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DoCoMo To Use Linux On Their 3G phones
ilbrec writes "Looks like NTT
DoCoMo will be using Linux on their 3G phones next year. This
actually was reported yesterday in Japan (here), but I could not find
any article in English until now. While it's not clear who will
be making the Linux phone for them, I would certainly be interested in
seeing them once they are out. No word on this anywhere at
DoCoMo's website at all, however." Reader paku adds links to similar coverage in Forbes and in Japan Today.
Simon.
Physicists get Hadrons!
If it's the Panasonic model.
(posted anonymously because I'm working on that project)
Nitpick:
Linux is an open-source, easy-to-modify, and license-free product.
No it's not. It's free licence. These people need to understand libre software.
Manufacturers are expected to comply with DoCoMo's request to replace their systems with a unified Linux standard apparently for fear of being left out in the cold
Now, is this a good reason to move to Linux? I mean, if this is the reason for small manufacturers to move, had DoCoMo chosen Windows, they would probably have moved to that instead. Oh well.
Can you hack these phones to run Windows and not support the Evil Penguin Empire?
How does this work as far as distributing the source code? Is that available for modification and if so is it possible to upload a self-improved OS to the phone?
Does that open up the possibility of doing clever things or am I being ignorant? If the former then this could be great, if the latter - hey, I only wrote telecommns code for two years, what do you expect?
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
My wife's phone uses Symbian's OS. It's very, very nice. Unless someone comes out with a killer phone app requiring the linux kernel, I think DoCoMo would be better off with Symbian.
Although I would give a mint to be able to use regexps on my phone book.
REM Old programmers don't die. They just GOSUB without RETURN.
We all know Microsoft is trying to be the "standard" for cell-phone operating systems much in the way that they took over almost the entire desktop and workplace market, but will there ever be a Linux standard? I know Symbian is also trying to create a standard for cell phones that already is quite strong in Europe, but there really should be a consortium where Linux developers can get together and set standards, instead of them being scattered across the internet proposing a few ideas.
If there's going to be standards, they should always be open source and free as in beer. Corporate control of standards only creates monopolies. Even in America, a lot of people are dropping their landlines for cellphones, and if there's ever a Linux standard for it, it should be created quickly before it's too late.
How else will we overhear things like this on the bus: "Beep-beep-boop, *Ring*! Hello, yeah, I'm on the bus. Listen, I'm going for a high score in Dark Evil Castle of Doom, can I call you back? Yeah, I'll put it in my schedule. Okay, bye! Boop-beep-beep..."
Happy happy, joy joy.
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Given that the FSF will not pursue anyone who abuses the GPL unless the abused code's copyright is owned by the FSF, and given that no other organization seems to be protecting the GPL, what guarantee do we have that the sources will be included and this will be legit? Answer: None.
I mean this seriously. Would a good sign of Linux becoming more mainstream be when it's no longer news that a company is using Linux in their products?
Presumably it's cheaper to build additional processor speed and storage into the device, to cope with the overhead of Linux/Windows Embedded, than it is to spend developer time to knock up a custom OS for the limited hardware?
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
Maybe in Japan, or in Europe, train or bus passengers would want the network to entertain them in some way while in transit. But most likely IP rights will make it impossible anyway, so they will be limited to simple Web browsing (on a phone? come on...) In USA there are no trains or buses, for all intents & purposes; people fly. But you can't use 3G in flight, so back to old trusty laptop with all the wealth of video and audio one can only imagine...
If anyone really wants to make a killer phone, make it just small enough to be worn as a wristwatch. That would be much more useful than all those petabytes per second. My friends always leave their phones where they themselves are not - on the desk, in a bag, in a car, at home - you name it, they left it there. And of course once someone leaves the phone on the desk and walks out, the phone rings...
Many best things that we enjoy are not marvelous novelties, but something well known, but perfected to absolute excellence, to its limit. I dare say, the phone shall follow this path.
according to zdnet japan (sorry link in japanese), DoCoMo added Linux as an option for manufacturers to choose from, by setting standardized specs for Linux on 3G. apparently DoCoMo doesn't want to limit choices of OS on 3G. The article says that they have specs (requirement) for Symbian OS available also.
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As Japan's largest provider, DoCoMo's relaxed stance on choice of OS may benefit manufacturers and consumers in a long run. Obviously people at DoCoMo can't care less about the OS that will soon be running inside of every car
Freedom of choice is a blessing these days...
Many handset vendors are working with Linux in some way, and some vendors like Motorola are working with all kinds of O/S from Linux through to Symbian and MS.
But does the O/S really matter if all the phones support Java now anyway? If you're going to write software for open mobile deployment, wouldn't you be inclined to consider Java first since it alone is ubiquitous on phones? O/S generally doesn't count for much in that decision.
More than that, consider the data formats... Those indespensible new compelling 3G services if they ever eventuate will be all about selling and consuming data. Whose format(s) are service vendors going to use and support and work with? The content is what will be monetized with consumers and the format is what determines the nature of the franchises, like e.g. Office on the desktop.
Whether the data format is something proprietary like .ppt or .doc or .swf or something open like SVG or XHTML I think is more significant to mobile developers' careers than the O/S.
Look at the SMS business - the SMS standard can be implemented on any phone O/S and in fact it has been implemented on all of them. That is why SMS has been able to grow to $36b per year today.
But on a more serious note if they really want to put a nice OS with an exapansible API on the phone some company should think about partnering with apple to do it.
Also I dont know much about kernels, but from a superficial knowledge level I'd speculate that BSD with its modular microkernel might be slightly more adapted to niche platforms than linux which is more globally integrated and optimized for its more standard platforms. Perhaps some more wise person can comment on this?
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
While it's not clear who will be making the Linux phone for them [...]
As I recall from the NTT iMode service, NTT just set the technical specifications. Any manufacturer who wants to sell iMode phones has to follow these specs, and they do it, because the iMode market in Japan is huge.
My guess is that the same thing applies to the 3G handset. There probably won't be a dedicated handset manufacturer but each of them will produce a "NTT compliant" phone.
And since the Japanese version of IMT 2000 is "slightly" different than those in Europe and America, you won't be able to use those phones anywhere else without modifications.
My cats ate my karma. They also wrote this comment.
to get a Docomo imode phone.
Docomo, like Sony is one of those companies you want to hate but end up rather liking. Sony, you hate for the AIBO hacking controversy, saves itself with the Linux kit for PS2.
Docomo is a money-grabbing, high priced qu(e)asi-governmental monopoly. But it knows that by adapting Linux to run on a phone, it wins tecchie friends.
The first imode phone came out in February 1999. I bought one (the black f501i) in March 1999 when I arrived in Japan. I wanted a phone I could send email from because I didn't have a PC. That phone was nice and was way ahead of it's time (even in Japan)
Docomo's Linux offering will also be good, as it has tecchie know-how. Oh, and NTT Docomo has one of the highest market capitalisations on the planet.
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