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Nokia Starts Open Source Website
X-Fade writes "Nokia launched OpenSource.nokia.com today. It is the first place to look for information concerning Nokia involvement in the Open Source community. The Projects page lists all Nokia developed downloadable code including: Maemo (Development platform for Linux based handhelds), MobileNews (Mobile NNTP reader), Python for S60, Sofia-SIP (SIP User-Agent library) and more. The website also features a list of all projects Nokia contributed to."
Wake me up when Nokia open-sources Ipso.
Believe it or not, if you click on the OSS browser announcement, there's a page telling you all about it. Whatever will they think of next?
(And here's the link)
Maemo looks great, both technically and the way they are going about setting it up. I particularly like the fact that they have built their environment on top of X11, which means that it will be much easier to port custom software to it than with Qt/Embedded devices.
Python for the S60 is nice, too, of course.
Altogether, I'm wondering whether Nokia is planning on moving their entire phone line over to Linux at some point.
Oh yeah I'm really excited. I can look at all the cool toys I can't load onto my phone because my local provider has locked them out. Hope they make the site actually useful for us and maybe post a link or two about how to get a cable for a particular Nokia handset and the cracks to circumvent the locking mechanisms installed by the retailers.
I don't remember all the fuss or what the machinery involved was as I was just considering the use of computers in those days. And am not much more than lame these days.
Something I just read on AnandTech got me thinking about the way that Linux suits the individual. With Windows, it is very much "one size fits all" and as far as that goes (which I believe is about as far it takes) it is a very nice toy; however with Linux and the other infinitely adjustable OSs, it is possible to get the perfect set of OS and drivers for optimising each individual set up.
But each individual would have to be an expert to get it there.
Some of you are geeks and some of us use Windows and if that is the way it goes it will be ever thus.
I am now boycotting Nokia - I will never buy another Nokia phone. (In fact, I took a couple of Nokia chargers in to work today - I'll never need them again.)
My reason for this is their stance on Software Patents in the EU - they lobbied hard for them. See, for example, The Register or The FFII. I contacted them (by email, IIRC) to tell them my position, but never heard anything back.
For them to launch an open-source website is simply an attempt to gain some PR, or, put another way, some community "kudos". And, for goodness' sake, starting a web site does not require a huge investment. This is a PR exercise, through-and-through.
What Google did, for example, will probably help a lot more.
Note to ACs: I won't mod you up, even if you are being funny or insightful. So take a chance! It's not real life!
lose
a lot
hail mary
hedge bets
I'm a zealot but I can't see an attack in your post.
Nokia have people working hard as OSS developers, just like Red Hat et.al.
Perhaps you forget one of the OSS mantra's Release Early, Release Often
I'm not convinced about business users wanting an uber featured handset.
I have a Nokia 6600.
It connects to my IMAP account.
It connects to IM services (SMS, AIM, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, IRC etc. etc.)
I can use it as an SSH terminal via Putty.
It has a great camera and MMS services.
I'm not sure what other features you would want on a 240x320 screen. Web browsing is painful.
It is not features here that inhibit takeup, it's the cost of data calls.
In the UK the cost of data ranges from the cheapest at around $100 per month for 1Gb of data up to $3 per Mb.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
As much as I agree with you on software patents, Nokia did have a point. If the US has software patents and is using them agresively (and we know they are), if the EU bans its companies from having any, then european companies have a very real problem. Even if they come up with new ideas, they can't be patented and in the US they will be. The solution is to get rid of software patents everywhere.
You boycott Nokia? But you just love google? Come on! Get realm l?articleID=172901917). This is plain silly. And the $350K, tax exampt, self serving, PR.. Not very different from Nokia's site, only more effective with students and workd press alike.
Google doesn't have a patent on their software?? They have many (http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jht
Nothing wrong at all with software patents, as long as they are use appropriately (just like non-software patents). You don't like patents? Want to boycott companies that use them? Boycott google. Boycott Microsoft. Boycott your PC manufacturer. Boycott your food makers, electrical devices. Boycott the modern world basically.
Boycott Nokia though. It is your right, and since it is idiological one I fully support it (even if I think the reason is silly). But my suggestion is, treat all companies in the same way. Boycott all companies that use patents. Only thing is, you will be left with a very clean desktop.
"From the moment I could talk, I was ordered to listen" - Cat Stevens