Why Open Source Makes Sense For Handhelds 240
Guylhem writes "Are you still wondering why you should prefer an handheld running free software over one running Palm OS or Windows CE? Here's a short article to explain the main reasons you should consider.
The most important are sustainability and freedom: you don't want your applications to break when you update your handheld OS or hardware, and you certainly want to decide what *you* may do with your data. Palm and Pocket PC's DRM protected and obscure formats stand in your way. That's another good reason to prefer free software: you have the source code so you can develop plug ins to read such obscure formats. Even better - you can stick to standards formats such as divx which are poorly supported on handhelds running proprietary software." On the topic of handhelds, tanmay submits brighthand.com's small chart of some upcoming handhelds and smart phones that may be launched in the coming months.
Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:2, Insightful)
Likewise people used to say that OS/2 was a better platform than Windows, conveniently ignoring the fact that OS/2 was largely useless due to the lack of applications. People could care less about the tec
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:5, Insightful)
It is. Is windows used in ATM machines? Can you choose your filesystem on windows? (ntfs or fat32, which both suck) OS/2 offers real multithreading support. Ah but as you said
OS/2 was largely useless due to the lack of applications
So I guess windows 3.11 was useless because of it's lack of applications. OS/2 will run 16bit dos programs more solidly than early windows or dos. Oh, OS/2 has a JVM, I guess nothing useful is written in java. Xfree86 has been ported too, but no one uses that for anything i hear.
I don't use os/2 nor do I care to, but just because you don't use it, or anyone you know directly doesn't mean it isn't a good operating system. Anyone that i know that uses, or used it is for it's stability, something windows cannot offter no matter how many applications you can get for it.
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:3, Informative)
There are plenty of ATMS that run Windows. Unfortunately, I'll see at least one or two a week with a bsod on them. If they ran Linux, I'm sure I'd still have my cash card. Then again, I don't know if Linux is hip to the whole "self-approved cash advance system via empty envelope deposit" scandal.
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:2, Interesting)
Windows 3.1 had something like 50,000 applications
so did OS/2 then, it can run them no problem. that was the comparison.
OS/2 is used in atms. That was my point of that statement. It is still used. And still used in banks quite often, and telcom companies etc. You can't say no one used/uses it.
If you were an administrator, which i doubt, why don't you really post on AC? Maybe you weren't able to set up os/2 well if you had stablity problems.
The only thing it
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:5, Insightful)
That's great. If it does what you want.
Some people buy a new technology not knowing, yet, what they expect out of it. These are the inspired thinkers to come up with new uses. They are often disappointed with proprietary systems, finding that someone else is dictating the boundaries of use differently than they, such as draconian DRM. These people feel cheated.
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:4, Interesting)
Fun extras that I can do with my new PPC Toshiba e755: Surf web with builtin 802.11b will on the toilet; show off some pics; listen to music; watch videos I've captured with my Radeon A-i-W and crunched with command line WM encoder 9 to incredibly small, smooth and clean files.
Some "innovative uses" by "inspired thinkers" mentioned in article: Install Apache to show your webpage off to friends; ease of upgrade to new device by writing your own compatible SW (anyone ever hear of Export|CSV?
Oh, and I love this: "If you are lucky, you can download a new version that runs on PalmOS 5. If you aren't, forget your beloved application."
Yes! That's inspired thinking and innovation, being unable to move on from your beloved 1994 PDA apps.
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:4, Interesting)
I use Opie on Familiar Linux. Before this I used a Palm IIIc. Perfectly fine for my use, basically typical PDA stuff.
Just because you *can* do more doesn't mean you *have* to. Linux makes for a perfectly good underlying OS for a PDA. Opie is an excellent environment for a palmtop.
I do a little database stuff with some PyQt based apps. I tossed 'em together in a GUI, tested it on my laptop, and transferred them over. Nice and easy. And easy database apps are likely the biggest missing thing from a typical PDA setup.
--
Evan
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:4, Interesting)
- I can only sync using ActiveSync(TM), which is proprietary and only runs on Windows.
- Contacts & calendar only sync with Outlook(TM).
- The SDK, albeit free (beer) only runs on Windows(TM).
It boils down to: to make full use of my WinCE IPaq, I would have to buy Windows for my desktop machine. I have yet to try SynCE - the free ActiveSync protocol implementation, perhaps it will let me sync with Linux, but more probably I'll just install Linux on the IPaq.Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:2, Funny)
Yes, lets do.
Re:Bad Platforms Make For Good Business (Score:2, Informative)
DivX...? (Score:2, Flamebait)
Re:DivX...? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:DivX...? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:DivX...? (Score:3, Insightful)
Who cares? (Score:2, Interesting)
Complexity can mean power (Score:4, Insightful)
Just because a Linux-based PDA is not as "friendly" to newbies as PalmOS or Windows CE means nothing. "No software" is just a plain lie, btw. Look here [freshports.org] for evidence.
Re:Complexity can mean power (Score:5, Insightful)
Complexity as far as configurability and programability, sure, but not in usability.
Re:Complexity can mean power (Score:5, Funny)
Everytime I borrow someones cell phone, I need them to show me how to dial out.
Everything is complex at first (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Everything is complex at first (Score:3, Informative)
Grafitti 0wnz j00. Grafitti 2, though, blows chunks if you're used to the original.
(With Grafitti, nearly all letters were drawn with one stroke (the only exception is X). Xerox got a court to decide that Grafitti infringed one of its patents, though, so Grafitti 2 was introduced. With more two-stroke characters and no backward compatibility, Grafitti 2 can't help but be slower than the original.)
Re:Complexity can mean power (Score:2, Insightful)
None of these really require power, or flexibility. Sure, I would love to be able to use OGG instead of MP3s, but is it important enough for me to try some beta software on my PDA? Nah. I just w
Re:Complexity can mean power (Score:5, Insightful)
I do (Score:5, Interesting)
I just bought the Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 and it kicks the snot out of my Palm Pilot. It's a few years newer but is still a better machine than the most recent Palms. And when I get the addons sneaked in past the lovely but untrusting Morticia, then I will have far more than had I upgraded the Palm.
Mine came from Amazon.com @ $300.00 - new in the box. This is the best techno trinket I've had years.
Original poster has to be a troll - or his significant other won't let him get the better toy and it's just sour grapes talking.
Re:I do (Score:4, Interesting)
Interesting. (Score:5, Interesting)
So far, I've gotten movies to play in divx format with mmplayer (which means they're about 1/10 the size they were with the included app); 15 books to be stored in 3MB with plucker; a better light dimming system (you could hardly affect the light before) with dimmer, a NES emulator from nesem, and a remote control system (using your palm as a remote) through Omniremote.
It also comes with Documents-to-Go, which can read and write word, excel and powerpoint documents (the same kind you find on the PC, not an import).
What exactly am I missing in freedom of choice? All the stuff I chose didn't come with my Palm device, with the exception of Documents-to-Go, and one app is even GPL (plucker).
I think I'm limited only by the speed of the processor, and for wireless stuff. I could have gotten the faster ones, or wireless, but I'd have paid more for those. I got a lot of bang for my buck, without paying the extra $130 that you did.
I thought about a Palm (Score:2)
my 2 cents
Re:I thought about a Palm (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Who cares? (Score:2)
Tee hee.
Re:Who cares? (Score:2)
The only problem is when external software fails to keep up, but that's not a failing of the device itself!
Slashdot (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
This is slashdot...don't we all already think opensource is right for handhelds?
You're right - this is Slashdot, where we think open source is right for everything from servers through to electric can openers, from cellular phones to shoes.
Coming soon to Slashdot - the open source cravat.
I can hardly wait!
Re: open source and PDAs (Score:4, Insightful)
If it's open source and has a great user interface, then that's awesome! If it's some commercial, closed-source OS, but still offers the easy to use and friendly UI, plus all the little apps and applets I want, then that's awesome too!
Right now, I find the Windows CE based handhelds to be less desirable than the PalmOS counterparts, but that's really because I've grown so familiar with the PalmOS interface. It does what I want, keeps getting refreshed with new versions, but doesn't make me relearn everything to use the updated devices. If all I owned was WinCE stuff, I'd probably be just as biased towards it.
I'm not opposed to alternatives - but on a PDA, I'm not switching products simply because it offers more "potential" by being "open source". I have to see concrete improvements that are immediately there for me.
opensource will always be good (Score:3, Informative)
A lot of sane arguments, those... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A lot of sane arguments, those... (Score:2)
Re:A lot of sane arguments, those... (Score:3, Insightful)
Modify? (Score:5, Insightful)
Somehow I don't think that 99% of handheld users are developers (or at least develop software for handhelds). Whilst modification is a good reason to use open source for people like myself (who program for a living), it's probably the least compelling reason for most.
Re:Modify? (Score:5, Insightful)
Obviously, I use the term "win" loosely.
It's like someone saying, "Here's a key." 99% of the known universe says, "What does it open?" Slashdot replies, "Who cares? You've got the key!"
Re:Modify? (Score:5, Insightful)
I can't think of anything about software that bothers me more than things that make my computer do things against my will, or stop it from carrying out my will. Other examples include MS making their office formats proprietary, spam, popup windows, and so on. I adapt and learn, of course, and many of these issues are no longer issues to me due to technical solutions, many of which are also open source. But it seems to me that the whole net would be nicer if we just stuck to open source in the first place.
Re: Modify? (Score:2)
Do you think Steve Ballmer would have made such a fool of himself if developers weren't important?
Re:Modify? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd say the prevalence of drop-in replacements for the Palm Pilot's Date Book, Phone Book, Note Pad, and To Do List would imply that the format isn't actually that obscure.
If by obscure formats they mean DRM'ed eBooks... What were you expecting buying eBooks? You don't have that option on Linux and if you did, it probably wouldn't be upwardly compatible either. You're saying they've cracked the format? That's most of the work. They could do a Palm app just as easily. And how many people watch DIVX movies on their handheld?
While I would personally prefer an Open Source PDA OS, the reasons this person has given are blown all out of proportion. As a developer, it is easier to get a Linux license for weird hardware, but how does that effect the user? Why is running Zarus software any better than running Palm software from any number of handhelds? How many desktop programs from the legendarily clean and uncluttered Linux desktop would you want to use on a tiny screen? And Linux users are in for a real eventual shock if they think an OS will run on anything forever just because it is Open Source. How quickly has it been adopted to new WinCE devices?
It is great that certain things have already been written and done for Linux handhelds, and that makes them good for power users. That doesn't mean that it is impossible to, as the article implied, AIM over a Palm Pilot. While I reiterate my support for OS OSes, this article is full of FUD.
Re:Modify? (Score:3)
Exactly. In fact- unlike on Linux or most OSes- all of the internal data on a Palm device is a database. It is very easy- even without documentation- for a developer to write an app that manipulates the internal data of any PalmOS app. Though it's often not needed, there is also documentation on these internal formats from Palm and th
Grrr!! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Grrr!! (Score:3, Insightful)
What 'it' are you talking about? There's quite a few different distros that can run on a pocketpc.
It's not about money or proprietaryness (Score:2)
But it's the fact the linux hackers lack the horse sense to do stuff like minimize the number of taps it takes to somthing, not make widgets have borders that consume massive amounts of screen real-estate, and to not try to make the PDA act like a small desktop. Understanding these important issues does not require money and it certainly has nothing to do with openness of cod
Really, I like barren... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Funny, as much as I love OSS, I find that using it (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, there's plenty of other reasons why you should use OSS over CSS, but 'breakage' usually isn't one of them unless you are running a machien that is dedicated to a particular task (i.e. web server)
Re:Funny, as much as I love OSS, I find that using (Score:3, Interesting)
It used to happen all the time with Microsoft Windows systems. But Linux came along and challanged Microsoft in terms of reliability. Microsoft scrambled and came up with Windows 2000 as their response. It's far, far, more stable than older MS offerings.
Problem is, many of the most frentic Open Source advocates haven't used a Microsoft OS since before W2K so their experience o
Re:Funny, as much as I love OSS, I find that using (Score:2)
Main advantages not relevent (Score:4, Insightful)
More to the point: How long do people actually plan on using a PDA? Who is still carrying around a five year old Palm?
This article is unabashed ideology over smart tech info. Just more incestous amplification for those socially clueless folk who occupy the open source echo chamber.
Re:Main advantages not relevent (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Main advantages not relevent (Score:3, Insightful)
If the Handspring can run both, its own solid OS, or alternatively, linux, is it the best solution? Let's the early adopter poke around, but let's the inheriter stick with solid CSS OS.
I'd certainly never want to
Re:Main advantages not relevent (Score:4, Interesting)
As far as handhelds go, reliability is the most important feature. That's an excellent reason to go with a stable but modifiable platform, if you ask me.
Re:Main advantages not relevent (Score:2)
What a surpise (Score:2, Insightful)
Article title: "Why Run Free Software on a PDA?" Article host: linuxdevcenter.com Submitter: The article's author.
Is he talking about the same article? (Score:4, Insightful)
Though I can't say that I'm surprised, this story is 100% pure troll.
The article makes some legitimate arguments about the benefits of Linux on embedded devices (not Open Source in general), and though it's definitely written with a bias at least that's not disguised.
I don't think the poster even read the article however; the claim that you can't see the source code to WinCE is incorrect [microsoft.com], thinking that your applications are any more likely to survive an upgrade intact is laughable (WinCE & PocketPC go through extensive AppCompat testing, who does that for embedded Linux?)
I know, I know, slow news day and a Pro-OSS post came up on the radar, but for cripes sake if you're going to be brutally biased at least try to hide it, you're making the cause look even worse!
Re:Is he talking about the same article? (Score:3, Insightful)
Actually, he wrote the article.
From Palm to Zaurus to back to Palm (Score:5, Insightful)
First off, I loved my Zaurus. Still do. I was a college student and it was like having a small laptop with me at all times. I could jump on WiFi networks, play games, listen to music, whatever. What I couldn't do very well was use the Zaurus as an organizer. Sync support varied and was often horrible for Linux. The standard PIM apps were poor and everyone knows it. It was great having tons of free software and even new operating systems to play around with (Opie and OpenZaurus were great), but the Zaurus ended up just being another hobby and toy, not a tool that I could consistently use and rely on.
I went back to a Palm and the Treo600 because I wanted something that would just work. I work on plenty of other open source software. I wanted something that did it's job well and the Treo is amazing. It doesn't have quite the power of the Zaurus or even the screen resolution, but I'm using it as an organizer more than I ever used the Zaurus.
So in the end, I personally think that open source PDA software is still only appropriate for a small niche of technically savvy users. There's nothing wrong with that, but I know when my sister asks me about a PDA for medical school, I'll be suggesting a Palm, not a Zaurus or other open source system.
All depends on the use... (Score:3, Informative)
That said, I love my Tungsten T - best handheld I've ever owned.
Re:All depends on the use... (Score:2)
Re:All depends on the use... (Score:2)
As far as I can te
Re:From Palm to Zaurus to back to Palm (Score:4, Informative)
(This message was posted from a Zaurus, fwiw.)
Re:From Palm to Zaurus to back to Palm (Score:3, Interesting)
I love using my Zaurus for SSH, web development (I have Apache, PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python, and CVS installed and in regular use. I have all my current projects checked out in a big SD card and I do development work while checking source code my modem card or WiFi
Well, one problem... (Score:2, Interesting)
Uh I call bullshiat (Score:4, Informative)
Hardly. I have been playing DivX files flawlessly which were encoded with the latest codec off of divx.com on my Dell Axim handheld since PPC2002 and now I run it on 2003.
I watch full length movies on it all the time after encoding them for smaller resolution and transfering them to my SD memory card. Divx support? Its available for any pda running windows PPC2002 or 2003.
Another reason.. (Score:4, Interesting)
My C750 Zaurus [shirtpocket.co.uk] is one of the best looking PDAs out there (the rest all being Sharp ones too) - miles ahead of any Palm, Sony or HP offering.
As well as being so goddam sexy, it has a much easier to use (for mobile computing purposes) interface than the PocketPC as well as one that is more flexible than the Palm which I find to restrictive. (Since mine is more than a productiviy tool, I use it more like a mini laptop.)
Throw in Bluetooth and WiFi (which you can use at the same time _as well_ as a SD memory card - try that with another device) for less than $600, all in a box that fits in a pocket and is reasonably robust, with 5 hours battery life... it's hard to say no.
Re:Another reason.. (Score:2)
All about the UI (Score:5, Insightful)
Palm realized this, and built a very friendly UI from the ground up. Microsoft tried to capitalize on its desktop monopoly and scaledown its desktop interface, which was a disaster. I think Microsoft finally started doing a bit better by copying Palm...
Before you ask... (Score:5, Interesting)
An Insightful No. (Score:5, Insightful)
No, I can't. I do not "code apps", "develop plug-ins", or otherwise design or build software. Nor do I "compile from source". I, like most of the market, am strictly a consumer.
If you would like to see OSS thrive, you do the work. I guarantee that you will get satisfaction. Double, in fact, because not only will your OSS thrive in a competitive market and reduce the power of CSS, but you and people like you will be able to earn a comfortable living along with a well-earned sense of pride.
Go for it. Just don't expect the Great Unwashed like me to be able to code along with you.Limited models for Free OS PDA's (Score:3, Insightful)
Most people really dont have much of a choice but to take what is already loaded...
A choice would be nice
Price? (Score:4, Informative)
It sells for less than Palms..
What Zaurus is he talking about? The cheapest one is an SL-5500 on Pricewatch for about $350. You can get a Palm Zire for $70 retail. More featured color Palms are $100 more. Granted, SL5500 vs entry level Zire is like a Lexus sedan compared to a 2 door Kia, but since there is no low end Zaurus unit, the statement should have been qualified. I bought a low end Zire because I won't kick myself if I bust it like I did when I stepped on my Palm V 4 years ago. I'd love a Zire but price does play a role in my purchase decisions too.
Re:Price? (Score:2)
Whoops- I meant I'd love a Zaurus. I was up too late- I need to catch more Z's at night.
Re:Price? (Score:3)
Look, the point of my post wasn't to search out the best bargains on the net for slashdotters; I'm sure if you want to you can find even more. The point was to point out that the article says you can buy a Zaurus for cheaper than a Palm. No mention of comparing feature for feature, so the premise is not accurate. But even at the lowest price of what you found, you can still find 2 Palms cheaper than the cheapest Zaurus. No, you wont get a web browser or mp3 player or Inte
The day "Pocket" Linux... (Score:2)
At the present time, Linux in my desktop computer, only.
Companies going out of business is reality! (Score:3, Insightful)
I got an e-mail from a user of a product (an embadded navigation system) that I worked on 10 years ago. They have no way to get their data out of the system. The company went out of business about 3 years ago and they could not find the CTO.
I use Post Road Mailer, which when the company (Innoval) went out of business , they made the program available, w/o source. There are some bugs I'd like to fix, but I don't have the source.
ISO standard for open source? (Score:3, Interesting)
Obviously, ISO would be the biggie, but maybe it would be more realistic to begin with a national standards body {German DIN [?] for instance} first, even if only to give the others something to use as a template?
What I'm thinking of is a standard literally for openness of source; so claiming compliance with the standard would oblige vendors to certify that they were giving you permission to copy and modify. Standards bodies themselves do not necessarily do the testing {though many will rent you testing facilities}; but rather, publish the specifications -- and a list of approved test procedures -- and anyone can test and certify their own products, though in doing so they are accepting responsibility for the consequences. The standardisation body gets the right to sue you {for misappropriation of trademarks} if you apply its mark to products that do not meet the standard.
A "standards-compliant" sticker on Open Source software might carry some clout with purchasing authorities, too
Considerations (Score:5, Informative)
The Zaurus was an amazing critter; but most of its value was in pure Geek Factor. In Windows or in Linux, the Zaurus was interesting but plagued by ongoing random minor issues with synchronization, what version of QPE I was using, what the date was, and how I held my mouth. In Windows or in Linux, the Palm is nearly effortless.
The Zaurus had many neat things. I could log in to it over the network (wireless); I could run a webserver on it; I could do all kinds of system things. But in the end, the actual D of the PDA is much more usable in the Palm. I'd love to have the time and the money to develop replacements for the Palm software to run on the Zaurus, but I simply don't; I need something that works, and works well, right now.
Not to mention the fact that, comparitively, the Zaurus is enormous. It's easily half again as heavy, and an inch longer, and a little thicker, than the tungsten E.
If you go with the commercial QPE (that synchronizes well) functionality is low; if you go with the free embedded GUIs, functionality is high, but interoperability (in the form of synchronization with outlook and evolution) is low. Even with all the objections fielded in this discussion, the Palm is like a Sound Blaster - it just works.
And it's sad, too. I love Linux, I love free software, I love the entire Opensource movement, and I wanted to be much more pleased with the Zaurus. I would say, all in all, PDA linux is where desktop linux was at RedHat 5.2. It will get there, eventually.
PocketPC - Microsoft does a 180 (Score:4, Interesting)
PocketPC, on the other hand, takes an entirely different approach. You're stuck with MS-imposed limitations like a chunky 320x240 screen size and you can't break out of the Windows shell to the underlying lower-level functions. Working with PocketPC has been very frustrating for me; it's got vendor lock-in coming at you from two angles (MS and whichever OEM branded the unit).
With PocketPC, Microsoft has torn a page from Apple's playbook when it comes to product positioning and the complete lack of "freedom to innovate." Unfortunately their design ideas aren't any better than Apple's were a decade ago with the Newton.
If Microsoft truly wanted to compete in the PDA realm, what they need to do is come up with a DOS-equivalent that will run on a Palm or Clie or even a PocketPC. Indeed it's clever how they're pushing the commodity hardware costs onto the OEMs, and all they have to do is come up with the software. (A bit reminiscent of Dell's JIT manufacturing.) But in the long run I think a product that has both a closed software architecture and a closed hardware spec isn't going to fly.
And there's also the bloatware problem. Why should a PocketPC need a 406MHz CPU? A Clie with twice the pixels gets by on a much leaner chip.
expensive (Score:3, Interesting)
the art of small programs (Score:5, Interesting)
Not ironic at all. When designing for a system with constraints (limited MIPs and RAM for early mainframes and PC's, mAH of battery and viewable kilopixels in handhelds, etc.), a developer who is capable of hand crafting an application to fit in that environment will be able to produce something far more usable than a trivial port of some bloatware meant for a system many times larger.
Technology advances will help out some types of bloatware (e.g. Mr. Gates depends on Intel keeping up with Moore's law). But advances in battery energy density are very slow; so, in some ways, the constraints for optimal applications for handhelds will always be different than for PCs.
One of the main failings of PocketPC handhelds is that a large portion of the applications for it are ports of applications meant for hardware with bigger displays, larger caches, and unlimited power (AC wall plug plus noisy fans).
Open Source != Linux (Score:2, Insightful)
Palm uses DRM'd formats? (Score:4, Informative)
Now on the other hand, individual application file formats may be hidden by the vendors. Don't like it? Write your own PIM software, text-editor, etc. etc.
To me, open source is less critical than open-exchangability. Palm's conduits are a little obtuse to create and set up. I'd like to see the PIM data (contacts, e-mail and calendar) have higher-level API's to insert new conduits to work other apps.
Even More Arguments For Linux On PDAs (Score:3, Informative)
Becasue Open Source is More Fun (Score:2, Interesting)
When I first installed Linux I posted some screen shots, running the web server from the IPAQ directly connected to the Internet and firewalled with iptables. I have a dual PCMCIA sleeve, and with 2 nics it can be used as a router/firewall with NAT. The foldable keyboard works great and is very sleek. I have a 5G PCMCIA hard drive so I can watch movies on the bus. You can also use Sprint as a wireless ISP as there's now a Linux driver
Just use SuperWaba (Score:4, Informative)
If someone designed a nice launcher for it you could have a consistent user interface across PDAs, even when you upgrade.
Vik
Migrating An Existing Handheld? (Score:2)
The 'break' argument... (Score:3, Insightful)
Of COURSE your software will break if there's a major OS upgrade. Why wouldn't it whether the OS is open or closed. It's a fallacy to think that since PalmOS is closed source this automatically means your software will break and wouldn't if the source was open. C'mon, now.
We've been through many, many major revisions of PalmOS and PPCOS to see that most software developers -- those than plan to make money anyway -- update their software right away or BEFORE the OS update is released.
Sure, there are some software packages that haven't been updated since PalmOS 3, but is this Palm's fault?
m
OpenZ sucks for tect and music (Score:2, Informative)
Get Real... (Score:4, Funny)
People want something that is easy to use, has lots of add of parts (camera, CF readers, network cards), and runs the software they want.
I don't see any reason anyone should buy an OSS handheld, unless they hate MS and Palm that much, or are going to port some of their apps to the device.
Ugh. (Score:5, Insightful)
Playing movies on a PDA? Browsing the Web from it? MP3s? Who cares!? I don't even want to read stuff on a PDA. If I want a book, I'll buy a book. If I want to do just about anything else computer-related, I'll use my computer.
What I want a PDA to do is to remember my contacts, appointments, and lists of stuff (movies I want to see, etc.). THAT IS ALL. I don't want color, sound, video, Bluetooth, or anything like that, and I probably don't even want a keyboard. I just want something with its own rechargable battery that lasts a good long while between charges and syncs to Linux reasonably well.
From what I've seen, I'm going to need to buy an old refurbished Visor Edge, because absolutely no one makes a PDA like this anymore.
You can copy/paste!! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:You can copy/paste!! (Score:2)
Do the old highschool trick of moving key words and sentences if you are so desparate for karma.
Re:WARNING: PLAGARISM DETECTION TROLL (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Bad assumptions (Score:3, Funny)
Because most of the people reading this site read 'Free software' as shorthand for 'free as in speech'. Not free as in beer.
I just realised you're a troll, but never mind. Bah. Well done. I was mildly annoyed for a minute there. Well done. I'm still narked some idiot modded this, though. Bah.
Re: (Score:2)