So up until yesterday the plan seemed to be OS6.1, and eventually the Tablet OS would become the phone OS sometime in 2012. Now RIM announces this project "Highlander" which from what RIM's CTO is saying is a melding of 6.1 and the Tablet OS into OS7!?! So they are going to take the brand spanking new Tablet OS and combine it somehow with the 10 year old (buy RIM's own statements) OS6.1.
Is OS7 the "Super Phone" OS, or just another transition before the Super Phone? Are they going to end up turning the sexy looking Tablet OS and turning into a FrankenOS? Anyone else confused by this Highlander project?
That's based off Mike L's comments from back in September through December. Old news that person just found today. This project Highlander information came out yesterday.
QNX is only the basis for the OS that's coming to be known as the Tablet OS. There are other layers, such as the UI and other services, that are built on top of that core that make up the whole OS. Most of those other components are not transferable from one platform (tablet) to another (handheld). Even though QNX is pretty much completed for the PlayBook, these other layers still need to be built for implementation in handhelds. What it sounds like to me is they're going to reuse as much of OS 6.1 as they can in QNX for handhelds, which will be called BB OS 7. And one of the things that's been slowing down progress on both is building those components so that they can be reusable. More time and cost now, but it should mean a quicker deployment of OS 7 later, as well as a more consistent and familiar user experience from one OS to the next.
OS 6.1 itself is not 10 years old, but it's built on a core that is 10 years old. It's the newer pieces of 6.1 that will be 'folded' into QNX.
Why are they working on a 6.1 now and QNX at the same time? Because they know they have to get something fresher than OS 6 out the door before OS 7 and devices that it will run on can be ready.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
