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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.
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!
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.
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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...