Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Handhelds Java Programming Software Hardware Linux

Motorola Launches A760 Linux and Java Smartphone 116

Posted by CowboyNeal from the phoning-home dept.
securitas writes "Motorola launched its A760 Linux and Java smartphone in China today. The dual-mode GSM/GPRS phone uses a version of MontaVista Linux, Motorola's i250 chip for communications, Intel's 200 MHz PXA262 chip (based on the XScale PXA250) for computing with 256 MB RAM, and software that includes a personal information management application, digital camera, a video player, MP3 music player, and an instant-messaging tool. The A760 is the first of Motorola's Linux-based phones. Eventually Motorola plans to use Linux in most of its phones."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Motorola Launches A760 Linux and Java Smartphone More

Motorola Launches A760 Linux and Java Smartphone

Comments Filter:
  • 256 MB of RAM...now that's pretty nice!

    What's the screen resolution?

  • Why Intel? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by jimbolaya ( 526861 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:23AM (#7366273) Homepage
    I find it odd that Motorola, a maker of embedded microprocessors, would go with an Intel chip.

    • Re:Why Intel? (Score:4, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:29AM (#7366290)
      I find it even more ironic that they would go with MontaVista when they own Metrowerks who has their own embedded linux.

    • Re:Why Intel? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Glock27 ( 446276 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:32AM (#7366302)
      I find it odd that Motorola, a maker of embedded microprocessors, would go with an Intel chip.

      Yes, that is fairly strange. The low-power PPC chips are pretty nice.

      However, the phone unit is most likely autonomous (and much more powerful than the chip unit, which may be sold and is unprofitable). Intel most likely had the best prices and specs (or convinced someone of that), and Intel got the deal.

      Its really the way to do things, if you end up with a better phone product. If not, well...

      • Yes, that is fairly strange. The low-power PPC chips are pretty nice.

        The XScale has an order of magnitude better performance per watt than PPC - we're talking fractions of a watt flat out at 400MHz (see the spec sheet [intel.com]). Also note that this is an Intel/DEC improved ARM core, and isn't x86 based in the slightest.

        This particular XScale also has a large wedge of on-chip flash and a bunch of handy peripherals for mobile devices - which is unsurprising seeing as that's what it seems to have been made for.

        It

        • You do realize that Motorola SPS is an ARM licensee, and that the i250 platform mentioned is a Motorola CPU with both ARM and DSP cores optimized for wireless.

          Details are at SPS PDF overview of i250 [motorola.com]
          • You do realize that Motorola SPS is an ARM licensee, and that the i250 platform mentioned is a Motorola CPU with both ARM and DSP cores optimized for wireless.

            You're right, Motorola still make their own chips, just with ARM cores instead of their own. I suppose I could more accurately say that I find it funny Motorola favours other core designs to their own.

            About the only core they have which is both high performance and low power is the 56k, which they use in that i250. But 56k is a pain to program and

    • I don't find it odd at all... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Moderation abuser ( 184013 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @11:31AM (#7366477)
      It's been patently obvious for several years that the Motorola management simply have no confidence in their own products.

      They eat as little their own dogfood as they can in the products they sell and they don't eat it in their internal I.T. infrastructure at all. It falls into place when you see that they are getting rid of their microprocessor division entirely[1].

      It also begs the question, why would anyone else want to eat their dogfood? Apple have answered that one by going to IBM for the G5.

      [1] http://www.arstechnica.com/archive/news/1065502188 .html
      • This is offtopic, but I thought IBM _always_ developed/manufactured the PowerPC (PPC) cpu...
      • NOOO I need my HC11!

        Seriously, I'm surprised at the adoption of Linux on embedded apps. I usually consider embedded apps like a phone a real-time system. After all, not much new software will be added - and many of its functions have serious time and stability concerns. A user that has to debug their phone will buy a new phone.

        And if anyone suggests real-time Linux: hush up before I laugh at you.
    • Interesting....

      http://e-www.motorola.com/brdata/PDFDB/docs/IMXP WS WP.pdf
  • 1.) Bash 2.) GCC 3.) X11 4.) Emacs
  • every cell fone should have a SSH client and a IP address. Being a Sys Admin, I know how important it is to get access to SSH.
    If you can create a SSH tunnel (see mindterm [appgate.com] through your your company's firwall, you can get to any intranet server using SSH on your cellfone
    Or you could even SSH tunnel into your cell, and retreive telefone number, addresses(or other data).

  • Uses Linux, but does not expose it (Score:5, Informative)

    by mparaz ( 31980 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:32AM (#7366301) Homepage
    Motorola's own page for the product [motorola.com] does not even mention that it uses Linux. I doubt they'll officially support people trying to get a root shell prompt on it.
    • Shell? What shell? To see a better image of the thing I have to agree to an "image license agreement." In a small box that I can't even scroll and see what it says. Motorola has gone nuts. Nobody is relying on copyrights anymore. They want to suck every little blood drop out of fair use.

      Good luck, Motorola, with your "proprietary intellectual property". What kind of a proprietary intellectual property is a picture of a phone?

      Maybe after you get that phone, it will have a printed license agreement inside

  • Functional, but not beautiful (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Realistic_Dragon ( 655151 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:37AM (#7366310) Homepage
    There are some pictures here [pocketthings.com].

    The transparent window to let you see the screen when the clamshell is closed is a nice touch, but it's following the latest phone trend of looking like it's eaten too many pies. When will someone produce a phone styled like the iPod with it's slick square-with-rounded-corners look?

    I wonder if you can telnet in from the serial port/data link port, install a VNC server and then have all your phone controlls on your desktop? Would be a big improvement over fiddly little buttons - mind you in the photo it doesn't seem to have numeric buttons, but rather use some kind of touch screen controls as well as a D pad.
  • The Motorola MPx200 Windows Smartphone is available in the US now. (with a good introductory rebate/bundle promo at CompUSA for another day or two).

  • Nice win for Linux, but what does it really mean? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by G4from128k ( 686170 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:42AM (#7366321)
    I find the proliferation of Linux-based devices interesting. It would seem to suggest a growing base of devices that will attract application developers and create more reasons for both users and platform manufacturers to adopt Linux.

    But I wonder if a common kernel is sufficient from the perspective of the end-user. In particular, I wonder how compatible the various flavors of Linux are when it comes to GUI-based applications that most people want to use. Unless all these various devices can run some common GUI, most of the real applications that people want to use will will be impossible to port between all these devices or hard to use if they get ported but use different interface guidelines.

    Perhaps the volume of devices running Linux is less important than the volume of devices running a standardized UI layer and set of interface guidelines on Linux.

  • Linux in a phone? (Score:5, Funny)

    by teamhasnoi ( 554944 ) <teamhasnoi AT yahoo DOT com> on Saturday November 01, 2003 @10:47AM (#7366332) Journal
    I heard they still can't get the sound to work.

  • Features... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    This is cool and all.. But can I make calls with it?
  • The A760 uses a version of Linux from MontaVista Software.

    Wow! An open source cell phone. Think about all those ringtone options!

  • "two StrataFlash memory chips for 256MB of memory"

  • Linux is almost irrelevant here (Score:4, Insightful)

    by BriSTO(V)L ( 668928 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @11:15AM (#7366409) Journal
    Everyone (at the time of reading) seems to be stuck on the linux-ness of this phone, with spurious speculation about gcc, bash etc. But the point is that the software development platform for these things will be: 1) Java 2) Not controlled by Microsoft or Symbian or Palm 3) See (1) etc... It may well indicate a new platform for open source software development, but it is not going to look much like any current paradigm, I suspect. Also, the 2 parts (phone and "computer", for want of a better word) will be highly separated to avoid people writing software to "adjust" their phone bills.
    • How can one "adjust" his phone bill through the phone, as you say? All the billing information is held in the provider's computer, somewhere far from your phone and reach.
      However, you might be able to activate "test mode" like in old phones, and by that listen to other calls in the area and such. But that was possible with all the previous generations of phones aswell.
  • I don't know what my issue is but every single time I see a new device that sports Linux I consider getting one and turning it into a webserver. One of these days that's what's happening to my PS2.

  • price = $799 (Score:4, Interesting)

    by linuxlover ( 40375 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @11:36AM (#7366499) Homepage
    plemix [plemix.com]

    Ouch!

    May be when it comes to $300 or so, I will consider.

  • I'm sure typing "dialphone 555-123-4567" from the command line will work, but if you want a GUI you're going to have to download the correct video drivers, recompile your X server and pray that everything works properly.

    Oh, and good luck editing /etc/gsm.conf and /etc/gprs.conf properly, the man pages aren't quite finished yet. ;)

  • Haha. I think a few weeks ago when I asked for one of these someone told me they would never exist. I'm going to need a new cell phone here in a month or 2 so lets get this thing to the US!
    • I have to agree! I get my "please don't leave us when your contract is up" cash in Jan. Please, please, please let this come to verizon, or at least them come out with a version compatable with US networks.
      • I doubt we'll be seeing this in a Verizon store anytime soon (unfortunately), as Verizon is predominantly CDMA, and this phone (like most other really cool phones out there) is GSM.
        I'm still hoping for something really cool and useful phone-wise to show up at Verizon myself, as that might be the incentive I need to change from their pre-pay service to a real phone plan.

  • Motorola is going for Microsoft (Score:3, Informative)

    by rkaa ( 162066 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @12:30PM (#7366673)
    I tried to point to this Register-story earlyer:
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/ 31962.html

    Motorola have had the A760 cooking for a long time. Any release in US or Europe is yet undecided. And only two weeks after they recently sold their share in Symbian, a Microsoft phone - MPx200 - was announced.

    Motorola state in a press release that a row of MS based phones are planned, and that the two companies are cooperating closely within development and strategic marketing. The english version of the release seems to have vanished, but one in swedish is available, dated today:
    http://sverige.motorola.com/newsview.asp?i temid=52 0

    I think it's safe to consider the A760 an "asian experiment". There are currently no indication further plans for those devices. There are, however, very explicit plans for further development of MS-based devices.

    • correcting URL (Score:2, Informative)

      by rkaa ( 162066 )
      broken URL - trying again: Link to press release in Swedish [motorola.com]

    • Re:Motorola is going for Microsoft (Score:4, Insightful)

      by RoLi ( 141856 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @01:49PM (#7366977)
      Why is it that MS-phones are always announced and never materialize?

      Orange had a phone for a short time that was so buggy that they had to remove it from the market. T-Online stopped their MS-plans shortly before it would go to market. And now Motorola pulls the press releases about MS-phones - except for a swedish one which seems to have been forgotten on the server...

      What tops it off is that there are still people stupid/naive enougth to preach that "There are, however, very explicit plans for further development of MS-based devices", when "Eventually Motorola plans to use Linux in most of its phones." (See above with nice linkage).

      Microsoft on cellphones is dead. With better established commercial alternatives (Symbian and PalmOS) and equally established free alternatives (Linux) available, there is nothing which can revive Windows on cellphones. It had a chance, but blew it. Get used to it.

      • /. link "Motorola plans to use Linux in most of its phones" on /. in the heading of this story is sadly outdated (February 12th)

        And Motorola hardly pulled the press release I mentioned, only mis-linked it.

        Believing the MS's mobile initiative to be dead is dangerous and way wrong. Microsofts problem has partly been their technology - now polished - but more problematic was their lack of support amongst mobile tech producers. They surely welcome the brekup of the Symbian brotherhood. A well reputed company

        • Re:Motorola is going for Microsoft (Score:4, Interesting)

          by RoLi ( 141856 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @04:40PM (#7367727)
          And Motorola hardly pulled the press release I mentioned, only mis-linked it.

          I said they pulled the press release and forgot a swedish version on the server. What part of that don't you understand?

          Believing the MS's mobile initiative to be dead is dangerous and way wrong.

          Only dangerous for Microsoft. Without the "it's going to be THE STANDARD" - bonus, they don't have a chance.

          Microsofts problem has partly been their technology - now polished - but more problematic was their lack of support amongst mobile tech producers.

          I disagree on the first part (MS has still to show that they can actually put out a working smartphone solution) but you are correct on the second part: They lack support - again because everybody (rightly) believes that MS-smartphones are dead. It's a self-fullfilling prophecy. No support -> Everybody believes it's dead -> even less support -> It is dead.

          A well reputed company like Motorola turning to Windows is exactly what they needed.

          You don't find it ironic if you type that line in a story about a REAL EXISTING **LINUX** smartphone while there is nothing but hot air and vapor about MS-smartphones from Motorola?

          Face it: MS-smartphones are dead. Symbian is the standard and has the advantages of being established (you get tons of programs, support and all formats are working), Linux has the advantage of being royalty-free and source-free, Microsoft has no advantages: It comes with royalties like Symbian and is as badly established as Linux. And on top you get the additional disadvantage that it's price and existance is uncertain. (Symbian is controlled by a consortium, not a single firm)

          As interesting as the A760 might be, Linux is a complete outsider in mobile technology.

          Just like Windows. But it's royalty free.

          No wonder Motorola loudly bet on the safest horse.

          You sure read too many Microsoft propaganda. With about 0% marketshare, Windows is no safety horse in cellphones, it's a risky technology that can dissappear anyday, just like:

          • Hailstorm
          • Windows/Alpha
          • Blackbird
          • MS Bob
          • or many other Microsoft projects

          Because of Microsoft marketing you think otherwise, but in the real world Microsoft has a long list of shutting down projects without warning.

          If all you have is a swedish press-release, well then I'm really sorry for you and your beloved Windows-cellphones.

          • The press release was not pulled. It states "the companies will collaborate on a series of smartphone and Pocket PC wireless devices" [motorola.com] Also available in german [motorola.com] and danish [motorola.com].

            You don't find it ironic if you type that line in a story about a REAL EXISTING **LINUX** smartphone while there is nothing but hot air and vapor about MS-smartphones from Motorola?

            No. If anyone blow hot air here, it's you. The MPx200 was announced available nationwide [motorola.com]on Oct. 21st this year, and can be purchased [attwireless.com] from for instance AT

            • OK, so it's 1:1 in the Linux vs. Microsoft battle at Motorola. However Linux has one advantage: No royalties, so Motorola can have a lower price and a higher margin on it. How long will it take a manager at Motorola to figure that out? I mean there are no "switching costs" associated with Linux here. They have working solutions on both platforms and both platforms are outsiders in the marketplace, so there is not much going for MS compared to Linux.

              BTW: I'm no MS fan.

              Yeah, sure. That's why you called th

              • Yeah, sure. That's why you called the Linux phone doomed because it's a clamshell, yet you think the MS-phone (which is also a clamshell) is going to set the world on fire.

                I didn't call the Linux phone doomed. But it's poorly designed. I called it a half hearted clamshell design, implying that I consider it "left hand work", designed in a hurry. The lid - unlike on "real" clamshell phones - has no function! It doesn't contain the display. It's just wasted surface - a lid with some glass or plastic. Weird

                • A weird looking Linux phone versus a good looking Windows phone.

                  Let me get that straight: You think that Linux is doomed and Windows is going to take over because you personally don't like one model and like another one? You realize that cellphones are redesigned almost yearly?

                  So what if somebody at Motorola gets the idea to throw out your beloved Windows and put Linux into the same casing to save royalties? What will your excuse be then? I already know: You will claim the Linux version will be "too har

                  • I don't consider Linux doomed. I just don't see any signs Motorola will persuit embedded Linux in their cellphones.

                    If you had actually read the original story [pcworld.com] you would realize that Symbian is off topic in this context. The point is Motorolas commitment to Linux - or lack of such. Seems to me they put Linux cold on ice, in benefit of MS.

                    As for design, that's far from pointless. Design is very much what sells the plethora of more or less identically featured phones. Thus, it is indeed relevant that the A7
                    • The point is Motorolas commitment to Linux - or lack of such. Seems to me they put Linux cold on ice, in benefit of MS.

                      That doesn't make any sense. Why did they release a Linux-cellphone in the first place, then?

                      And Symbian is not off-topic because it's the clear market-leader.

                      The point is that the usual Microsoft-tactic is not working: Dumping to get market domination will not happen because Nokia is dominating the market and not Motorola.

                      So either Microsoft has to constantly pour money into Window

                    • And Symbian is not off-topic because it's the clear market-leader.

                      Symbian is off topic for *that very reason*. Of course they're the market leader. Everybody KNOWS that. It's utterly irrelevant here.

                      This is about Linux/Windows and which direction the multinational company Motorola are taking. *AFTER* they sold their Symbian shares some two months ago.

                      EXIT Symbian.

                      Why did they release a Linux-cellphone in the first place, then?

                      And that is an interesting question.

                      The Slashdot punchline was a refer

                    • Soooo.. You tell me. Why was the A760 released?


                      Possibly because Motorola just might know slightly more about it's intended customers than you have realized (or alluded to) in the above thread.

                      The A760 is targeted at the emerging China market, where there are a lot of people who don't have cell phones yet, and a lot of people (and a government) who don't really like to play Microsofts games. Hence the release of a Linux-based smartphone. As everyone and their dog knows, Linux is for the people, by th
                    • The A760 is targeted at the emerging China market

                      Sure. And money grow on trees. The A760 retails [216.110.171.78] for US$ 800 [plemix.com]. The MPx200 retails for $300. China's GDP per capita is approx $4000. Please repeat who's buying WHAT?

                      Regardless - the point remains the same:
                      There is every reason to believe that Motorola had already abandoned any further thoughts of producing Linux phones, even at the time the A760 was released.

                      The best thing about this horrible thread is that time will prove me right.. wait and see.

                    • According to this Motorola press release [motorola.com], it's targeted at China.

                      "Hangzhou, PRC (NYSE; MOT) -- 31 October, 2003: The newest mobile phone from Motorola to launch in the People's Republic of China is raising the stakes for mobiles."

                      "The A760 is available in China's major mobile phone stores in the month of October and will be launched in other Asian markets shortly afterwards. (ends)"

                      Apparently they expect to sell it to someone there, but probably not everyone. Just like not everyone in the US uses the
      • The Orange SPV is still widely available in Europe. You can walk into any AT&T Wireless Store in the United States and buy an MPx200 right now. More that that, the MPx200 was the featured phone on the CompUSA Sunday flyer last week.

        I don't see how a post so completely wrong can be moderated "insightful"
        • AFAIK the Orange SPV is only available in Great Britain and maybe the Netherlands, that hardly counts as being "widely available in Europe".

          Also Orange is the only one carrying these phones (thus the name) and Orange is just one network among many in the UK.

          Look here [orange.co.uk]

          Also when you look at the Orange-shop, the first cellphone is the Treo 600 with lots of Nokias on the first page. The Orange SVP is not even on the first page anymore.

          Microsoft is able to make some isolated deals with some networks, but

    • I think it's safe to consider the A760 an "asian experiment".

      With all the pro-opensource(wasn't china working on their own linux or something to escape MS?) news coming out of asia, it would make a bit of sense if they supported it over there. If it's part computer, it doesn't seem like they'd be able to sell it in Vietnam, which might be an all but nonexisiting market(I don't know) but it'd make sense to make sure they can sell/manufacture this thing where-ever seems cheapest.

      FryCarson: when it doubt, b

  • Jesus Tapdancing Christ!!! WTF does a phone need 1/4 GB of RAM for?
  • Could we pleeease update the Handhelds Icon?
    I mean we are talking about a 200Mhz phone with 256MB ram. The Palm does not really suit this topic fine anymore. I know it's just eyecandy but it happend to the Apple-icon when it got outdated.
    And while you're at it, update the Gnome icon as well. That would be neat.

    And yeah, I am still using a Palm III here. As a universal remote control. ;-)
  • good A760 info [mobileburn.com]

  • Linux on the inside... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by mousse-man ( 632412 ) on Saturday November 01, 2003 @03:22PM (#7367348) Homepage
    The phone runs on Linux, but did Motorola release SDKs as well, so we can add some software like on the Zaurus? Have a real Linux underneath that will allow me to be somewhat productive with it?

    So far, it looks to me like some other lock-in scheme akin to WinCE or Windows for (Dumb) phones.

    And more to notice - all the interesting Linux toys like the new Zaurus, this Motorola phone - are only delivered in Asia. Why this?
  • I think it's tragic that we buy devices that are inherently programmable, and yet the programmability is sealed off from us. When the device runs Linux, it's ironic as well.

    Remember Richard Stallman and the printer with proprietary interface codes? Some future Richard Stallman will be in the exact same position, and the printer will be running Linux.

    I thought that J2ME meant the same code could run on different mobile devices. A developer working on that stuff told me otherwise. The code he's writing
  • For those thinking about ssh/gcc/bash on this phone, you can forget about it! This is MotoJUIX (Motorola/Java/Linux), that's Motorola/Java, two propriatery system on top of open source kernel called Linux! This is not the GNU/Linux system you are thinking about.

    After all, Stallman is right! Linux is just a KERNEL!!!
  • If this trend continues, Motorola may very well have the PDA killer in its hands.
    As now, A760 already has a long list of features: digital camera, IR/Bluetooth/USB connection, PDA capability, Internet access, multimedia player, music/video player, Java platform, etc.

    Now, imagine if it comes with bigger screen, an integrated keyboard, upgradeable storage (SD/MMC/etc), while still fits in the pocket - I think, Motorola will be able to boast that they've caused the extinction of PDA. And also will cause many

Slashdot Top Deals

He has not acquired a fortune; the fortune has acquired him. -- Bion

Close