Slashdot Mirror
Motorola A768 Phone Loaded With Open Source
Supp0rtLinux writes "According to this article over at Linux Devices and noted on here at NewsForge.com, Motorola has released a newer version of its A76x line of cellular phones. This newest release, the A768, boasts of open source softwares from Monta Vista Linux, Trolltech, and Sleepycat. The only downside is that it appears to only be available in China right now. And the older A760 released last August is still only available in Europe and Asia. Why are we in the U.S. always the last to get new cellular toys? The good news, though, is that with a Linux base and an integrated PDA and MS Office file compatibility, at least syncing this to either a Linux system or a Windows one should be fairly seamless. (A760 Review)"
Why are we in the U.S. always the last to get new cellular toys?
Because you have several competing, incompatible cellular networks, when the rest of the world seems to have enough sense to agree on GSM. GSM is an easier, and denser market to conquer. The US market comes second, when something GSM is proven to work well commercially.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
300+ submissions and one was finally accepted. Time to tell the wife and kiddies... :) I've finally made it to the ranks for geekdom. Now, if only someone would sell me their extremely low /. number... something under 5000 perhaps?
1) FCC - They have to approve every device and this takes time.
2) Slow adoption rate. The USA isn't big on advanced cells. Not like Europe or Asia.
3) Usually the better phones are GSM. Only recently has GSM become a real option here in the states.
Also: If this type of stuff interestes you, check out Smart Mobs and the book, it is excellent.
This is pretty much a continuation of a trend that began a few years ago. We see many embedded devices using open source, particularly linux. It makes sense for many reasons, but the bottom line is that open source is inexpensive (ie free?) and widely used, which makes development more efficient.
The really interesting thing, as I see it, is the integration we will be able to get when many devices run linux. I would love to be able to integrate my cell phone with my pda with my computer with my wireless access point. the possibilities are endless when we converge on common standards.
Although this device might be using "Open Source" software the actual software in the device isn't open. No doubt they obtained commercial licenses from Sleepycat and others so that they could get around having to release their software. Which is a pity because it makes customizing the thing so much harder.
John.
The US is generally last to get new cellular toys because of the lack of a single standard. By letting the market fight it out, the FCC - whilst promoting competition amongst vendors - kinda hashed things up for the consumers.
:(
They did it again with Digital TV too, mandating an arguably inferior standard that isn't used much elsewhere, so that the domestic TV manufacturers would be happy. Now, if they'd gone with DVB-T, prices everywhere around the World for DTV tuners would be lower. Ho hum. It seems the US Government doesn't get wireless. So the population can't, either
As I can speak for Europe (Germany), each kid (12 and up !) here needs the newest toy on the market.
Handys are everywhere - but not mainly to call someone - especially Teenagers are sending hundrets of SMS per month - for 30-40 Euro-cents each !
Photo-Handys and MMS are on their way, the market is growing and growing.
Handys are a definitely a status symbol -
You've got one ? - You're one of us.
You've got that old-styled Nokia Handy from last Season ? You're such a dork !
Spelling mistakes: My is english spoken not tongue of mother.
Namaste
now, not only do i have to deal with people talking on cell phones while driving, i potentially have to deal with people compiling kernels on their cell phones while driving
vodka, straight up, thank you!
The only downside is that it appear to only be available in China right now
Downside for you, maybe. No downside for anyone that lives/works where these devices are used.
Full of open source?
"Please deposit $699 for the next 3 minutes. Thank you for using Cingudarl."
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Not just that, but a litigation-heavy court system and a class-action popular mindset make us the last place anyone wants to try something new.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
In other words... China has the United States' (or soon will have) population already as a customer in China. Do the math... Do I release it in the US and sell about 50-100 million (wishfully thinking), or do I do with a solid 100+ million Gee willikers what would you do...
Opinionater bastard
MoFscker
Excuse me if I'm mistaken, but are you trying to say that GSM is "newer technology"??
Australia has been using GSM for at least 8 or 9 years, it's not new technology. I don't mean to offend, but the lack of US support for GSM for so many years feels, to an outsider, as though it's more because it's supported so heavily elsewhere!
Plus, regarding the geography you have to cover: Australia, again, is about 70% of the area of the main "chunk" of the United States, and yet they don't seem to have much problem. The way I see it, with the higher population density, it would actually be more economical for the US to provide these so called "newer technologies" than Australia, for instance...
There's no point in calling it open source if the sources aren't available. And somehow I doubt that yet another big company embracing open source will actually include the sources with the product.
Yeah, right.
In San Francisco, a wealthy tech-savvy city, my Sprint PCS phone drops network randomly as I walk through the financial district. In Noe Valley I have four antennas on one side of the $tarbucks and zero on the other side of it.
In Budapest, an up-and-coming (and much larger) yet by no means wealthy Central European city, the only time I ever lose connectivity above ground is for 20 minutes after midnight on New Year's.
Face it, the US cellphone infrastructure is many, many years behind Europe's in terms of reliability and signal quality (and IMHO revenue concept).
As for the reliability of the handsets themselves, you may have a point - or you may not, since your point contradicts US behavior in other tech markets (PDAs spring to mind).
This Like That - fun with words!