The Access/PalmSource Linux Platform (ALP), a Linux environment for smartphones and other devices expected to appear in devices in 2007, must attract developers in order to succeed, suggests Jason Perlow at ComputingUnplugged. Perlow applies his experience as Sharp's former Zaurus developer liason in offering advice about attracting developers.

Perlow says that the Sharp Zaurus failed in the market because few applications were written for it. He lists Japanese and American language and cultural differences, high-priced toolsets, and limited support channels among the factors that kept commercial application developers away from the platform.

Perlow suggests Access can avoid similar problems by keeping its platform as open as possible and its tools free or cheap, supporting as many application environments as possible, and generally providing developers with the capability to fix bugs and build their own ROM images.

The full story can be found here. It is part two in a series by Perlow that started last week.

 
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