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Ok, so the hype has died down to a steady hum now.  Google’s Android is announced as the 2nd coming of the phone.  An open source platform based on Linux to free us from stupid interfaces that drag us all down.  Google takes aim at Symbian, Palm and MS systems so it can step in and be relevant in mobile advertising.  What does Andriod mean for you?

The Gizmodo team says:

What Google is saying to carriers is that customers are grown-ups. They can own a PC for years before it’s chock-full of viruses, malware and memory hogging crap they don’t need. Why not give them access to a world’s worth of software—and expose them to the same acknowledged risks—with their phones? iPhone owners should be happy that Google’s move simply adds pressure on Apple to open the SDK faster. But the larger question is this: Why will Android succeed where Symbian, Palm OS and Windows Mobile have failed?

Engadget worries about what carriers will do to this “open system”:

Unlike the platform itself, there’s no guarantee that devices based on the

Android platform will be open to third party developers. Google says that’ll be left to manufacturers and carriers to be decide, although it doubts they’ll choose to lock them down (hmm, has Google ever worked with a carrier before?)

Om Malik, over at gigaom in his 2nd take at summarizing the announcement:

Following the press call, I actually have more questions than answers. They completely dodged my question about how does it reconcile with other mobile linux efforts which are backed by none other than partners like Motorola. Andy Rubin replied that all the software is available for the developers in a week, which is non-answer if there is any. Funny - no phones till second half of 2008 and they want developers to shift their attention from iPhone, Symbian, other Mobile Linux and Microsoft Windows Mobile. Even more convinced that this is a PR move. Not clear how this helps Google from a fiscal sense and its business implications for the company.

Everyone is dodging the elephant in the room, so what impact for the mighty iPhone?  Gadgetopia had this to say:

It’s going to be an interesting clash of cultures. The iPhone was designed as very closed, and Android will be extremely open. It will be fascinating which one wins out.

Whoa, hold on.  Michael Mistretta, over at Appletell says iPhone has nothing to fear.

This OHA does not target Apple at all. It targets Research in Motion, Symbian, Palm, and Microsoft. The iPhone is safe. For now.

Is it a PR move, a threat to everyone, a big open party or just more of the same that carriers will lock down?  I believe the answer comes in Google’s ability to persuade carriers with a cut of advertising revenue to let down the “walled garden” and open it up.  Google is depending on open and free access to the web and relying on partners to make this great.  In essense, Google’s pryed the door open, will we walk through?

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