Even though there are manufacturers looking forward to install Google Android operating system onto smartbooks or netbooks powered by ARM chips, an executive for ARM, a developer of microprocessor technologies, said that Google Android was still more suitable for cell phones, but not personal computers.

“I do think that there is more work that can and will be done to bring the things we love about Android into form factors [such as netbooks]. Android is still optimized for smartphones,” said Kerry McGuire, director of strategic alliances at ARM, in an interview with Computerworld web-site.

ARM processors are not supported by desktop operating systems from Microsoft Corp., but still can work with Windows Embedded, Windows Mobile, Android, Ubuntu Linux and so on. At present ARM and its partners, such as Qualcomm, are trying to introduce a new class of devices to the market. Smartbooks, as they call it, do not offer higher performance compared to netbooks, but are supposed to offer better Internet connectivity and considerably longer battery life. Since ARM’s chips cannot run Windows XP, Vista or 7, both ARM and its partners need to utilize different software platforms.

Apparently, not only Ms. McGuire does not believe into Android for smartbooks. Software developers are also not really enthusiastic about Android at this point

"If you look at the [latest] Cupcake release of Android, it is very targeted at smartphones, not a netbook form factor. Android [is unable] to let users run multiple applications at a time, [it lacks] drivers for plugged-in devices,” said Rishi Mathew, director of RealPlayer for Mobile Devices at Real.

Acer said earlier this year that it would release a netbook powered by Intel Atom processor and a special version of Android ported by Insyde Software in the third quarter of the year. Dell has also demonstrated a netbook running android, but stressed that it did not have plans to create similar commercial products at the time.

Tags: ARM, Android, Linux, Acer, Google, Dell, Microsoft, Windows