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Nokia Opens the S60 Browser Source Code
segphault writes "Nokia has released the source code of it's S60 WebKit browser for mobile devices. Based on the HTML rendering components used in Konqueror and Safari, the S60 WebKit has a multitude of advanced features designed specifically for web navigation on devices with small screens. Nokia decided to release the source code under the permissive BSD license in order to promote adoption by other mobile device companies. From the article: 'the power and scalability of WebKit-based browsers and the highly permissive license under which the S60 WebKit source code is available make it a good choice for companies that want to add mobile web browsing to their devices. I think it will be particularly interesting to see how this affects Opera, whose revenue primarily comes from distribution of its own virtually ubiquitous embedded browser.'"
Webkit is released under a "BSD-style license". It's WebCore which is based on the LGPL... so in neither case would they be required to release the source of the browser, but they would have to release the source of any modification of webcore which they did...
As the Nokia s60 became effectivly closed platform with introduction of Symbian Signed and Developer Cerifications in Symbian 9.1 this is open sourcing of the browser mostly irrelevant. And so called "self-signing" for less essential capabilities still require developer certificate to test/debug application on the real phone.
If they wanted to hedge their bets, they could begin developing a S60 based web browser.
Opera got its start as a phone company spin off. It's still a reasonably small company, and might be nimble enough to navigate the changes from open source software and adapt their business model accordingly.
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
The built in browser on my Nokia seems rather poor. It's way better than what samsung build in, but it falls a long way short of Opera IMHO.
The quality of the built in browser isn't exactly a deal-breaker for most phone consumers, so it's probably not worth the money that Nokia invests in it. By opening it, they will get more development for their money and possibly a browser to rival opera.
"Lots of people don't want a [convergent] device."
That's why there are carriers like Verizon that make tons of money crippling their phones and selling phones that are pretty much useless, like the LG Mio, for a premium. You just never hear about them because geeks want "just a phone" as much as Batman wants "just a belt." In other words, you are reading the wrong website if you are looking for news about just-a-cell-phone. That probably would have had heavy coverage in 1973 (or the early '80s when they were available to the public), but not any more.
As far as Nokia's nomenclature, I agree they don't "get it." But as far as their product goes, it's exactly what a different group of "lots of people" want. For me, the fewer things I carry around in my pocket, the better... especially if it is a Nokia N80.
We're really starting to see the versatility of KHTML show. Besides being a very solid web browser in the form of Konqueror, it has also been adapted by Apple for Safari, and by Nokia.
It will be very interesting to see what happens when KDE 4.0 is released. KDE 4.0 should theoretically include support for Windows, due to the availability of a free Windows port of Qt and an emphasis on portability during the development of 4.0. We might even see Konqueror rival Firefox and Opera as the main competitor to Internet Explorer.
If KDE 4.0 is done correctly, we could very well see Konqueror itself running on various mobile and portable devices.
From http://wiki.opendarwin.org/index.php/S60Webkit:
"The MemoryManager, WebKit and Reindeer components are covered by the Nokia BSD license. The WebCore and JavaScriptCore components are covered by the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). The Netscape Plug-in API is a ported version of the open source plug-in interface from Netscape Communications Corporation, which is covered by the Netscape Public License v1.1."
Not just the phones (the phones in the US are hugely subsidized to avoid sticker-shock); it's the add-on services that make the $$$. A simple cell plan makes diddly on return, but internet access, ringtones, games, text messages, online shopping, music downloads, tv show downloads, all of those are some serious PROFIT. So nobody gives a damn about the "I just want a phone" crowd, they have little influence because they have little economic clout with the cell companies. However the kids & gadget hounds paying top dollar for a digicam/game/text/browsing/fishing rod/floor wax device do.
BTW, I got myself a new phone this week, and there were several models of "just a phone" at the store. Indeed the one I chose is "just a phone" but for a camera (eh) & apparently a built-in radio, which requires the earpiece to use (whatever.) Those two extras are only on my phone because I insisted on a model with Bluetooth. But it seems pretty sane to use, folds up, fits in my pocket, and the price was right. The model down from it was sans camera, radio, and Bluetooth, not a floor waxer or dessert topper to be seen on it.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
So wait. I am not a geek because I want just a phone? How about CD quality audio for my calls instead of a web browser?
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
As other pointed out, it's likely you are not using the browser discussed here. It is available only on the S60 3rd edition, it is based on KHTML and it is a real breakthough in the mobile area.
Latest build of Opera for S60 passes the Acid2 test and it does support AJAX, so Opera Software certainly won't let be beaten easily.