next smartphone thoughts

[Tzafrir Cohen]

On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 01:10:09PM +0300, Erez D wrote:

> So I got myself an N900, and was very happy with it. i compiled a kernel,
> installed gnu/linux programs on it, and actually used it as a computer.
> Then nokia abandoned the N900's OS - maemo (when the N900 was around 1 year
> on the market) , in favor of a new one, called Meego. that was sad for the
> N900 users as it ment no more support for the N900.

This is not exactly true. While Nokia does not support it anymore, there
is a fairly decent community support. Which means: not the next phone to
buy at this point, but don't give up on it if you already have one.

> But it was not that dire  for the open source people, as meego was supposed
> to be another GNU/Linux open source os. it's like replacing debian with
> redhat. That is not nice for maemo lovers/users, but it's not like
> abandoning open source whatsoever.
> But then nokia decided to abandon meego in favor of windows mobile... this
> was a major shock.
> 
> I thought a company like nokia has some unwritten obligation to it's
> customers - not to abandon their products after such a short time,
> especially if these products were only half baked to begin with (N900 came
> with no mms, no videocall, calender not full baked) etc...) awaiting updates
> to make it fully baked.
> so i was wrong and felt abandoned twice ... (once for maemo for meego, once
> for meego for wp7)
> 

> now for my problem - i need to get a new smartphone (from work), and wanted
> a gnu/linux one.
> My options:
> 1. iphone - not gnu/linux nor open. actually this is the closest as can be
> in terms of free as speech.
> 2. symbian - deprecated. should be open somtimes (i wouldn't get my hopes up
> for nokia promises)

Nokia opened, and then closed it. There was never any "developer's
phone" available for developers to hack on the released Symbian code.

> 3. webos - gnu/linux but deprecated

Dead?

> 4. maemo - gnu/linux but deprecated
> 5. meego (N9) - though about it, but once bitten from nokia - twice shy.
> nokia does not even say they expect to continue with meego

The N9 is not exactly Meego. It's actually Maemo6 (something in between
Maemo and Meego).

I'm not aware of any Meego phone available (besides the N900, if you
brite-force it).

> 6. android - live and kicking, actually the most popular. it is somehow
> open, and linux kernel. not gnu though.

Linux, but not GNU/Linux (completely different userland).

-- 
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