[SC.LUG] openmoko

[George]

Richard Smedley wrote:
> Has anyone else ordered their FIC Neo1973 yet?

I have been looking at it as well as the Trolltech Greenphone (which I 
prefer the look of) as I could do with a new phone however I don't think 
I can justify getting one. I need a phone to be a phone - and it won't 
be being a phone if it's "in pieces" while I fiddle with the kernel :)

I'm also unconvinced that this is going to lead to anything other than a 
niche market. A lot of phone companies like to restrict the capabilities 
of the phones they supply on contract - it's not as bad over here as it 
is in America but they still like to remove certain pieces of software. 
Some also restrict the accounts so that they can only be used with the 
phone that was supplied via the IMEI number. As the way the market works 
you get the phone from the same people who supply you with the 
connection I can't see them going for an open platform - especially when 
the cost of a Symbian licence makes up about £1 of the cost of a £200+ 
phone.

I will however be after an OLPC laptop as soon as they go on available - 
I think these have potential :)

George