DISQUS

Seb · 2 years ago

“…will make it easier to develop cellphones and other mobile devices with iPhone-like sophistication.”

What exactly is so sophisticated about the iPhone? The touch screen is novel, to be sure, but there is no technology in the iPhone that is any more advanced than other phones out there already.

By exposing an open development platform to mobile developers, not locking it down like apple do, we'll see devices that make the iPhone look like an archaic brick.

Current Symbian and Windows mobile devices already have more features, but are difficult to develop on. An open platform will make the only difficult part thinking of something cool to develop.

Bob Caswell · 2 years ago

Seb,

Here's hoping you're right! Though Apple is unlikely to be sitting around in the next two years while this open platform [hopefully] takes off. I'm sure they'll have their latest "sophisticated" tech ready.

Whatever happens, Apple has had the coveted status of "amazing no matter what" for far too long. Open source -based anything isn't necessarily my first pick for any technology, but I like how it creates competition in a way that allows the consumer to win in the end.

Joe Borg · 2 years ago

looking forward to a healthy hardware platform that would get invaded by the BSDs. In the meantime, for easy, usable technology i'll continue to use Apple…

Jeremy · 2 years ago

Why wasn't OpenMoko involved? It seems like they've already got a lot of time invested into an iPhone-like experience with Linux on a cell phone.

Mathis · 2 years ago

As far as open source in the phone space, I think It's a no brainer. With OpenMoko, Motorola, and (soon to be) Palm all touting linux phone environments I don't think a new "standard" is going to make much of a difference in the pace of adoption. What I do believe is that ARM is feeling the heat from Intel and VIA, who are putting massive amounts of cash into their efforts to get efficient (and tiny) x86 processors into smartphones.

Computer Roadmap · 2 years ago

It's still interesting all the same. The iPhone may be here, but there are certainly areas it can be improved upon.

TemporalBeing · 2 years ago

Interesting...and cool to see.

However, Linux has been a key player among the big three for several years now when it comes to the cell phone market. Big brand phones - Motorola's RAZR for instance - run Linux, and it has a good chunk of market share. So, I wouldn't call it late to market by any stretch.

It is cool to see them getting together and agreeing on a standardized platform so that Linux can make even greater in-roads than it did before.

jenna · 1 year ago

nice site dude

arni · 1 year ago

i say one thing