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OpenMoko - the Anti-iPhone

lastpodcast.net — The OpenMoko Neo 1973 has a touchscreen, WiFi, GPS and runs Linux. Unlike the iPhone, it is completely open for developers. They even include a guitar pick so you can ply open the case. Developer version goes on sale for $300 on July 9th.

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  • kazamx, on 10/11/2007, -7/+54It looks interesting.

    I don't think the first gen is going to be that popular, but it deffo looks like its going to be HUGE in the end
    • timo1023, on 10/11/2007, -10/+46that's what she said.
    • NgrHader, on 10/11/2007, -22/+4One is simply called the iPhone...another the OpenMoko (which Moko means snot in spanish) Neo 1973....


      OpenMoko Neo 1973 sure rolls off the tip of my tongue
      • TehDoctor, on 10/11/2007, -5/+36Are you for real? You think the full product name will turn people off?
        I'm sure people would just call it the Neo. Just because Apple makes all it's ***** and you drink the kool aid doesn't mean they have better products.
      • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10neo 1973 is the phone
        openmoko is the OS

        compare to:
        iphone is the phone
        OSX is the OS

        not so different
      • daverave999, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Or perhaps people will just call it 73?
        • wookieface, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9i would call it the neo
          • schotty, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Thats what a bunch of us at work have been referring to it as. There are a bunch of peeps that like the concept and tech behind the iPhone, but are flat out unwilling to blow the cash on it and the associated plan (mind you Apple is a partner of ours and we get a corporate discount for all of that, and AT&T is as well).

            However, they are all drooling over the Neo. It looks cool. They dig the concept behind OpenMoko and are willing to steal mine when I get one :D

            In all honesty, we need an iPhone minus the iPod. A good phone is sorely needed, and I have high expectations that the Neo and its kin (FIC isn't the only one making them, just the first and primary sponsor of OM). My coworkers generally have taste, just not in anything that is sold here. They see it all as ... well a used Mentos in a sea of *****. Not much. The Neo and iPhone are perking their interest in mobile tech.

            That is good. Great would be the Neo delivering.
    • s1mph0ny, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2Maybe the point is awesomeness. If I wanted to be popular I would have bought a Samsung 720p plasma. I bought a 1080p Sceptre LCD.
    • mustacheo, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7I would buy one for the guitar pick.
    • oprahsTITS, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Moko means booger in Spanish.
    • Aldrenean, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12A) Dugg parent for "deffo."
      B) It's moco, not moko. Españotard.
      • oprahsTITS, on 10/11/2007, -12/+1Hey can you get here by 7:30 tomorrow morning? Bring your dad and his lawnmover too, beaner.
        • TheWiseNoob, on 10/25/2007, -3/+4Carlos Mencia is not god....and many of his jokes are stolen.
          • strictnein, on 10/25/2007, -3/+2Every comic steals material. Every single one.
    • Yoshi39, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6Mirror
      http://www.lastpodcast.net.nyud.net:8080/2007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/
      • Dracker, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Looks like you mirrored a 503 error >_<
    • AshTR, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2iPhone vs. OpenMoko - http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/IPhone
    • divxrippimp, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/IPhone

      compared to the iphone
  • troymcdavis, on 10/11/2007, -36/+25Direct link: http://openmoko.com/
    The first thing you see is a blog post from June 27th explaining their October release and pricing.
    • timo1023, on 10/11/2007, -0/+40http://www.openmoko.org/
    • Oakes, on 10/11/2007, -5/+7Stop digging the ***** link up. it's openmoko.org, not com.
      • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5openmoko.com is where the phone will be sold from
        openmoko.org is for everything else related to the hardware/os: mailing lists, hardware specs, virtual machines, code, etc.
    • rejoined, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Now both the link to the submitted story and direct link to openmoko.com has gone down.
      Sucks.
    • ilovenicotine, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1If he gets dugg down, it's even harder to see that it's actually .org, lol, digg's new system blows...
      • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1if the first level comment gets buried in the old system the thread is collapsed as well. how is this a problem related to the new system?
  • GoodOldJacob, on 10/11/2007, -20/+1WiFi is still a pipe dream.

    http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/WiFi_support_in_OpenMoko
    • amfantasy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+7that link says they found a Wi-Fi provider??????
    • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12not s pipe dream at all, it's slated for the october hardware revision. chipset has been found, drivers sourced.
      • GoodOldJacob, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Just in time for the developer version launching on July 9th.
  • mjpatey, on 10/11/2007, -9/+29Unfortunately, Verizon (my wireless carrier, and the one with the best reception in my area) doesn't domestically support the GSM network that OpenMoko uses, nor does it allow the use of SIM cards. The carriers in my area that would be compatible with it, unfortunately, have inferior coverage, and I won't switch to them for that reason.

    Come on, Verizon! Open up a little!
    • fuzzmeister, on 10/11/2007, -2/+20It's not like Verizon is going to change from CDMA to GSM any time soon, so I don't see that happening.
      • PRlME, on 10/11/2007, -6/+2so its good to go on T-Mobile right? i dew need a new phone
    • s1mph0ny, on 10/11/2007, -3/+8So switch to t-mobile. You get all the advantages, their roaming support even picks up at&t.
      • wolrah, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Not in all areas. I switched from T-Mobile to Cingular a year or so back because T-Mobile had literally no service at my home. If I searched for towers with my phone's service tools, I could see the Cingular tower, but it would never connect. Unlocked the phone, popped in a prepaid Cing SIM, and I had perfect signal. I switched as soon as I was out of my contract (was only a few months and I liked having an excuse to not answer calls at home).
    • LogicX, on 10/11/2007, -10/+4Have you ever considered a correlation between the fact verizon isn't using GSM, and the GSM providers in your area sucking?
      IMHO GSM is an inferior technology -- its only advantages over CDMA has been broader world-wide support, and phone mobility through SIM cards.
      CDMA is faster, has better coverage, most phones can support older analog networks, and for example -- Sprint allowing roaming to the verizon network.
      • rabidstrike, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1cdma was faster, but with 5g i'm not too sure. cdma can support sim cards but its not the convention. yes overall voice clarity and coverage is better with cdma. plus its a more thought about implementation unlike GSM which has a lot to thank the digital ductape if you know what i mean..
      • wolrah, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8CDMA as a radio technology is certainly superior to the TDMA system used by GSM (there's a reason HSDPA a.k.a. GSM 3G is a CDMA technology), but comparing CDMA2000 (Qualcomm's implementation of CDMA used by Verizon and the like) to GSM it's more of a toss up. CDMA2000 supports soft handoffs from tower to tower, where GSM requires a hard cut, so in theory you're less likely to drop a call on CDMA networks. On the other hand, CDMA systems suffer from a problem often referred to as "breathing" where the cell size shrinks as more users get on it. This can lead to transition areas between two heavily used cells losing service altogether.

        Personally I've never experienced any drops on a hard cut over the 4 years I've used GSM phones, so the risk of that is so minimal that it's extremely outweighed by the flexibility to buy my own phones that aren't neutered by the provider. Hell, all three of my phones so far have been provider branded and not neutered because the providers know they can't get away with it. Verizon and Sprint however go ahead and get rid of lots of useful features so they can promote their own services, and unless you can find a firmware from a non-gimped model and reflash (voiding your warranty in the process) you're *****. They know they've got you by the balls and they love it.
  • amfantasy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+47I was about to buy a iphone then I remembered this project. I think I know a better way to spend my 300 dollars, If they sell them in Canada I'll be buying one the first day.
    • iggee85, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2AFAIK, they will only sell the first ones on-line: http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Shipping_Notes#Canada
    • aristotle0dude, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1You would be paying a lot more for your Moko device and you would be limited to Rogers since they are the only provider to support the frequencies supported by the device.

      With the choice of Fido or Roger for the iPhone and the app store versus virtually non-existent native software on open moko, you might want to do some more comparisons of hardware and software before you decide.

      If this is purely an ideological decision, then good luck with your choice but I hope that you have adjusted your expectations.

      PS. No EDGE or 3G on the moko devices.
  • Qtip42, on 10/11/2007, -2/+78If I could digg this more than once, I would. I've been waiting for someone to do this for a long time. Current cell phones are full of bloated ***** I don't want.
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"Current cell phones are full of bloated ***** I don't want."

      i hope you know that this phone does a lot more than make and receive calls. the only difference is that this is an open platform that uses GPL software and drivers. the point of using an open platform is also to make development easier for 3rd party developers. we can expect there to be tons more apps for this phone than other closed platforms.
  • trghpy, on 10/11/2007, -23/+30Hey, a knock-off i can get behind.
    Even has true GPS, a feature i thought that the iPhone should have had...
    • nights0223, on 10/11/2007, -1/+53What knock off? Here's an article from last November showing the design for the phone:

      http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/smartphones/fics-linuxbased-smartphone-213016.php

      If anything, the iPhone knocked off this.
    • PRlME, on 10/11/2007, -4/+12not a knock-off it was designed b4 the i-Phone
    • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -7/+23A knock off, you're an idiot - just because it's not the Paris Hilton of cellphones? They announced this way before the iPhone. They're aiming at people who can use it's functionality to do work, not just for people like who jack off to shemale porn.
  • cfarmer8, on 10/11/2007, -9/+2care copter down!
  • schestowitz, on 10/11/2007, -15/+32It's funny how the media gets infatuated with so-called Apple innovation, when the innovation is right here in a truly open phone.

    Forget iPhone, hail OpenMoko, the true revolution
    http://www.libervis.com/article/forget_iphone_hail_openmoko_the_true_revolution
  • TheLoneWolf071, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5Looks very nice... almost a cross between iPhone and Ocean. What service provider does it use?
    • heavyd14, on 10/11/2007, -0/+28Any gsm provider. (It takes a SIM card)
    • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -0/+22It's not restricted like the iphone, it's an open source phone. That means applications can be installed and fully configurable.
      • cthellis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2...which can be good AND bad. The starting point of the OpenMoko seems to be a bit sparse, and while it appeals to folk like US...

        Most consumers barely install anything that doesn't come with something they purchase (like digital camera software, or iTunes), and most simple cell phone users don't even know how to use the features they DO have, so can the OpenMoko project figure out a way to make the _openness_ and customizability appeal to those types of customers?

        That's a hard nut to crack. You basically have to force-feed 90% of people, if you're wanting mass market appeal.
        • daverave999, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4It may be more suited to business applications. Provided by your employer with a customised software suite. I reckon this is where the market will be biggest.
          • cthellis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0True, but I think they'll have to work on the input methods, first. People bitch enough about the iPhone's already, but at least it's intelligent and finger-controlled. The OpenMoko by default seems to have a very tiny, stylus-only, unintelligent keyboard, which will make for WAY slower operation.

            It's got a fairly large, very high resolution screen, though, so one hopes a pack of programmers will come up with something compelling. ^_^
  • abw1987, on 10/11/2007, -19/+3As awesome as this is, I believe it will fail, much like PlaysForSure. Consumers are stupid.
    • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6linux is succeeding in many areas, so no reason why not here too.

      and this isn't really aimed at average users. there are only 1000 units in the first batch - it's for people who like to tinker and do unusual things with their phone/pda/portable computer
    • s1mph0ny, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Um, just because PlaysForSure was a better then iTunes doesn't mean it was a good idea. There's no arguing with your second statement though.
  • bluegender, on 10/11/2007, -16/+12I have an idea! How about a company makes a phone that just makes GREAT calls and focuses on its network so it is RELIABLE.
    • kazamx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14Phone makers make phones
      Network providers supply networks

      If your calls aren't reliable I will bet the vast majority of the time its the network, not the phone. This phone looks like what firefox used to be. A small simple core, but with the ability to add a million handy apps. This could be my dream phone (or at least rev 2 will be)
    • digggggggggg, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Motorola used to be that company... until they killed the Startac: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_StarTAC
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2i have an idea, do a 5 minute search on the web and buy a minimal featured phone like this: http://www.samstores.com/details.asp?ProdID=7198

      and stop bitching and moaning on every single thread about cellphones.
  • HoIIister, on 10/11/2007, -3/+4Looks nice and sleek. I can't wait until it hits the market.
  • thaindian, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10Error 500 - Internal server error

    An internal server error has occured!
    Please try again later.

    ive been collecting cash to buy the openmoko phone whenever available.. only issue is that it doesnt support EDGE, if it did then id beg...borrow....steal ... the $300
  • Samtheman007, on 10/11/2007, -3/+11openmoko.com is down?? already
  • turpenine, on 10/11/2007, -24/+29to defeat the iphone it would need to be aesthetically pleasing, this phone is not, at all.
    Sorry linux guys, but you just aren't as good at design.
    • d00by, on 10/11/2007, -16/+1If you say linux guys aren't as good at design check this:
      http://linuxice.com/screenshots.php

      The metallic cherry skin looks like it is going to break some design barriers usually associated with linux, so I have no doubt that other graphic designers will no doubt put some good stuff out for moko.
      • funtownarcade, on 10/11/2007, -3/+13looks horrid.
      • cyberoidx, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1And I Used to use icewm because it wasn't *bloated*
    • Z_Man, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12yuck man you need a better inteface taste
    • Yawgmoth, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9The only difference I see between the iPhone and the OpenMoko phone is that the iPhone is a rectangle and the Open Moko phone is eliptical. The both have the bubbly shiny bouncy Icon look going for them too. $10 also says that the Open Moko phone will be WAY easier to customize too ;).

      Are you intimidated by my talking money?
      • Maybelline, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2That last sentence just made my day. Thank you.
    • multitude, on 10/11/2007, -3/+7Then design a better interface! It runs linux, you can program it yourself as it's all open-source. Of course, since you posted the above comment, you're probably just too lazy to learn how to do so.
      • Xinex, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4Uh, I think it's the companies' responsibility to make a good interface.
      • ronmexico, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Do you service your car's transmission yourself or are you just too lazy to learn how to do so?
        • reyalp, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I don't like the Winamp skin, Winamp should make the skin better for me. Yes, I know I could just make a skin with a little effort, but I would rather call Nullsoft and complain.
        • daftman, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Hmm since obviously the Original Poster refers to the looks and feel, the better analogy would be changing the body of the car. That is entirely possible. Obviously you are hopeless at understand the difference between look and feel and internals mechanics.
    • mjrauhal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+12First, you're talking about something that's very much a matter of taste.

      Second, "Linux guys" didn't design the case. It was originally for a different project. So much for your boorish stab at that.

      And I doubt anyone thinks this will "defeat" the iPhone at this point. Apple fans and fashion slaves will buy that thing no matter how many strings are attached or how limited it is. The important thing is that there is a market also for open phones. And as people interested in the openness pick it up, some of them will code apps for it, thus making it an ever-increasingly capable phone, thus attracting new users.

      The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.
    • daftman, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3May be but I bet putting Paris Hilton next to ***** will make it sell well to sheeps like you. This phone is aim at the usability and extendability, you know, the things that business care more about than teenagers who have to have the lastest looking trend?
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2aesthetic design is subjective and this phone is far from ugly. in fact, it looks better than most bulky smart phones with ugly keyboards in the front. and like others said, "linux guys" didn't design the hardware. maybe you "mac guys" just need to realize that phones aren't fashion accessories.
  • smartalecks, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12http://www.lastpodcast.net.nyud.net:8080/2007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/
  • Kindjal, on 10/11/2007, -9/+7iPhone, just like the iPod is no threat, it encourages other companies to invent and keep up instead of producing the same crap for decades (dare i say SUV). It will most likely dominate the market because it has the easiest and smartest platform which is iTunes. The good thing is, it will keep the comeptition on teir toes instead of them slacking off and giving us the same old crap every year.
    • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -4/+8OK you really need to stop taking it up the ass from Apple, the wear and tear shows up on your thinking abilities.
    • daftman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This phone is invented BEFORE the iphone. So may be once you get your head out of steve job's ass, you notice that there are innovations out there. Furthermore, there is nothing new about the iphone. ALl the iphone technology is already existed in most business phone. The only difference between this and the iphone is that the iphone has millions of marketing dollars and it's back by a bunch of brown nosers. Now dig me down mac fanboys
  • postalblowfish7, on 10/11/2007, -11/+4lol. good luck.
  • xtraa, on 10/11/2007, -27/+4Another revolutionary iPhone clone. Amaaaaazing.

    Not.
    • darwin81, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12Uhh, The OpenMoko platform has been around since 2006 and this phone was done and was supposed to ship in 2006, but, according to WIkipedia, were "hampered by supplier shortages" and other problems.
    • PRlME, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6if you was reading the info you would see it was designed b4 the iPhone.....your "Not"
  • don2k381, on 10/11/2007, -15/+4I can see a clone OS of Iphone on this phone in less then 6 months! lol
    And it would be awsome if compiz fuzion was developed for this phone! That phone would kill every phone out there plus Apple would be crying! lol
  • missingnoh4x, on 10/11/2007, -1/+18Dugg to death. But just from the title and excerpt, I'm interested. Really, the first thing I thought when I saw the iPhone announced was "Take out the closed-source and the contract with cell phone provider monopolies, and I might give a *****."
  • LLauranzonIII, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10here you go:
    http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2986976174.html

    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/smartphones/openmoko-smartphone-did-they-have-a-time-machine-or-what-229243.php
  • spatz, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2This is old news I remember seeing this on DIGG none the less before the iphone was even anounced to the public. I believe it was when apple an motorola *i think* had the phone that could use itunes.
    • ForrestGump, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1When are some people gonna realise that saying "old news" is old news
  • attackcardio, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8http://www.openmoko.org/
  • darwin81, on 10/11/2007, -1/+21It has a Linux-based open platform and better hardware features than the iPhone. So WHY couldn't they have put a little more effort into the case design and general aesthetics‽ I'd rather have this than the iPhone, but the average consumer is going to see the iPhone and say "oooh shiny!!!".
    • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8there are more designs in the works from FIC (the manufacturer), and other manufacturers are being encouraged to produce open hardware that the OS will run on
    • Yawgmoth, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3I also give a max of 6 months before someone figures out how to run OpenMoko on the Iphone.
    • daftman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Because in the world of business phone, looks doesn't really matter that much. Only functionality.
    • gandhii, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think ya'll are fooled by the mac fanboys into thinking that only their limited style is "cool". Objectively (as objective as a subjective opinion can be) the moko's interface is really snazzy. I actually like it better. But my tastes aren't really into the candy fruity type look of osX. Although this should be taken with a grain of salt, I do have a BFA in fine art, so I at least have a very thorough understanding of the rules of design and color theory. So I am not completely talking out of my ass.

      Also, it appears that the moko doesn't have a camera built in. Although many may not care about that, it is something that I would miss.. although that 640x480 screen is pretty bitchin'! ;]
    • aristotle0dude, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1Better hardware? No Camera, mono speaker, no Edge, no 3G, no proximity sensor, no touch let alone multitouch, less talk time.

      How is it superior again?

      Virtually no defined API for developers.

      Yeah, that pressure sensitive screen is much better. Not.
  • kazamx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8The .org is still up (getting slow though)

    http://www.openmoko.org/
    http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Main_Page ( has a good overview of the project)
    http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Introduction (has pics of the phone)
  • bloaty, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3OpenMoko website down..... enough bandwith to handle digg......
    Still a Pipe Dream.
    ;)
    • Figs, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9You didn't count right;
      Your syllables need some work --
      No haiku cookie.
  • indyGuy, on 10/11/2007, -8/+6I hope their phone holds up better than their web server...
    • an0nym0us, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2that's is not openmoko webserver, duh.
  • derekknight, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2DeadKo Linko
  • DramaticIrony, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1boo for the WiFi pipe dream idea. WiFi is a great way to avoid paying huge dollars for monthly access, and need i remind you that WiFi is now everywhere, even your local McDonalds is picking up the idea.

    I say YAY WiFi! and WLAN!
    • s1mph0ny, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2mcdonalds wifi is expensive. Unless you get it with some larger deal you're overspending.
      • Pyrogen, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1For AT&T DSL customers, its 1.99 a month extra. For those without AT&T DSL, its overpriced.
  • revvolutions, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7I'm sure it's nice phone and all, but did they have to name it Neo 1973? Any specific reason?
    • darwin81, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10According to Wikipedia, "It is named for the first year of mobile telephone communication: the inventor of the mobile phone, Martin Cooper, made the first call in 1973."
    • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2But what about the Neo?
      • subcomandante, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11He's the one...
      • nunofgs, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4This is explained in one of their keynote presentations. I believe it is called Neo because it is meant to be viewed as a 'new' 1973. Re-inventing the phone.
  • zachberry, on 10/11/2007, -9/+8Happy about the open source but it still looks kind of ugly.
    • danboarder, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2If I get this phone I'll design some themes for it. Expect iPhone themes, OS themes, etc and hopefully some unique and innovative ones as well.
      • aristotle0dude, on 08/09/2008, -0/+1You can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig. Themes will not change the usability of the UI or the hardware or will it make it more responsive.
  • markdrago, on 10/11/2007, -5/+41Just a heads up - this phone was announced months before the iPhone. And for that matter, there have been phones with a touch screen used for dialing, etc. before. That part of the iPhone isn't all that innovative. The iPhone has some cool features, but I'm really afraid that people are going to remember the iPhone as being innovative for it's use of the touch screen, when it really isn't.

    The OpenMoko / Neo1973 was announced on 2006-11-07 [1]
    The iPhone was announced on 2007-01-09 [2].

    [1] http://www.openmoko.com/press/index.html
    [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone
    • cthellis, on 10/11/2007, -5/+3A matter of two months is bupkiss in the whole development time for devices like this, and is certainly meaningless in the long run. When did they solidify the hardware design for the OpenMoko? The iPhone? Certainly we know the iPhone's development had been going on for years, and that they'd timed the announcement specifically for MacWorld and to prevent filing leaks from killing the surprise anyway, not to try to "claim credit" or anything.

      That particular bit of "innovation" was in both projects long before they were announced, and--yes--in both cases they're just a natural progression of tech that had already been out for ages.

      The recognition tends to always go not to who "innovates" first (since it's usually a question of how "innovative" something is, who handled it, and when...) but rather who gets the best implementation to market first, and sells on a mass scale. Mainly, if the iPhone sells gangbusters, what it's going to get recognition for is really commoditizing that kind of device, compellingly combining phone and media player, and making "the mobile internet" appeal to more than just we geeks.
    • r3zonance, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2"The iPhone has some cool features, but I'm really afraid that people are going to remember the iPhone as being innovative for it's use of the touch screen, when it really isn't."

      So, are you saying using an accelerometer in any device (let alone a mobile phone) to automatically change orientation ISN'T innovative?
      • maninalift, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I've used a (medium price) digital camera that does the same. mulit-touch is the main technology difference. Having a large touch-screen with no fixed buttons and designing a new interface around that is the design difference.
    • BigSax, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3While I already loathe the iPhone solely because I'm sick of hearing about it....

      It isn't just a regular touch screen, which the OpenMoko and predecessors have, it is a multi-touch screen. Small prefix, BIG difference.
    • superkendall, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Why cannot two people be working on something innovative in the same space at once? It's not like they copied from each other (though they may start doing so...).

      Both phones are appealing, for very different reasons. Why not leave it at that?
  • HA5TY, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Mirror http://www.lastpodcast.net.nyud.net:8080/2007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/
  • ravi7791, on 10/11/2007, -13/+7That GUI looks horrible. if they plan to get a userbase outside of the linux userbase, they might want to improve in the interface and at least try to make it pretty (same goes for the regular linux [I know I can modify it but that's besides the point here. It should be pleasing from the start])
    • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4it's a first attempt. if you'd like to join in and help, it's a completely open project, just head over to openmoko.org, donwload the virtual machine and code/skins and away you go
      • daftman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1can you give me the direct link to the virtual machine. I can't seem to find it on their page.
    • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Thats the thing, witch Open Source you can change any component you want and it will definitly have alternative GUIs.
    • s1mph0ny, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9Yeah, because we all know how horribly XP failed thanks to it's stupid default GUI.
    • smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2yes, how hideous linux GUIs are: http://topstyles.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/TrazoDesk_VIII_by_Trazo.jpg

      oh, and that's not even using Beryl.
  • NikoKun, on 10/11/2007, -5/+9O_o I posted about this months and months ago... good that it got to front page again... iPhone is no big deal... lol
  • superkendall, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1I'm getting an iPhone, but I may also try to get an OpenMOKO phone to play with. The only catch is that I'd like to use my existing TMobile pay-as-you go plan, where I have a number of pre-purchased minutes - but I plan to transfer the number to the iPhone, which I fear may vaporize my account.

    It seems like a good idea anyway to treat this as a secondary phone for some really experimental stuff, while I use the iPhone for "production" calls and operation as it were.
    • jonshipman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6too bad the iphone is cingular only
  • scapermoya, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2wheres the iphone 2 already
  • Hale, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3This looks like something that even I would be interested in the next time that I need a phone.
  • PeakAction, on 10/11/2007, -17/+11First impression: ugly as hell.
  • the0arctic, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8"The phone itself has a 2.8-inch VGA display, USB mesh file sharing, MULTI-TOUCH sensor recognition, GSM, GPS, 128MB RAM, a Samsung ARM9-based processor and MP3 playback capabilities."

    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/smartphones/fics-linuxbased-smartphone-213016.php (with PICS of multi-touch examples)
  • TheMonarch, on 10/11/2007, -0/+14480x640 pixels on a 2.8 inch screen? That's incredible!
  • youareretarded, on 10/11/2007, -7/+11lol they make fun of att's slow edge network and this thing doesn't even do that nor 3g.

    The concept is nice but like everything else, its all about execution.
  • Light11, on 10/11/2007, -9/+4wow thats not ugly at all
  • DroidBlender, on 09/18/2008, -2/+8I just had an idea. How cool would it be to put on the Moko an embedded version of Ubuntu (or any other embedded distro) and to integrate Compiz/Beryl/Fusion? That would blow the iPhone out of the water. But again, its just an idea. I think the Moko would have a better chance when they come out with the 2nd gen.
    • myfanwy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5it's getting accelerated graphics soon - enough to run compiz, and ubuntu are devloping a mobile version of their OS, specifically for PDAs and smartphones
      • DroidBlender, on 09/18/2008, -0/+2I think Compiz/Beryl run with Nvidia and ATI cards, right? It would be interesting to see a mobile phone utilizing the mobile nvidia chips that were announced in CES this year. Unless Compiz/Beryl are hackable enough to get it running on a different 3d accelerator.
    • cthellis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It'd have to get a better CPU and RAM first, that's for sure. Some of the biggest complaints about dedicated devices like the Nokia 770 is in slowdown after the first few apps. (Or "anything with the browser already active.")
    • mjrauhal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The mass-market revision due out later this year will have a GPU making glitz like this possible. It wouldn't probably make sense to port these desktop window managers to Moko, regardless. Most of their features aren't really that useful on a phone, so better to add the glitz one wants to matchbox or something.
    • gandhii, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2They have to survive the first generation before they can afford the second generation.
  • olik, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9How do I keep getting sent to http://127.0.0.12007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/

    Looks like a loopback with a a missing slash for folder: 127.0.0.1/[year]/[month]/[day]

    But what's with the loopback? Anti-digg-effect? EDIT: OH! Anti-Hacker -- turn the hacker on themselves! Very nice!
    • DroidBlender, on 09/18/2008, -1/+3127.0.0.1 is YOUR machines' localhost IP address. Go to http://www.lastpodcast.net.nyud.net:8080/2007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/.
    • frederic, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3It seems my host is messing with me - talking to the techs right now.
      • lordkuri, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I think you need to get a better webhost if they're going to pull that kind of ***** with your site. That is 100% unacceptable.
    • MacMan88, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2you're not the only one---being localhost'd too.

      btw, i'm on verizon if it matters.
    • VirtualCtor, on 10/11/2007, -1/+19OMG, that machine is wide open!!! I just logged into it. I'm deleting the root disk now.

      The weird part was that the root password was the same as mine. Huh.
      • univerio, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1omg LOL

        I seriously can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not...
    • derekivey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Hmm, same thing is happening to me. Do any of you guys use OpenDNS? I use it and was thinking maybe they were causing it.
      • Yoshi39, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Nope I don't use OpenDNS and I'm having the same error
      • briscuits, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Yeah, I use OpenDNS too, same problem
    • th3wiz4rd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1.... wtf?
    • Kinneas12, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I get this too. I'm on Rogers Cable in Ontario, Canada.

      And yes, I am trying the URL: http://www.lastpodcast.net.nyud.net:8080/2007/06/28/openmoko-the-anti-iphone/

      Anti Digg? But why loopback? Why not just give me a Forbidden (403) if you want to reduce the traffic? It seems like a jackass thing to do in a sense...
  • mustacheo, on 10/11/2007, -5/+10I want a OpenMoko.
  • livevil, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3TMobile is SIM based, so is iPhone and Neo1973, why would that wipe out your account?
    • PatrickBrown, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Screw that reply button. You'll show them.
    • kevincw01, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1he said he was moving his number from tmo to att...thats what would wipe his tmo paytogo account
  • kdmaster, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2It's a PIY Linux phone....
    Program it yourself Phone-aimed at Linux people
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