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OpenMoko Schedule Announced
Posted by
CowboyNeal
on Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:16 PM
from the preflight-check-lists dept.
from the preflight-check-lists dept.
levell writes "The schedule for the OpenMoko, an open source, Linux-based Neo1973 smart phone was posted to the community mailing list by Sean Moss-Pultz this morning. On Feb 11, free phones will be sent to key community developers and the community websites/wiki/bug tracker will be available. Then on March 11 (the official developer launch) we'll be able to buy an OpenMoko for $350. After allowing some time for innovative, slick software to be created there will be a mass market launch at which point Sean hopes that 'your mom and dad will want one too.'"
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[+]
A Truly Open Linux Phone 164 comments
skelator2821 writes to tell us about the debut of the OpenMoko, a Linux phone with GPS that is open from top to bottom. The device is set to debut to developers this month for $350, according to the article, but there is no detail on how to get your hands on one, and no link to the manufacturer (FIC). From the article: "This is the first phone in a long time to get us really interested in what it is, what it isn't, and the philosophy behind it. The philosophy is the thing that makes Linux great... it is really open. It runs the latest kernel, 2.6.18 as of a few weeks ago, and you can get software from a repository with apt-get."
[+]
Mobile: No More OpenMoko Phone 219 comments
TuxMobil writes "Bad news for FreeRunner fans: development of the first Open Source smartphone will be discontinued. (English translation via Google)
OpenMoko executive director Sean Moss-Pulz said at OpenExpo in Bern (Switzerland)
that the number of staffers will be reduced to be able to stay in business. OpenMoko
had high intentions: the offspring from Taiwanese electronic manufacturer First International Computer (FIC)
wanted to produce an Open Source smartphone. Not only with Open Source software pre-installed, but with
free drivers and open specifications of the hardware components. This would give programmers as well
as users complete freedom. Up to now the manufacturer has produced two models, the first has sold 3,000 units and
the second one 10,000. Both models were targeted primarily to developers. From the beginning,
OpenMoko had to fight with different problems. The smartphones came onto the market after a huge delay. Some phones
came with construction defects. Also, changes in the team slowed down the development. Software development
for the current smartphone will be continued but with fewer resources, Moss-Pultz said. He still hopes the
community will support the FreeRunner."
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SSH? (Score:2, Funny)
Moko has an unfortunate homonym “moco [wordreference.com]”; if it manages to live that one down, however, here's hoping it has ssh.
Re:SSH? (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
FYI (Score:3, Informative)
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None of the carriers will "support" a phone you did not buy from them, recently. The general response to any configuration question translates to "go F* yourself." I have an unlocked GSM Windows phone (Voq) and have never been able to get MMS working because T-Mobile will not provide the necessary info.
On the other hand, an unlocked GSM phone like this one at least gives you a choice of carriers.
While Cingular/AT&T
Re:FYI - Wrong? (Score:2, Informative)
As a result, it should work on *any* of the GSM carriers in the US that support the frequencies it uses. Let's assume for a moment it supports at a minimum 900/1800/1900 (hopefully 850 too) - like most tri-band devices do.
Take a look here [gsmworld.com]. According to GSM world there are quite a few GSM carriers
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If I'm not mistaken, it's actually quad-band.
AT&T has the exclusive on iPhone (Score:2)
I can think of a big motivator for T-Mobile to pick up on OpenMoko, or whatever they're going to eventually call this thing when the marketers get through with it. AT&T will have iPhone and be the only people with iPhone. T-Mobile will have what to counter it? Crackberry? Sidekick? Please.
OpenMoko looks really, really REALLY good. It has a SCARY resemblance to the Apple device, which was supposedly kept under wraps with do
It's actually kind of obvious... (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:It's actually kind of obvious... (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
First open source mobile? I think not. (Score:5, Informative)
The website states the following:
First one? I beg to differ. Should I point out Trolltech's Qtopia Greenphone [trolltech.com]? I believe it precedes OpenMoko by a considerable notch.
Re:First open source mobile? I think not. (Score:5, Funny)
See, that's where you're misreading the announcement. The Greenphone is not the World's First Integrated Open Source Mobile Communications Platform at Open Source in Mobile Conference in Amsterdam . The Greenphone may have been first at other locations, but not this conference. So there.
Parent
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* GPL forever: at the moment you download you choose the GPL path, you can't later decide to make your project non-GPL and pay the license fee to trolltech and go commercial; this would be a PITA to any bedroom startup; however, I wouldn't be surprised if a few stealth startuos *did* bend this rule
* payware: cough up a license fee for the SDK and support
if you don't li
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The question is whether you can write software for the phone that doesn't use QT. If the answer is "no", then it isn't open.
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*cough*.
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http://www.trolltech.com/products/qtopia/greenpho
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$700 is not unheard of in the mobile phone world, anyway
GPRS but not EDGE? (Score:5, Insightful)
That, by itself, makes it a non-starter.
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anyway, as I understand it, EDGE is a matter of firmware, not hardware, so I would hope GPRS + HSCD + EDGE will all be featured at s
One question... why? (Score:3, Insightful)
That's fine, if that's what the expectations really are; but the Slashdot submission makes it sound like the people behind the phone think they can take on the world. So please, seriously - tell us WHY anyone outside the "live open or die" community will care?
Re:One question... why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Because it is a really nice looking device and they look like they've already put together a great software stack for it, and have an expectation for a lot more interesting applications to be added prior to mass market launch. In short they expect to have mass market appeal because they think (and I have to agree with them on this) that they have a very nice smart phone. Try looking at the press page [openmoko.com] which has pictures of the device and screenshots of it. It looks good. Sure, it's not going to take over the world of mobile phones, but in the class of upper end smartphones (the sort of market the iPhone is pitched toward) it can certainly compete, and given the price, could do well.
Parent
The iPhone (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't really see why anyone would think there'd be any mass market appeal at all regarding this project.
[snip] So please, seriously - tell us WHY anyone outside the "live open or die" community will care?
Au Contraire, everyone cares -- because the wireless companies have such control that the current offerings in the phone industry really suck.
Witness the current excitement over the iPhone -- it's one step closer to actually doing something really useful with all the processing power of the phone
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No wifi :( (Score:2, Informative)
One of the greatest advantage of having an open phone is so that you can install a SIP phone on it and use it when there's a wifi connection available which is almost everywhere these days (at work, at home, lots of public places...). When there's an open phone that comes out with wifi int
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Aside from that, at offices, if you use too much bandwidth you could get fired; hotspots like at mcdonalds are limited in bandwidth, detrimental for sound quality, if you even get SIPphone services running (some hotspots even outright forbid the use of VOIP). That only leaves home, and I already have a phone there.
GSM and GPRS is much more prevalent here in Europe, almost blanket coverage.
Must have WiFi for this crowd. (Score:4, Informative)
Your average consumer might not need WiFi on their phone, but I think it is very important for the slashdot/techie/FLOSS crowd. The main reason is that we want to be able to bypass the cell network whenever possible to avoid paying. WiFi is free and plentiful for me at home, at work, and in many other places, whereas cellular bandwidth is slower and much more expensive. For syncing, downloading music, uploading pictures, and VoIP, WiFi is a requirement for my next phone.
Stop! Don't use LGPL software! (Score:2)
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apple got there first. it's called the jesuspho... er, iphone.
Re:better interface? (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
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Are you sure? (Score:2)
Re:Are you sure? (Score:4, Informative)
which I think Apple has the patent on.
Apple does not have any patents on the iphone. They have applied for about 300, but none have been granted yet. Regarding the multitouch interface, if you search the internet, you'll find that research has been going on in this area since the 1980's. At best, Apple might be granted a patent on the specific technology they've used to support multitouch in their touchscreen, but there are several other ways [nyu.edu] to accomplish the same thing, some of which are already [merl.com] available.
Parent
Display *under* keypad (Score:5, Interesting)
For one, why does the display always have to be 'on top of' the keypad? You have to hold the thing with both hands, or nearly drop the phone while reaching for the * 0 # keys. Instead, flip it around so the display is *below* the keypad. Go on,try it with your own phone, right now (just ignore for now that your keys will be upside down):
-- One-handed typing will be much easier, as you can hold onto the phone more firmly while typing. Also note how the 'thigh' of your thumb will not obscure the display.
-- Two-handed speed-texting will be much more 'private' because your thumb's thighs will keep your display hidden from everyone but you (the teens will love this!).
For another, who the hell decided that a phone's keypad should be the inverse of a standard numeric keypad??!? That's just plain daft! Not so long ago, some phones were one way, some the other; but then some moron decided that the One True Way was NOT the way of every single keyboard. What?!?! That makes no sense!
How about that? Who will be the first to implement that? And, will they be able to patent it, now that it's described here?
Parent
Small phones are no use... (Score:4, Interesting)
Small phones are no use if you want to do anything interesting with them. If you only want to phone your girlfriend, then fine, get a totty little device. But if you want to present or work with data it's useless. And increasingly as we move into location-aware, network connected devices there is a huge number of applications which just weren't possible before. I've moved from a Sony-Ericsson P910i to a Hewlett Packard IPAQ 6515 - the Sony-Ericson is bigger than OpenMoko, the IPAQ a lot bigger. Why? Because to run real applications you need more screen real estate (and the IPAQ has built-in GPS, which I need for the applications I'm building, but so does OpenMoko). 640x480 pixels is great news. Open API is even better news. I will definitely be playing with one of these, and soon.
Parent
What's wrong with it? (Score:2)
Re:Marketing ploy? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
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MOD PARENT UP! Re:Slashvertisement! (Score:2)
there were hopes for the iPhone to be somewhat more open and for a full SDK to be available, but Steve Jobs nixed that one.
apart from reasonable success with the HTC Universal smartphone and other devices to which linux is being port
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What makes you think this thing will be running a Debian based system?
For an on-topic thought. I had seen this quite a while back and was excited about the potential, but had the faint scent of vaporware on it. The screen will be very nice, but more pixels = more battery draw...which is why most of the HTC devices are stuck at qvga instead of full vga. I wonder if they have some tricks up their sleeve to mitigate that factor.
An open platform will only get
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