Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Open Source-Friendly Smartphones For the Small Office?

Posted by timothy on from the ethics-schmethics dept.

Thunderstruck writes "I work in a small office with just two computers. Both machines run long-term-service releases of Ubuntu, with Gnome, and Evolution for scheduling, contact management and electronic mail. We plan to stick with Linux long-term. For telephone service, we're using smartphones. In order to keep everything straight, we need phones that can synchronize easily with the calendars and contact data on each owner's desktop machine. We cannot use cloud based services for this function due to ethics rules, and for security reasons. Right now, we do all of this with older Palm phones, but these are a dying breed. What options are out there right now for phones that will sync with Evolution (or another good Linux PIM suite) which do not require data to go through the cloud first?"

15 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. Android is what you want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Android

    1. Re:Android is what you want by Izaak · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It won't do it out of the box, but as an open platform it should be possible to make it happen. Might require an a custom OS patch though... As an Android developer myself, I might look into this and release something if someone else doesn't beat me to it.

      --

      The Bolachek Journals

    2. Re:Android is what you want by rwa2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As long as we're on the topic, anyone have any success connecting the Android 2.2 Mail app to a courier-imapd server? I'm not having any joy, though it works with mutt / thunderbird / etc.

      Though I suppose it would be better to connect to something with a full PIM suite, like Evolution... but haven't convinced myself to migrate there from JPilot + PalmOS beyond an occasional one-way sync.

    3. Re:Android is what you want by rtfa-troll · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The N900 is great. I'd be very careful recommending it to a Windows/Mac user without Linux experience, but if they are technically competent they should be able to get it working fine. The main problem is that, like so many recent Nokia products, it seems to lack the last two months of beta testing polish which makes the real difference. However, if you already know Linux you can really benefit from it.

      --
      =~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
    4. Re:Android is what you want by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Looks like the iPhone is indeed supported reasonably well through libimobiledevice which ships with Ubuntu. Check the video on the libimobiledevice site. You can't go wrong with iPhone really: a lot of people have one which will ensure developer interest, it's on a relatively slow release cycle so the OSS people aren't continually outdated and is generally pretty good about keeping compatibility between versions.

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
  2. Google is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Google is your friend

    Multisync

    Look what's supported.

    Take your pick.

    You're welcome.

    Even some gifts come with a price. Try not to imagine Goatse. Ha Ha. Got you.

  3. Windows Mobile. by saintlupus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I sync Evolution with a Samsung Epix running Windows Mobile 6.5. Works fine, at least with the USB cable - I haven't tried Bluetooth.

    I'm running Debian Squeeze.

    --saint

  4. Nokia N900 by Colin+Smith · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's basically a Debian box with phone functionality.

    Add blue tooth keyboard & mouse, plug the video out into a decent monitor and I'm not even sure you need a desktop or laptop.

    --
    Deleted
  5. What about encryption? by hawguy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you have ethics and security issues with storing data in the cloud, then shouldn't you also be looking for a device or application that encrypts sensitive data?

    Do any Android phones do encryption natively? I've heard that the upcoming Droid Pro claims to. I know the iPhone has encryption support, but I don't know how whether it encrypts all application data or only data that Apple deems 'sensitive'.

  6. AT&T? by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Unfortuntely, here in the U.S. [the N900] only works with one carrier, T-Mobile, whose coverage is a joke.

    You mean it's only SOLD WITH THE SERVICE by T-Mobile, right?

    When I signed up for GSM with AT&T (because only AT&T had a cell covering my Nevada place), they told me I could pull the SIM, put it in any other (US bands) GSM phone, and the service would work. The N900 has GSM on all the bands used in the US, according to its specs.

    I haven't tried this yet (with a N900 or any other). But perhaps someone here has and can tell us if it works?

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
    1. Re:AT&T? by sela · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The Nokia N900 isn't sold with service by T-Mobile or any other US carrier.

      Like most of Nokia's smartphones, the N900 can only be bought unlocked in the US, without any service package. It does work as a GSM phone with both carriers. However, it does have better 3g support with T-Mobile. It supports T-Mobile's UMTS but not AT&T's, thought you can still use the slower EDGE there.

      AS for coverage, T-Mobile's coverage is pretty good around the big metro areas. There is a problem only in smaller places.

  7. Re:Nokia Qt vs. Android by LandGator · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There is a wee bit of difference between declaring support for Qt, and actually having a robust pool of independent developers. Symbian development has slowed to a crawl and developers are abandoning that market to go Android or (to a lesser extent) iOS. As a three-year owner of an E90, which was preceded by a 9300, I would stay far, far away from that Norwegian Blue named Symbian, and go to a platform which might actually outlast the hardware. Symbian is circling the drain, and with it, Qt.

    --
    There is nothing wrong with yr Internet. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission - NSA
  8. nokias by fpedraza · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I regularly sync my old Nokia E61i with Evolution in my Fedora desktop. I believe the newer E70 series smartphones will also do the job.

  9. kolab with zpush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    http://wiki.kolab.org/Z_push

    We use it.
    I have tested with android and ipod touch.

  10. What about Funambol? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Did you take a look at www.funambol.com ?
    There is an open source server for PIM synchronization and open source clients for many mobile/desktop platforms.