Like Apple gives a free iPod to everyone who purchases an Oracle database or something like that? Apple and Oracle are in such different markets it is hard to see how there is anything Apple can do for Oracle.
> I wish these were conspiracy theories...
They are.
And if they didn't, I suspect device manufacturers would look to the truly free Linux platforms.
It would be interesting if they could do either of:
- Switch to use the GPL version of Java and be fully conformant with the java specs. This presumably would hurt performance unless they could do some miracle engineering to obviate the reasons Dalvik exists. Perhaps though, as phones get more powerful it's not so important.
- Keep Dalvik but work around whatever ip violations Oracle is successful in claiming. They probably believe they have already done this.
Most Linux phones, other than Android and WebOS, run crappy top level stuff written by the device manufacturers. Rarely, a device manufacturer does come up with something that is not crap to put on top of the kernel, but even then they can't compete with iPhone because they lack the infrastructure, like app stores that can attract significant developer interest.
a) Oracle is realizing that mobile is strategic and has decided this is how they will get in on the action. They think it is much more important than Java. They will force Google to license Java from them and that way gain not only royalties, but actual control of Android.
b) This is purely about damaging Android. There is an agreement we know nothing about yet between Apple and Oracle that if Oracle takes down Android something will happen in return from Apple. They don't care if they win or lose, they just want to smash adoption of Android. It could as easily be a move from MS but it is hard to think past the bitterness and sense of betrayal expressed by Jobs about Android, or the frequently reported "close friendship" between Ellison and Jobs.
I wish these were conspiracy theories but I can't account for Oracle's willingness to detonate what is still an incredibly valuable Java asset any other way.