By Chris Chang, posted Sep 2, 2011 at 8:55 PM, 1,931 views,

Baidu’s Mobile OS Goes Live, Will Let You Do Cloud Computing Like iOS 5

China’s largest search engine Baidu finally launched its Android-based mobile OS, dubbed Baidu Yi. It is basically a lightweight mobile OS for smartphones and tablets. The main features include the company’s own developed apps such as Baidu-powered maps, Yue (eBooks app), Shen Bian (offers Google Places-like local recommendations), and Ting (its “very-own” music app). The best part? It works with cloud computing.

Before we get deeper into Baidu’s mobile OS, below are two introductory videos supplied by Baidu, to let you see what’s so great about it.

Search Service:

Cloud Service:

Baidu first revealed its plans on developing a light operating system for mobile devices that uniquely focuses on search, back in March. There are no doubts about Baidu’s big plans on following in Google’s footsteps with an OS, but we didn’t know the company got everything processed and ready so quick. So, the new mobile operating system, Baidu Yi, comes with Android’s core functionality (like voice search), and perhaps the most useful thing in the OS is the music app. Yi’s music app, Ting, integrates with Baidu’s extremely popular Ting service that offers Chinese netizens you everything about online music service but pirate music. Music downloads? Yes, it works like iTunes. The Ting app will support MP3 downloads of its licensed music. Cool!

And just like Android, Baidu Yi also offers single sign-in, providing easy access to its myriad cloud-powered apps and a mobile backup service and sharing. This cloud computing feature may sounds like Apple’s iOS 5, but it is something like what we see on Alibaba’s recently-launched mobile OS, called AliYun.

What’s more, Baidu Yi will enable third-party application developers to create apps such as games, maps and other tools that they can distribute or sell in a similar way to Apple’s App Store. Since the OS is based on Android, there are already lots of Android apps that would fit together nicely in it.

Basically, Baidu Yi will provide competition for Alibaba’s Cloud OS Aliyun. In order to take on the competition, Baidu began discussions with Qualcomm to develop internals for low-end smartphones this summer, and it’s also working on bringing a branded tablet to market before the end of the year. Since Baidu has massive user bases (200 million registered users) in China, the introduction of their new operating system and hardware will have a significant impact on the world’s largest mobile internet market. The company aims to service a growing number of Chinese mobile users accessing the Internet from smartphones and tablet computers.

One More Thing

At its Baidu World conference, the company also launched its new home page, which will add four features, including social networking functions and web apps. The revamped Baidu frontage isn’t live yet, but we have a screenshot below.

Only registered users of Baidu could see the redesigned frontpage. Taking a closer look at the screenshot above, we the frontpage now includes group buy site Meituan and Groupon’s China site, Gaopeng. Here’s what Baidu CEO Robin Li said when he unveiled the new-look homepage at the conference,

“Every developer can get on the Baidu homepage.”

Mr Li further added on saying the home page could have a negative impact on its revenue by requiring users to register a Baidu account, potentially reducing traffic on the site. The new home page, with more links and content, could also affect loading speed.

“We don’t know how negative it will be,” Robin Li said in an interview with Chinese Internet portal Sohu. “No matter how big the loss would be, this represents the future of the industry. If we don’t do it, others might; if we don’t do it now, you might be forced to do it in the future; instead of waiting for others to push you, we would rather take the initiative.”

Besides the need of registering an account and slow loading speed for the new home page, there’s actually a good feature in it. There will be greater user customization of the homepage, so that being logged in with a Baidu account will give a personalized Baidu.com that’s more relevant to users.

So, Baidu’s new stuff are quite interesting. For the new mobile OS Baidu Yi, we can definitely expect the OS will focus on social media and cloud computing. But here comes a question, will Chinese mobile users like it?

Source: The Montreal Gazette