what is the difference between openMoko and windows mobile based phones

Richard Franks spontificus at gmail.com
Thu Jan 18 16:57:08 CET 2007


On 1/18/07, hank williams <hank777 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Now I am not saying open source isnt great. But from your *average* users
> perspective I would love to hear the advantages of the open source for these
> devices. Is this just a geek issue? It seems like most of the apps described
> on this list could be done with any of the windows mobile phones. I'd just
> love, for my own edification, to hear why this is wrong.

I don't think it's simple enough to categorise neatly right now.. but
think of it in terms of computer evolution - warehouse sized
computers, mainframes, desktop, laptop.. the next stage of that
evolution is a computer you can carry around in your pocket that does
everything you want/need it to. Mobile phones have flirted with that
category for a while now, but their closed nature - artificial limits
placed upon development and software functionality - seriously impede
their potential.

So what I'm banking upon is that mysterious future potential that
comes from fully realising the next stage of computer evolution, and
being a small part of that coming revolution.

You are right in that technically a windows mobile phone could run the
same applications - the source will be open, after all... but that is
then a game of catch-up and if some of the wacky ideas we've collected
so far turns out to be extremely useful and more difficult for large
companies to negotiate, administer and incorporate into their business
models.. then Open platforms will gain market lead purely due to their
agility.

So right now it is a geek issue, which in my opinion will become a
user issue when we start seeing the next generation of mobile
applications.

Richard




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