Bluetooth Everywhere

Ok, most of you know that I’m a proponent for Java ME. I love writing applications for mobile devices, and I’ve been doing it for a LONG time (over 10 years). I like this stuff so much, I even wrote a book about it. Java ME is so popular, it on over a billion mobile phones (remember, there’s a difference between mobile phones and smart phones). One of the major benefits for Java and Java ME is platform independence, but I’m starting to see an alarming trend in the industry. So, as an experiment, I want to you think of the major *touchscreen* smartphones. Here’s the ones that come to mind for me:

1.  iPhone 3G
2. Palm Pre
3. Nokia N97
4. Nokia 5800
5. Blackberry Storm
6.  Samsung Instinct
7. G1 (Google Android)
8. HTC Touch Diamond

Alright, now your list may have +/- a few phones, but your list should be quite similar to mine. Now, back in the day, we were told that Java ME CLDC was the JVM platform for the mass market mobile phones, and Java ME CDC was the JVM platform for high-end smartphones with extra processing power. Now today, touchscreen smartphones are truly high-end, so which of the phones in my list (or your list) come enabled out-of-the-box with Java ME CDC?

Maybe two of them — maybe.

If the device is a Samsung Instinct or HTC Touch Diamond, and if it came from Sprint, then there’s a high probability that it includes Java ME CDC (via Sprint Titan). I’m not too familiar with Sprint’s success with the Titan platform, so I could be wrong. Even Nokia (which has been a huge supporter of Java ME) put Java SE 1.4 on their new flagship device, the N97.

Folks, if you ask me, this is not a good sign. What is the platform independent language for touchscreen smart phones? Did you know that Flash runs on more than 1/2 of those devices. Hmmm…

Ok, so let me start from the beginning. I have an upcoming article this year on java.sun.com on how to use the Sun Java ME SDK 3.0. This SDK is a revolutionary tool since it allows you (the developer) to create all types of Java ME applications including MIDP, CDC, and Blu-ray applications.  One of the coolest features is the on-device debugging feature, which is awesome, but requires a device with Windows Mobile 6 OS.  So, I decided to get one of the best Windows Mobile 6 devices available, which is the HTC Touch Diamond:

This device is no iPhone. Have you noticed that the iPhone doesn’t have a manual? That’s because it’s very intuitive on how to use it. Well, the HTC Touch Diamond not very intuitive at all, and I used to hate it — that is, until today.  Today I found out that the Sprint Titan platform supports Windows Mobile 6, and the platform is free for certain devices, most notably HTC devices. So what exactly is the Sprint Titan platform?

• A single platform that combines CDLC and CDC JVMs
• Support for MIDP and LDCUI
• Support for OSGi and JSR-232 with eRCP
• Support for eSWT GUI application

Are you drooling yet? Below is an image of the Sprint Titan software stack: