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Continued ...

The tablets represent Nokia's candidate for the role of the defining device in the evolution of the mobile internet - a handheld product that has no cellular radio, yet is rooted firmly in the value chain and design traditions of the cellphone market, in contrast to the Intel submission, the MID, which is recognizably the son of the PC.

As such, the Nokia tablets bear a far greater burden than just sales targets and carrier adoption - they are the flagship of the Finnish company's bid to continue to set the agenda in mobile devices even as these move to being full internet machines; and to broaden its market base and channels beyond carriers and into enterprise and direct-to-consumer areas. They are also, usefully, a range out of the norms of the other Nokia handsets, where the company can test Linux-oriented software and processes without impacting the Symbian-based business. "We will expand that range, and we believe that the role of Linux will grow," Simonson said, referring to the tablets as "terribly important".

According to research firm Canalys, in the smartphone and wireless handheld segment, Symbian OS was installed on 67% of devices at the end of 2007, Windows Mobile on 13%, RIM Black- Berry on 10%, while Mobile Linux had single-digit share, with shipments that had not increased on 2006. So while the opportunity for Linux is there, being driven by the mobile internet giants and particularly those coming from the PC environment, it is certainly far from mature as an OS for a highly mobile, highly complex smartphone. Most of its growth has actually come on lower end markets and in China, where it is very popular, and where even Motorola, which turned its back on multiple smartphone OSs last month in order to streamline its operations, will retain a range.

As well as functionality, the major Linux problem is fragmentation, with many different variants, Ubuntu currently claiming the prize for being the leader. This is a problem that several initiatives are seeking to address, notably the Open Handset Alliance, which backs Google Android; the LiMo Foundation; and several Intel projects. However, each has its political agenda, and a failure to work together could just lead to stand-offs and further fragmentation, a major deterrent to developers and operators.

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