What's the real scope of hardware openness?

[Luca Dionisi]

On 8/6/07, Giles Jones <giles.jones at zen.co.uk> wrote:
> Luca Dionisi <luca.dionisi at gmail.com> wrote :
>
> > Ok, good points for sure. But similar points have not stopped an
> > incremental adoption of emule.
>
> Yes, but on a mobile device?
>
> > For the legal aspect, since our representatives have demonstrated
> > that they care about consumers' interests less than zero, I hope in
> > a movement starting from the base.
>
> Simple fact is if you produce an open mobile and start breaking laws with it then its days are numbered.
>

I was thinking of a door left open for third-party apps.


> > Well, then it IS a matter of hardware openness too.
>
> Partly, but the chips are often built around a protocol. So if you are changing the protocol then you can't use a device that implements a protocol in hardware.
>
> > Is this a existing limitation also for GPRS or UMTS?
>
> Limitation of the silicon. It's like trying to use a sound chip for graphics, or a dial up model for ADSL.
>

Sad. I was sure it was a silly question.

Well, then the openmoko revolution is not as big a
revolution as I thought.
Still it is big!