Open Linux Mobile Phone By Trolltech, This might be what weve been waiting for Options

[anonuk]

Trolltech are releasing a Linux mobile phone that is open (for flashing also)

Trolltech Linux Mobile Phone

Seems like it will only be sold to licensees, although im not sure exactly what that means...
I am definitely interested in getting this, even if it is only sold as a dev kit...

Anyone know any more info? (Maybe lpotter??)

[Da_Blitz]

actually they mention that it is part of a dev kit and that educational instatutions can purchase it as well


a platform like this is what is really needed, somthing that people can play with without fear of stuffing the device up, will this means more native linux apps for linux bassed phones?

i dont think so, the telcos relise that they have the customer by the <censored> and are clamping down and not letting go, i expect this is due in part to investor expectations where any opertunity to make profit must be pounced on without reagard for the wide range of effects on the consumer and how they own/use the device

sorry bout that, i ment to say "it looks nice"

[nilch]

Ths is a great move by Trolltech - to release an open phone so more developers and carriers (doubt that) can develop around Qtopia Phone edition. If it really catches on - it would be a great way to develope an ecosystem around their platform.

I guess they had plans to bring a Qtopia phone to (US) market for a long time, but am sure they got stonewalled with carriers wanting to clamp down every possible open feature, so they just went the way alone. (just my conjecture).

It sure looks nice - has a great feature set - wifi + GSM + 1.3 megapixel camera, and a greenphone tag (for those candy phone lovers too).

I wonder though if any carriers and OEM's will jointly work to develop a phone on such open platform like the Qtopia Phone. Seems not very likely - considering the carriers propensity to rip off customers as much as possible.

[Cresho]

ill buy it just to have it.

[kopsis]

I'm not so sure that this "If we build it, they will come" strategy is going to accomplish much. Commercial developers aren't going to waste time on a platform with a path to the consumer that is speculative at best.

Open source developers may love it, but the first thing they're going to do is replace Trolltech's Qtopia with something else (OPIE or GPE) or spend all their time hacking in the kernel, not the application space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't help Trolltech with their goal of getting consumer friendly apps developed for the phone.

In the US, consumers in general don't even want smartphones. Of the few that do, most want little more than seamless desktop (Windows Outlook) integration, a good set of built-in PIM apps, and possibly Blackberry style email connectivity. Even with Windows Mobile devices (which are, for the most part, not crippled by the carriers), the fraction of users that ever install an app that didn't come bundled with the phone is surprisingly small. Now stir into that mix the schizophrenic (and corrupt) wireless carriers and it's pretty clear that smartphones will never be more than a tiny niche on this side of the pond.

I wish Trolltech luck. I'd really like to see Linux phones succeed, but my expectations are pretty low.

[kurochka]

I'm not so sure that this "If we build it, they will come" strategy is going to accomplish much. Commercial developers aren't going to waste time on a platform with a path to the consumer that is speculative at best.

Open source developers may love it, but the first thing they're going to do is replace Trolltech's Qtopia with something else (OPIE or GPE) or spend all their time hacking in the kernel, not the application space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't help Trolltech with their goal of getting consumer friendly apps developed for the phone.

In the US, consumers in general don't even want smartphones. Of the few that do, most want little more than seamless desktop (Windows Outlook) integration, a good set of built-in PIM apps, and possibly Blackberry style email connectivity. Even with Windows Mobile devices (which are, for the most part, not crippled by the carriers), the fraction of users that ever install an app that didn't come bundled with the phone is surprisingly small. Now stir into that mix the schizophrenic (and corrupt) wireless carriers and it's pretty clear that smartphones will never be more than a tiny niche on this side of the pond.

I wish Trolltech luck. I'd really like to see Linux phones succeed, but my expectations are pretty low.

Very grim outlook. I hope it will be proven wrong.

Here is why I don't like smart phones, especially Windows Mobile ones. I use an Axim with WM as part of my car GPS setup. It is so unreliable that I need to calm myself down by saying, this is Windows, remember. I shouldn't expect more from Windows. I do not want the same instability on my phone. I want phone to always work. Additional wistles are fine when they do not undermine that expectation.

I would buy a Linux smart phone if the stability is the same as that of my Zaurus. All linux converts would buy one too (I hope).


It appears the price will be $690. So, basically all Troltech licensees could buy kits including these phones. Do you think some of them will end up on ebay?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3495

[nilch]

I'm not so sure that this "If we build it, they will come" strategy is going to accomplish much. Commercial developers aren't going to waste time on a platform with a path to the consumer that is speculative at best.

Open source developers may love it, but the first thing they're going to do is replace Trolltech's Qtopia with something else (OPIE or GPE) or spend all their time hacking in the kernel, not the application space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't help Trolltech with their goal of getting consumer friendly apps developed for the phone.

I can't help but agree ...
While it may be a good thing for developers and geeks , mainstream isnt going to be convinced unless apps are developed, not kernel hacks.

[Da_Blitz]

Open source developers may love it, but the first thing they're going to do is replace Trolltech's Qtopia with something else (OPIE or GPE) or spend all their time hacking in the kernel, not the application space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't help Trolltech with their goal of getting consumer friendly apps developed for the phone.

i second that

windows CE is a very stable OS
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.
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.
.
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then you start installing apps and the stability goes to hell

it is unfortunate as i would have been in the "power user" catagorey (even had a ftp and http server on the thing to move files over wifi) the only real problem i had was the price off the good software and the fact that i used about 20 diffrent peices of saftware on a daily basis meaning it was quite expensive the base rom dosent do enogh and means you have to invest huge amounts to get it to be a functional peice of equipment

now when using 20+ pieces of software you need to reset the device on a dialy basis minimum, that and backups dont always work and you use most of your ram due to some programs not liking bieng run off an SD card.

and in closing, i dont know of a consumer who wants "a seamless desktop" its just another marketing term, what consumers want is somthing that does everything for them and tells them those pants dont make them look fat, then there is the people who know computers,

[lpotter]

I'm not so sure that this "If we build it, they will come" strategy is going to accomplish much. Commercial developers aren't going to waste time on a platform with a path to the consumer that is speculative at best.

Actually, commercial developers as well as system integrators have shown interest in this.

It is also a 'proof of concept' reference board device.

Open source developers may love it, but the first thing they're going to do is replace Trolltech's Qtopia with something else (OPIE or GPE) or spend all their time hacking in the kernel, not the application space. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it just doesn't help Trolltech with their goal of getting consumer friendly apps developed for the phone.

If they do flash GPE or Opie, they wont be able to really access any GSM functions, thus turning there cool Greenphone into a Greenpda.

In the US, consumers in general don't even want smartphones. Of the few that do, most want little more than seamless desktop (Windows Outlook) integration, a good set of built-in PIM apps, and possibly Blackberry style email connectivity. Even with Windows Mobile devices (which are, for the most part, not crippled by the carriers), the fraction of users that ever install an app that didn't come bundled with the phone is surprisingly small. Now stir into that mix the schizophrenic (and corrupt) wireless carriers and it's pretty clear that smartphones will never be more than a tiny niche on this side of the pond.

I wish Trolltech luck. I'd really like to see Linux phones succeed, but my expectations are pretty low.

Greenphone is not a general consumer device. It is a developer SDK platform for Qtopia Phone.

[lpotter]

It appears the price will be $690.  So, basically all Troltech licensees could buy kits including these phones.  Do you think some of them will end up on ebay?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3495

The price structure has not been set yet. It will be about mid-September when it is released.

[lpotter]

I can't help but agree ...
While it may be a good thing for developers and geeks , mainstream isnt going to be convinced unless apps are developed, not kernel hacks.

Developers and geeks is exactly who this if for! Not Joe Grandma barely-can-make-mobile-phone-calls, or even general mobile phone consumer.

[lpotter]

It sure looks nice - has a great feature set - wifi + GSM + 1.3 megapixel camera, and a greenphone tag (for those candy phone lovers too).

I wonder though if any carriers and OEM's will jointly work to develop a phone on such open platform like the Qtopia Phone. Seems not very likely - considering the carriers propensity to rip off customers as much as possible.

Greenphone does not have wifi. The Linuxdevices article is wrong.

This phone has nothing to do with carriers. This has everything to do with application developers, system integrators and such.

[Mickeyl]

If they do flash GPE or Opie, they wont be able to really access any GSM functions, thus turning there cool Greenphone into a Greenpda.

Why is that? How is the GSM part accessed?

[mars]

Slightly OT for Greenphone, but this is a qtopia phone with built-in keyboard and 640x240 resolution that just made the news and slashdot: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/17/ro..._targets_nokia/

It is by German manufacturer Road and includes quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Apparently it has been vapourware until now (maybe still is).

[bam]

one question, I know this is a proof-of-concept item, but what carrier could I get this set up for, this is way too cool to let slip by..