Flutterby™! : open source cellphone

open source cellphone

2007-07-09 17:17:46.08001+00 by Dan Lyke 3 comments

I never thought this would happen, but I have gadget lust for a cellphone and may have to get one.

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: OpenMoko -vs- iPhone lust made: 2007-07-09 21:21:58.77106+00 by: Jack William Bell [edit history]

-- OpenMoko --

Advantages:

Open Source
Linux + standard development tools means you can have anything you want (and have time for)
Can extend storage with SD cards
$300

Disadvantages:

Not stable enough to be a daily use device (yet)
No standards compliant browser capable of running AJAX apps
UI not as nice as iPhone
Plastic screen

-- iPhone --

Advantages:

Freaking nice UI
Really works and works now, no waiting until the bugs are worked out
Makes most (80/20 rule) of the things you need to do from a mobile device easy
Did I say Amazing UI?
Damn near unscratchable glass screen

Disadvantages:

Can't write your own apps, except for server-based
Fixed amount of storage
$500 to $600

Considering that I don't have time to write apps in C++ for yet another device and considering it would be a busman's holiday anyway (being that is what I do for a living), the iPhone wins for me. I intend to fix its application shortcomings by writing some simple AJAX style server apps, which I can do very easily and quickly.

Jack

BTW: It really is a pleasure to use. Did I mention how nice the UI is?

#Comment Re: made: 2007-07-09 21:50:12.136769+00 by: Dan Lyke

If there were two or three GPIO interfaces available for the OpenMoko box, I'd buy it right now. As the summer wears on, I may end up building a few USB devices, in which case I could use the USB port and be overjoyed. I'm also interested in what sort of battery life it gets, although if it'll run a (polite) application for a day and a half or so, I'm definitely there.

But I think my lack of enthusiasm for the iPhone comes from two places.

I don't particuarly care about browsing the web from my phone, I used to have a thing for my Palm that let me do that and while it was a cute hack the only application I actually found myself using was SSH to go do things when a client's firewalls or corporate network were particularly onerous.
I just don't like Apple's design aesthetic. From iTunes through lot of the stuff that happens on the MacBook Pro that I'm typing this on, there are tons of things that I just find annoying. I'm looking for a personal laptop right now and it won't be a Mac because there's just too much cruft and stuff that doesn't feel right to me. Lots of people love it, but I know other people who feel the same way I do, and as a personal preference thing the Apple platform is just another source for a paycheck.

#Comment Re: made: 2007-07-09 22:04:36.856896+00 by: TheSHAD0W

BTW, someone has already gotten a shell prompt on the iPhone, raising all sorts of potential for mods. http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/07/and-theyre-in-i.html