Exactly, As I've said before people do a dis service to values of openess by these point comparisons between iPhone and everything else. But if that comparison must be made then let the first bullet point be this: Open versus Closed. That said if the goal is to create an iPhone clone with Linux on board then I see these paths:
1. Convince Apple that Copyleft is the way to go for hardware and software. Good chance there. NANNY APPLE won't even let you put adult content on your phone. I spent the day two days ago with a really cool company that signed all apple agreements, developed some VERY COOL hardware to attach to the phone and Apple shut them down COLD.. after they originally told the company that they could develop the hardware. Why? the hardware would fuck with apple's roadmap. thank you Nanny Apple. 2. Build a Copyleft version of the Iphone from scratch. pass me 400Million and I'll get right on it! But you can't just build the iPhone, you have to build what apple will ship 18 months from now to be competitive. 3. Do an Anti vendor port. I support mickey 100% in his anti vendor ports. This is one way to get open software on closed platforms. HOWEVER, by the time the port is done the hardware is obsolete ( by iPhone standards) and more importantly, the hardware hackers are left out. That said I think Mickey's approach is one that people should support with their time and effort. It will bear fruit over time. 4. Take an existing design ( like NanoNote) and over time add capability to it. Start small and simple. Open the design from the start. Allow the hardware community to mod the hardware ( and copy back design improvements) and give the software community a stable but evolving platform to develop on. So. #1. I didn't want to waste my time trying to talk apple into destroying their business. #2. I didnt have 400 Million dollars. #3. Mickey is going down his path. That's one front in the war. Put your efforts behind him. #4. I can start down the long long path of planting a seed and helping it grow. The beginning of that Journey ( #4) happens to be a cool little linux in my pocket. We've been contacted by people who want to turn it into a "twitter client" or jabber client. Will we do that? I'm not sure. But since the hardware will be copyleft, if SOMEBODY wants to take the design and optimize it for SMS or email, then 1.) the community will have another device with Linux on it. 2) they won't be able to charge outrageous prices. 3 They'll have to copy back the design improvements. When they copy back designs then one can hope for network effects and the long journey gets some momentum. Many are missing the importance and the critical difference that Copyleft hardware brings. If you don't like the fact that nanonote doesnt have a touch screen then, take the design files add a touch screen, copy back the design. If you have money, then get that design built and sell it. Qi-hardware won't complain. Why? because the community will have more choice about what to buy. If somebody, for example, really really thinks that clamshell sucks, then there is a ready solution. take our design, modify and improve it, copy back the improvements, build the thing and let the market decide. In short, I think the only effective way I have of competing on the hardware side is by applying the principles of Copyleft. On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 2:27 AM, john <jptmo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Actually one of the things I would like to do with a NanoNote is turn > it into a dedicated Twitter client! I think opinion will always be > divided on form factor. I have owned many devices from the Psion > Series II through to the iPhone but I still like Zaurus clamshell > designs. I also like the idea of a tiny Linux computer in my pocket or > even on a key chain. I don't see the progression as trying to compete > with the iPhone but to look at new areas such as hackable wearable > computing. Thus I am interested in seeing things get smaller and > cheaper and more hackable and not getting more shiny! > > John. > > 2009/7/24 Christoph Pulster <openm...@pulster.de>: > [snip] > > > > Psion Plc. invent the clamshell and set the top-level of usable keyboard > > verses form-factor with Series 3 twenty years ago. > > We are in the SMS/twitter age now. Some vitual keyboard with multi-touch > > usability is sufficient. People who want to write full sentences buy a > > pencil with white paper. > > > > > > In general, what advantage does the NanoNote have to an Iphone with > > Linux installed ? > > > > > > Christoph > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Openmoko community mailing list > > community@lists.openmoko.org > > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > > > > _______________________________________________ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community >
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