OpenMoko a iPhone-killer wannabe?

Computerworld has a discussion about the openMoko phone. The founder of the firm which developes this open phone which uses linux tells us this

“Most of the [Linux] consumer devices don’t give developers access to low-level hardware stuff,” Moss-Pultz said. “We want [developers] involved in the most fundamental parts, such as the kernel and device drivers.”

Which sounds very very good.. Especially compared to the “freedoms” given by the apple iPhone (yes.. there are none). He also continues

“The device uses the same libraries as server and desktop Linux,” Moss-Pultz said. In particular, OpenMoko uses the GNU C library, the X window system and the GTK+ tool kit. “If you recompile the [existing enterprise] applications, they’ll work.” He said there has been strong interest from corporations, particularly because the phone can be customized.

But other people are more sceptical

“Without a carrier behind it, it can’t be an iPhone killer,” said Craig Mathias, an analyst at Farpoint Group and a Computerworld columnist. Another problem is that developing applications for OpenMoko is not necessarily the best approach for consumers and enterprises, he said. Instead, a more attractive approach is to build browser-based Web service applications, the approach taken by Apple with the iPhone, Mathias said. Such applications are more secure and can be used by any Web-accessible device, he said.

I hope the openMoko phone will be a success and that may I could buy it in Austria… Having WLAN access on a truly open cellphone is a tempting promise….

Source: LWN.net