A recent IDC study hypothesizes that Open Source type software is set on a course to take over the majority of the software market. Seeing how many phone developers are transiting over to a Linux based platform and how Palm is moving over to a Linux based OS, is it possible that Linux will overtake the mobile market? James Kendrick and Kevin Tofel recently said in their podcast, MobileTechRoundup #64, how stable Linux is on a mobile device and how great it would be to have constant community releases in order to correct bugs and add functionality to the OS. Companies such as TrollTech envisioned just this and charged into the market head first with the release of their GreenPhone. Although the TrollTech phone isn’t intended for the end-user, the very concept of having a Linux based open source operating system on a mobile device  implies that having an open source operating system is cheaper to maintain for the company and easier to update for the end-user.  How will operating systems such as Windows Mobile compete when OEM’s are able to utilize Open Source software for a much lower price compared to the cost of licensing Windows Mobile?

" The study, which analyzed IDC surveys from over 5,000 developers in 116 countries, finds the use of open source is increasing at a such a rate that it represents the most significant all-encompassing and long-term trend that the software industry has seen since the early 1980s.

IDC believes that open source will eventually play a role in the life-cycle of every major software category, and will fundamentally change the value proposition of packaged software for customers." says the CDN staff in their article, The real impact of open source.

Personally I haven’t used a mobile device running Linux. But I have heard many great things about devices such as the Archos, Nokia 770, and Sharp Zaurus. Everyday Linux enthusiasts work to put the Open Source OS onto Windows Mobile Devices. The day that OEM’s recognize the benifits of Linux is the day that Windows Mobile is replaced by Open Source.