I'm not sure that there is any truth to this, but I heard that Symbian is known internally at Nokia as POS OS. They're working on a linux phone, but I have no idea how far along they are, nor how much resources they're throwing at it.
It's why having enough apps that function reasonably well, i.e., not getting too much in the way of what the user is actually trying to accomplish. For the average consumer, this means ease of use rather than power (to develop) or lots and lots of shitty apps. There is such a thing as too much choice. Imagine if, the next time you were to buy a soda at your favorite fast food joint, you were offered the choice of a 10 oz., a 11 oz., or a 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, ad infinitum oz. drink, rather than small, medium, or large.
I have to agree with suv about marketing to a certain extent. That (and monopolistic business practices) are what gave MS dominance in desktop OSes. I think you'll also find that there will be lots of apps in the form of web services and the successful mobile OS will be whichever one provides the best interaction with those wen apps. As for the services themselves, those that are marketed best, have the best branding, etc., will have an edge. These will be what average consumers will think of as their choices.
(OTOH, it might come to pass that web apps become totally ubiquitous and interlinked, and the boundaries between different apps will become quite fuzzy, to the point where we're not even thinking in terms of discrete applications but of functionalities. With Greasemonkey and the right plugins, where does firefox stop and flickr begin?)
I have no inside information, I'm just picking up clues and reading the tea leaves. And I think you're 100% correct. I think Apple and Google are in partnership to build a completely revamped.mac. I don't think it will even be called.mac anymore. I also wouldn't be at all surprised if Apple releases some sync APIs sooner rather than later. They (meaning Google and Apple) might even try to create an open sync standard.
I also think you're right in approaching smart phones as mobile thin clients, although you didn't use those exact words. (Remember Larry Elison used to be on Apple's board and is still reportedly close friends with Jobs.) The battle between open phone OSes vs. proprietary phone OSes obfuscates the real philosophical differences between a phone being a thin client and a phone being either an extension of the desktop or a miniaturized desktop. I'm rooting for thin client. A phone is one of the only places (perhaps the only place) that a thin client makes sense in the consumer space.
While I'm sure this aspect is disappointing to those of you that understand and don't have to ask, wouldn't you agree that it's a sane approach? And even if the firmware is locking it down, wouldn't it be possible to approach the manufacturer with a proposal of whatever project you have in mind?
Well, in some Spanish speaking countries, moco is slang for snot or sperm, so this is going to go over really well there.
As for the phone and its OS, never say never. They might be after the niche slashdot-type market at first. If and when it gets a UI with enough polish and ease-of-use it might have a chance in the mass market. And it stands to benefit from Apple blowing the smartphone market wide open. The iPhone is going to make smart phones popular among "regular" people. I think this improves rather than hurts the chances of Openmoko to succeed.
I see some mutual benefit between projects like Openmoko and the iPhone as well. Adoption of either is going to help push for adoption of open web standards (Death to Flash!! and other proprietary bullshit).
If it's a very very precisely accurate accelerometer it could be a good alternative to a GPS (assuming you have accurate coordinates for your start position). =)
Are you sure about it not working with stereo headphones? Got linkage? Seems strange that it would come with stereo earphones and use 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack.
Oh, give Jon Lech Johansen another week or two and that problem will probably be solved. (I don't know for a fact, but) I think it's software signing and not hardware. I've heard a few claim that the iPhone has some sort of TPM hardware, but I've not seen any proof of it.
OTOH, what distros will run on this OSSphone? Is there an UbuntuCE yet? Is Linus going to start allowing mobile phone kernel hackers to add their stuff? Near as I can tell, most phones running linux are locked down at the kernel level, but have open middleware. (And one could argue that Apple is conceptually shifting the "middleware" to AJAX or what have you.)
Correct me if I'm way off base about the openness of Linux based phones (anyone).
Is that a proper and credible source? Or do you want me to get Larry Wall to ring you up and explain it personally? Also, Perl was first written in the late 80s. When you first learned of it was no where near "the very beginning". Look, I'm sorry about being a sarcastic and condescending asshole, but if you would stop being an ignorant doofus, I wouldn't have to be one.
That's a "backronym", i.e., implemented after the name was minted by Larry Wall.
And of course I'm going to nitpick. This is slashdot. Are you new here? It would be doing you a disservice not to bust your balls for being ignorant (of a triviality).
It's a *TOOL* - it performs a job, whether its wrting a document, editing pictures or playing a game. It does *NOT* need to be stylish or ergonomic, except for those insecure people who need approval and/or admiration from their peers for everything they do, and therefore need everything they own to be *NOTICED*. My first thought is that you were abused by case modders as a child.
You know, there's a little known fact about Pablo Picasso. For a short time he went on a functionality kick. "The only good art is functional art!" he was heard to rant. Art historians know this as his Beige Period.
I want a rusty metal Mac. I'm serious. Last December I was thinking about getting a custom powder coat on my motorcycle when I met this chick that had a rust finish custom cycle. It's the coolest finish I've ever seen. I think her painter uses some sort of acid wash and works it around with a pad of steel wool until he gets the desired patina/rust effect. Then he does something to halt the oxidation. (I'm not up on my chemistry to know what he uses exactly. Then he clear coats it. I'm not sure how many coats. The result is unique and beautiful.
That reminds me of a funny story that actually brings us back to the topic of Apple. During the dark days of the 90s, there was an Apple CEO named Michael Spindler, who, it was rumored, would hide under his desk when he didn't want to see people.
Snowcrash is a fun book in a lighthearted sort of way. It's not very ambitious, although it does go into the Sumerian material in an interesting if superficial way. The Diamond Age gets a bit deeper and more interesting, but is still essentially a sci-fi yarn. Cryptonomicon gets vastly more interesting and deep, perhaps because it has a historical basis and there is more of an onus on the author to hew to reality. The Baroque Cycle continues the progression of more deep and more interesting, and there is an even greater need for Stephenson to be historically accurate (although, of course, he does take liberties to fashion a compelling tale), because his underlying goal is to trace the development of what we know as modern civilization.
Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle are vastly more ambitious than Stephenson's previous efforts, and they are ambitious for the reader as well. This is not due to the length of each alone; the material is dense with information, which is probably why you needed to read it again. (It's also such a kick in the pants to read, one wants to do it again.) I had similar problems as you with The Baroque Cycle, picking it up and putting it down, but not making much headway. Finally I reached some sort of tipping point, the reading became a total pleasure, and I read it voraciously. I think I was about a third of the way into Quicksilver when I discovered it was no longer a chore. YMMV.
I must confess that I have a predilection for long dense books. A great favorite is Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, another is Focault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (who also wrote The Name of the Rose). The one dense long book that continues to give me trouble is Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. Beautiful prose, but it's hard to concentrate on the story (even though I've seen the movie).
They're actually screwed on this one. Really screwed.
There is currently a file sharing case in which the defendant has counter-sued the MPAA (or it might have been the RIAA) because they were using unlicensed private investigators. Private investigators must be licensed in the state where they are doing their investigation. I somehow doubt that Media Defender is licensed as a private investigator in all 50 states, let alone anywhere.
Basically, this is opening up the MPAA to an avalanche of suits. One doesn't need to wait to be sued by the MPAA or investigated by them to bring suit on a matter like this (I think. IANAL and all that). Or states attorney generals could sue the MPAA. The only thing government likes better than supporting big business is wringing big money out of big business when it runs afoul of the law.
The MPAA is denying any involvement with Media Defender, but I'd like there to be an investigation (licensed, of course) and discovery. Remember, if they try to hide anything in discovery, they're subject to possible criminal penalties. But even if the MPAA is clear, Media Defender is still liable. This should put a chill on any further entrapment activities.
I think this is the best non-car analogy I've ever seen on slashdot. This should be modded up if only for that reason.
I'm rooting for desktop Linux to continue to make gains, but I think the widespread acceptance that the article suggests (but doesn't predict, mind you) will take a lot longer. Right now, Vista's main competitor is XP. Vista adoption has been slow because most Windows users are satisfied with XP and don't see much value in upgrading to Vista.
I'm a happy* Mac user, but I like knowing that there are viable alternatives out there like Ubuntu, etc.
For the record, the editors made changes to the summary I submitted. . . . my original summary was much more inflammatory. I even used the pejorative term "Freetard". =)
OK, just typing out loud here, so bear with me . . . . the iPhone is like a Porsche that doesn't allow you to build a kitchen in the glove compartment (applications), but you can still go to a drive thru (Web Apps), roll down your window and place your order (safari). In addition, it is so insanely easy for anyone to build a drive thru (AJAX) that there is no reason why every restaurant (web site) can't have drive thru windows tailored to the porsche (or any other vehicle, for that matter).
That's not half bad so far . . .
I'm not sure what car or truck the Nokia represents, but whatever car allows you to build a kitchen in the glove compartment, install a swimming pool in the trunk, bolt on square tires to the hubs, add a catheter so you can pee without leaving the driver's seat on those long trips . . .
OK, this analogy now sucks. Anyone else want to try?
Slashdot Mirror
My point was that for the Hungarians to be the ancestors of the Huns, time would have to run backwards.
I'm not sure that there is any truth to this, but I heard that Symbian is known internally at Nokia as POS OS. They're working on a linux phone, but I have no idea how far along they are, nor how much resources they're throwing at it.
It's why having enough apps that function reasonably well, i.e., not getting too much in the way of what the user is actually trying to accomplish. For the average consumer, this means ease of use rather than power (to develop) or lots and lots of shitty apps. There is such a thing as too much choice. Imagine if, the next time you were to buy a soda at your favorite fast food joint, you were offered the choice of a 10 oz., a 11 oz., or a 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, ad infinitum oz. drink, rather than small, medium, or large.
I have to agree with suv about marketing to a certain extent. That (and monopolistic business practices) are what gave MS dominance in desktop OSes. I think you'll also find that there will be lots of apps in the form of web services and the successful mobile OS will be whichever one provides the best interaction with those wen apps. As for the services themselves, those that are marketed best, have the best branding, etc., will have an edge. These will be what average consumers will think of as their choices.
(OTOH, it might come to pass that web apps become totally ubiquitous and interlinked, and the boundaries between different apps will become quite fuzzy, to the point where we're not even thinking in terms of discrete applications but of functionalities. With Greasemonkey and the right plugins, where does firefox stop and flickr begin?)
I have no inside information, I'm just picking up clues and reading the tea leaves. And I think you're 100% correct. I think Apple and Google are in partnership to build a completely revamped .mac. I don't think it will even be called .mac anymore. I also wouldn't be at all surprised if Apple releases some sync APIs sooner rather than later. They (meaning Google and Apple) might even try to create an open sync standard.
I also think you're right in approaching smart phones as mobile thin clients, although you didn't use those exact words. (Remember Larry Elison used to be on Apple's board and is still reportedly close friends with Jobs.) The battle between open phone OSes vs. proprietary phone OSes obfuscates the real philosophical differences between a phone being a thin client and a phone being either an extension of the desktop or a miniaturized desktop. I'm rooting for thin client. A phone is one of the only places (perhaps the only place) that a thin client makes sense in the consumer space.
While I'm sure this aspect is disappointing to those of you that understand and don't have to ask, wouldn't you agree that it's a sane approach? And even if the firmware is locking it down, wouldn't it be possible to approach the manufacturer with a proposal of whatever project you have in mind?
Well, in some Spanish speaking countries, moco is slang for snot or sperm, so this is going to go over really well there.
As for the phone and its OS, never say never. They might be after the niche slashdot-type market at first. If and when it gets a UI with enough polish and ease-of-use it might have a chance in the mass market. And it stands to benefit from Apple blowing the smartphone market wide open. The iPhone is going to make smart phones popular among "regular" people. I think this improves rather than hurts the chances of Openmoko to succeed.
I see some mutual benefit between projects like Openmoko and the iPhone as well. Adoption of either is going to help push for adoption of open web standards (Death to Flash!! and other proprietary bullshit).
If it's a very very precisely accurate accelerometer it could be a good alternative to a GPS (assuming you have accurate coordinates for your start position). =)
Are you sure about it not working with stereo headphones? Got linkage? Seems strange that it would come with stereo earphones and use 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack.
Oh, give Jon Lech Johansen another week or two and that problem will probably be solved. (I don't know for a fact, but) I think it's software signing and not hardware. I've heard a few claim that the iPhone has some sort of TPM hardware, but I've not seen any proof of it.
OTOH, what distros will run on this OSSphone? Is there an UbuntuCE yet? Is Linus going to start allowing mobile phone kernel hackers to add their stuff? Near as I can tell, most phones running linux are locked down at the kernel level, but have open middleware. (And one could argue that Apple is conceptually shifting the "middleware" to AJAX or what have you.)
Correct me if I'm way off base about the openness of Linux based phones (anyone).
Oh, the humanity! The not wireless and lame humanity!
You know nothing.
Is that a proper and credible source? Or do you want me to get Larry Wall to ring you up and explain it personally? Also, Perl was first written in the late 80s. When you first learned of it was no where near "the very beginning". Look, I'm sorry about being a sarcastic and condescending asshole, but if you would stop being an ignorant doofus, I wouldn't have to be one.
That's a "backronym", i.e., implemented after the name was minted by Larry Wall.
And of course I'm going to nitpick. This is slashdot. Are you new here? It would be doing you a disservice not to bust your balls for being ignorant (of a triviality).
You know, there's a little known fact about Pablo Picasso. For a short time he went on a functionality kick. "The only good art is functional art!" he was heard to rant. Art historians know this as his Beige Period.
I want a rusty metal Mac. I'm serious. Last December I was thinking about getting a custom powder coat on my motorcycle when I met this chick that had a rust finish custom cycle. It's the coolest finish I've ever seen. I think her painter uses some sort of acid wash and works it around with a pad of steel wool until he gets the desired patina/rust effect. Then he does something to halt the oxidation. (I'm not up on my chemistry to know what he uses exactly. Then he clear coats it. I'm not sure how many coats. The result is unique and beautiful.
Or a brass case. That would be cool.
Brick, straw, and twigs are right out, however.
No, I paint it. Or I change the landscaping or redecorate the interior. I just completed a bathroom remodel that I'm quite proud of.
I'm guessing that maybe you live in a refrigerator box in an alley?
That reminds me of a funny story that actually brings us back to the topic of Apple. During the dark days of the 90s, there was an Apple CEO named Michael Spindler, who, it was rumored, would hide under his desk when he didn't want to see people.
That was fictional. This was apparently for reals.
I wonder what sort of knotty problems this computer was able to unravel.
Snowcrash is a fun book in a lighthearted sort of way. It's not very ambitious, although it does go into the Sumerian material in an interesting if superficial way. The Diamond Age gets a bit deeper and more interesting, but is still essentially a sci-fi yarn. Cryptonomicon gets vastly more interesting and deep, perhaps because it has a historical basis and there is more of an onus on the author to hew to reality. The Baroque Cycle continues the progression of more deep and more interesting, and there is an even greater need for Stephenson to be historically accurate (although, of course, he does take liberties to fashion a compelling tale), because his underlying goal is to trace the development of what we know as modern civilization.
Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle are vastly more ambitious than Stephenson's previous efforts, and they are ambitious for the reader as well. This is not due to the length of each alone; the material is dense with information, which is probably why you needed to read it again. (It's also such a kick in the pants to read, one wants to do it again.) I had similar problems as you with The Baroque Cycle, picking it up and putting it down, but not making much headway. Finally I reached some sort of tipping point, the reading became a total pleasure, and I read it voraciously. I think I was about a third of the way into Quicksilver when I discovered it was no longer a chore. YMMV.
I must confess that I have a predilection for long dense books. A great favorite is Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, another is Focault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (who also wrote The Name of the Rose). The one dense long book that continues to give me trouble is Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. Beautiful prose, but it's hard to concentrate on the story (even though I've seen the movie).
Perl is not an acronym.
The Huns are the descendants of the Hungarians in counter-clock world.
They're actually screwed on this one. Really screwed.
There is currently a file sharing case in which the defendant has counter-sued the MPAA (or it might have been the RIAA) because they were using unlicensed private investigators. Private investigators must be licensed in the state where they are doing their investigation. I somehow doubt that Media Defender is licensed as a private investigator in all 50 states, let alone anywhere.
Basically, this is opening up the MPAA to an avalanche of suits. One doesn't need to wait to be sued by the MPAA or investigated by them to bring suit on a matter like this (I think. IANAL and all that). Or states attorney generals could sue the MPAA. The only thing government likes better than supporting big business is wringing big money out of big business when it runs afoul of the law.
The MPAA is denying any involvement with Media Defender, but I'd like there to be an investigation (licensed, of course) and discovery. Remember, if they try to hide anything in discovery, they're subject to possible criminal penalties. But even if the MPAA is clear, Media Defender is still liable. This should put a chill on any further entrapment activities.
Gadzooks!
I think this is the best non-car analogy I've ever seen on slashdot. This should be modded up if only for that reason.
I'm rooting for desktop Linux to continue to make gains, but I think the widespread acceptance that the article suggests (but doesn't predict, mind you) will take a lot longer. Right now, Vista's main competitor is XP. Vista adoption has been slow because most Windows users are satisfied with XP and don't see much value in upgrading to Vista.
I'm a happy* Mac user, but I like knowing that there are viable alternatives out there like Ubuntu, etc.
*not that there is anything wrong with that
For the record, the editors made changes to the summary I submitted. . . . my original summary was much more inflammatory. I even used the pejorative term "Freetard". =)
OK, just typing out loud here, so bear with me . . . . the iPhone is like a Porsche that doesn't allow you to build a kitchen in the glove compartment (applications), but you can still go to a drive thru (Web Apps), roll down your window and place your order (safari). In addition, it is so insanely easy for anyone to build a drive thru (AJAX) that there is no reason why every restaurant (web site) can't have drive thru windows tailored to the porsche (or any other vehicle, for that matter).
That's not half bad so far . . .
I'm not sure what car or truck the Nokia represents, but whatever car allows you to build a kitchen in the glove compartment, install a swimming pool in the trunk, bolt on square tires to the hubs, add a catheter so you can pee without leaving the driver's seat on those long trips . . .
OK, this analogy now sucks. Anyone else want to try?