Hasta La Gadget!

Google’s mobile operating system, Android, has been confined to cellphones so far. But consumer electronics makers are looking to make the new OS part of other gadgets too, such as netbooks, digital photo frames and e-book readers.

“We have seen a lot of original design manufacturers in Asia show prototypes of products that run Android,” says Daniell Hebert, CEO of MOTO Group, a product development firm. “I expect to see a number of these come out this fall.”

Earlier this week, two Japanese companies, Macnica and Fujitsu Software Technologies, showed off a prototype of a digital photo frame running Android. Dell and Asus are reportedly working on netbooks that will use the operating system. And it won’t be long before e-book makers launch devices that run the Android OS, says Hebert. Dell declined to comment and Asus did not respond to a request for comment.

Though Google launched Android on the HTC/T-Mobile G1 and has focused largely on cellphones, analysts believe the operating system has enough potential to become a part of major consumer electronics devices.

“You could go through Best Buy and look at the various types of gadgets they have — home audio, boomboxes, picture frames, set top boxes, programmable remote controls, Blu-ray players — and all of them could potentially run Android,” says Hebert.

Consumer electronics companies are under pressure to create devices that offer more functionality at a lower and lower prices. To do this, manufacturers need an OS that can be multi-platform, open source and is not weighed down by a lot of legacy issues.

Android, based on a Linux kernel, meets some of those criteria, says Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist for research firm In-Stat. With Google at the helm for Android, device makers can get a open-source product that still has the backing of a big brand.

“If it has any sort of computing power in it, then there is the possibility for an OS, and Android becomes one way to get that on the device,” says McGregor.

Beyond cellphones, Android’s strongest support is likely to come from netbook manufacturers. Android can help launch a new generation of netbooks, says Laurent Lachal, open source research director for consulting firm Ovum.

Many netbook manufacturers offer Linux-based notebooks, but to date the rate of return for Linux netbooks has been almost four times higher than those running Windows OS. But the version of Windows that runs best on netbooks, Windows XP, is several years out of date and not exactly optimized for mobile needs. Android presents an appealing alternative.

“Some netbook makers want to go back to the roots with these devices and offer consumers a low-cost product that is easy to use and can offers plenty of features,” he says.  “Android can be that alternative OS that could make this possible.”

As with all things Android, separating what’s possible from what’s real is a challenge.  If Android can successfully go beyond its roots as a mobile phone OS, it will have achieved what Microsoft has been struggling to do for years. Needless to say, that’s a tall order.

“Microsoft hasn’t been able to come across a solution that scales across two platforms, so they have Windows CE and Windows Mobile OS,” says McGregor. “So we will have to wait and see Android can get there.”

See also:
Smartphone War Heats Up, Google Phone Still MIA

Photo: (Silveira Neto/Flickr)