost the same system as on desktop, with typical kernel and most of tools and utilities or at least their substitutes. This allows writing applications in similar way as for desktop, using C, C++, python etc. Android was in fact modified in almost every single detail, beginning from kernel to the desktop and applications, which for android are writen in language similar to Java with API and libraries specific only to this platform.

HTC Hero with Android 2.1

Maemo 5 is recently waiting for PR1.2 update, described by me already. What comes to Android 2.0/2.1 codenamed Eclair? Among changes we can find Microsoft Exchage support or live wallpapers (what Maemo 5 already has available by installed applications) and many other UI changes what happens on every platform from time to time. Moreover  from the very beginning Android is pretty tightly attached to google services, so you get full set of synchronization tools out of the box, what comes to N900 with a bit more configuration. One big advantage of Google’s system is the fact it’s already available on number of phones, while Maemo 5 resides only on N900 and it’s earlier versions only on internet tablets from nokia.

So what’s better? From my point of view N900 and Maemo with it’s flexibility and nice progress in application development. Android is more closed and restricted, which is not my favourite.

An upgrade to Android is actually coming, which we will compare when it’s out. If you’re interested, head over to PhoneReport to read about Android 2.5.

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