Nokia's Linux Handheld 320
Nils Faerber writes "Today Nokia announced the introduction of the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
device along with the Open Source based Maemo Development Platform. With
this new product Nokia enters several new worlds all at once. A new concept for the use of a handheld device, a new fully visible open source based development process and the explicit use of open source software in a commercial grade product. The typical use case for the Nokia 770 is to be the internet usability extension to your mobile phone or other wireless internet access equipment. It is extremely portable by its small formfactor, usable for almost all internet applications thorugh its exceptional resolution of 800x480 pixel and its multimedia capabilities by making use of a TI-OMAP CPU and a accompanying digital signal processor (DSP) core. The consequent use of open source software and technology basing on the Linux kernel 2.6, X11-server technology and the GTK+ toolkit the resulting new Hildon graphical user interface creates a fully new user interface experience for portable Linux devices."
Re:Left-handed model? (Score:3, Insightful)
Soko
Re:Good (Score:1, Insightful)
In any case, a wildly cut-down version of a Linux desktop has nothing to do with "Linux usability" in the usual sense, any more than a Linux- or Windows-based ATM says anything about the usability of the parent OS.
... but shame on you, Nokia... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Left-handed model? (Score:3, Insightful)
wtf?
It will fail (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Good (Score:5, Insightful)
If by "people" you mean the general non-computer-geek population, then I really don't think they care what OS the unit is running. Tivo is easy to use and runs on Linux. Archos media players are easy to use... The list continues.
Linux *can* be difficult to use, especially as a home OS. UIs that lay over the kernel and OS don't have to be.
you're in luck (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:... but shame on you, Nokia... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd wish they'd just make up their mind and vouch for FOSS
Re:Seen it already... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:It will fail (Score:3, Insightful)
Passwords, security. (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:No 3G or GPRS (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:... but shame on you, Nokia... (Score:3, Insightful)
A future with EU software patents is a future where tech companies have more lawyers employed than developers. My guess is that the people in charge of Nokia's stance on patents... are lawyers.