It\’s time to go back to the non-phone PDA, which we the OWNERS could control, and go back to using our cellphones as PHONES that don\’t pretend to be some \”super duper computer\” (OK, I took that last reference from Super Why; that\’s what happens when you have toddlers).

If the former PDA manufacturers won\’t make PDAs anymore, then it\’s time to figure out cheap alternatives to make our own. I\’m thinking a linux port to the Nintendo DSi, or perhaps see if any of the cheap knock-offs of the iPod Touch could be made into sub-$100 linux portables.

If you don\’t want DRM, then suggest a solution to these two problems that doesn\’t require DRM.

I take exception with anyone, especially the industry using the term “smartphone” with any device that will NOT allow you to install one or more Linux distros. As that is just NOT smart! Note: I am not saying you must install Linux, just have that as an option. Limit choice is not only a dumb business decision, but means the device is not smart!

Its funny that everyone thinks Linux on devices began with either the Nokia N900 or Android (also a Linux based operating system), this year in 2009. Not true, we have had this capability since 2006 with the Nokia Nxxx series of hand helds running Maemo. Having Android too is icing on the cake! If you find the right people who know Linux and Unix, they will tell you that we have had this capability for many more years before 2006. It just was not mainstream as it is now.

Processor Speed and memory are practically non-issues with Linux and embedded hardware. There are many more distros than Maemo and Android that will run on slower processors with little memory. Heck almost every Linux distro (full blown distros which are bigger than distros designed for embedded systems) will let you configure, install and run in either 128MB or 256MB of RAM. I know because I still run servers (home use) with only 256MB of RAM. It just works.

More memory or faster processors just means that it runs better. Not that it can not run. This is not your Windows limited by bloat operating system!

Add in Micro SSD Memory slots (the Nokia N800 has two and you can put in 16GB or 32GB cards and grow both the hand held\’s file system (disk drive space) and memory. Sure memory swapped out to the hard drive is slower, but you can do it!

Since 2005, with the release of the Nokia N770, followed by the release of Maemo (Linux based distro for these devices) in 2006 you no longer have to be limited by what the cellular / telcos want you to be able to have and/or do. Thanks to the Nokia N770, N800, N810 and now the N900 (first Nxxx with cellular capability) there are over 18,000 developers and over 400 software applications (check maemo.org for exact number of software applications available)

A couple of years ago when I would show my Nokia N800 running Linux Maemo to people it was fun seeing the surprise, however even today, many people simply do NOT know that they can purchase a hand held computer (and phone) that runs Linux, without limitations, no tethering issues, etc… Thanks to Android the message is getting out. What a great time to have Nokia release the N900 running Maemo.

Prior to the Nokia N900 you had to use WiFi + VoIP for phone calls. With the Nokia N900 you have cellular in addition to WiFi and Bluetooth, which means you can be connected 100% of the time if you want.

With my Nokia N800 and WiFi at both home and work, I have a VoIP phone available to me at least 80% of the time. Many states ban cellular use in cars anyway. That is really the only time I do not have access, is when I commute. There are multiple ways to get access even here if you must have it. I do not.

If like me you are willing to be unavailable (make it a personal or business choice if you are not compensated on a 24 X 7 X 365 day clock, wouldn\’t companies like that, pay you for 40 hours and expect you to be available 24 X 7 all week) as little as 20% of the time (when commuting primarily) you can drop your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for phone service to below $100 per YEAR (Skype VoIP will do this for you today). And there are other VoIP providers that will lower your TCO even more if you want to use them.

I use to pay over $150 per month for cellular service before the company attempted to force me to pay for charges (calls) I did not make. They would not budge, even after I itemized my bill and pointed it out to them. Pay up or else. Sorry cellular company, but you are not the Nazis or Al Qaeda…big mistake and I have been laughing all the way to the bank ever since! (Compare your provider against RipOffReports.com and you will discover that customer no service is rampant for this industry like many others. That is a huge business risk, they are obviously willing to assume in order to rake a customer over the coals with illegal, fake and extraneous charges. Can you say text and chat? Enough of that.) The sad part is I was a good customer for well over 5 years before that event happened. You think that would have counted for something, but it did not. At this point I am not willing to give them another chance to rip me off. Do yourself a favor and check out any provider against RipOffReports.com and if they do not respond to complaints, avoid the nightmare, do not use them.

@macpgmr Linux solved those two problems long ago. And everything in the Linux world is not free as in beer. There are more than one company innovating with great software, selling it and even selling services based on an open source infrastructure. If you look, you will discover that many of the developers are paid by for profit corporations to develop and support open source software. Those companies make even more money providing true customer service. And unlike the iPhone, a company or developer does not have to worry about the “store” disallowing their software application, effectively putting them out of business.

@wweng_linux perhaps they are thinking about infrared, blue tooth or WiFi “beaming” an application and/or data from one device to another…perhaps.

I know many Nokia N800 users who have purchased the foldable full size bluetooth keyboards to be used with their Nokias.

And the Nokia N900 can be charged via a USB port, from a laptop or other device that has a USB port, that is very cool!

The biggest issue with any of these devices is battery life, thanks to Linux you could customize one of the over 500 Content Management Systems (CMS) and use it on your Nokia-Mameo Nxxx or Android embedded hand sets, if you wanted too!

I am looking forward to customizing a Personal Information Manager (PIM) to do everything I want it to do and more…I literally have NO LIMITATIONS!

I just hope the cellular companies continue to only offer their vendor locked-in hardware for another year or two so that Maemo and Android can get a firm hold over the market. With the telco industry so animate about locking things down, I think that is a very safe bet! IMO, its already too late for them, they just do not realize it yet.

As for this quote,

\”Now their clients are asking for a solution on other platforms. Just port the code and off you go. Not so fast. It isn’t that simple any longer.\”

That is because they chose the WRONG development platform. If you develop under Linux you can port to all other platforms, including Windows. With embedded devices the exact tools make a huge difference, even under Linux. Qt brings many options to the development table under Linux and Maemo.

The fact that you co-authored a book about Android development makes the last part of your article even more puzzling. You are complaining that \”you are dependent upon a third party to “bless” your application\” and that \”it takes two weeks to get the code into your user’s hands\” but surely these problems are specific to the Apple App Store, not app stores in general?

Google doesn\’t have to approve your apps before they hit the Android Market, do they? Does Google take weeks to make your apps available to users?

I think the article should be renamed to \”Is the Apple App Store evil?\”.

The bigger technology at play is known as OBEX – Object Exchange, and it was typically used via Infrared (IrDA), and to a lesser degree, Bluetooth.

Of interest, the days of Palm were an example of having a capable (for its day) PDA and then whatever \”phone\” you like.

Personally, I am trying to simplify my world – carrying a second device is a non-starter for me.

I prefer a unified device — call it what you want. Run whatever OS you want. If you are willing to purchase a phone that is subsidized by a carrier – so be it, that is open to us obviously.

If you prefer to run a Linux-based device where you can \”roll your own\”, that\’s great. Clearly this direction is getting more momentum of late, but the effort level is non-trivial and takes a community.

Arguably, Android\’s greatest contribution is bringing this entire topic to a broader audience. The technology is good too.

Oh, and to the comment regarding \”wrong\” platform — that is a fine comment to make in an ivory academic tower, however if you are trying to sell software to an existing user base (which is measured in tens of millions btw), you write for that platform or sit on the sidelines and try to get noticed.

Thanks for chiming in — it is good to hear everyone\’s opinions.

Thanks for the comments regarding the book – glad you are enjoying it. It was a non-trivial task to get a relevant book to market considering the quick-paced nature of the Android platform. It had many re-writes along the way as the new sdk\’s kept coming out.

Personally I am involved in writing software for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, webOS and even Windows Mobile from time to time. So the topic of app stores is much larger than just apple.

Yes, Apple is certainly the target of much of the angst in the app store market — however the topic is larger than just Apple because other platforms are adopting various elements.

If apple is wildly successful with their model (and by most accounts, they are), there is a danger of others following suit to enjoy a similar success.

To address an earlier comment on DRM by @macpgmr — those comments were spot – on. If you want protection for your application it comes with a price. I guess my biggest concern with the app store model is that not all mobile developers are trying to sell to consumers. There are tons of vertical industry applications that need mobile devices — and the vendors creating and supporting those platforms need more flexibility than what the (apple) app store offers.

btw, there are solutions for selling custom software for iphone to vertical application clients, however it is a bit convoluted at best. Most notably, there is a real challenge in selling to companies that have 101 – 499 employees.

Apple has a blind spot there — though it is not necessarily \”their fault\”. They sell a device that they want to target towards consumers and consumer applications. The fact that industry has an interest in using their device is not apple\’s fault. I think we easily lose sight of that — I know I do at times.

It is actually an interesting model here: If you want to get the hearts and minds of business users, get the \”personal\” side won first. Then the business will follow. Here is a very simple example:

For years mobile devices have been trying to \”scale the enterprise walls\”. Palm really couldn\’t do it (for lots of valid reasons). IT departments generally have devices locked down – security and other valid reasons.

Blackberry came in with a solid, simple and secure solution and they became the default choice for corporate mobile.

Windows Mobile and Treo (of varying flavors) really struggled to get adoption in corporate.

Now executives are carrying iphones because they\’re \”cool\” and corporate IT is finding a way to make it work.

[side bar comment]
By the way, we see the same thing in our culture. If you want to sway a culture a particular direction, don\’t waste your time arguing and lobbying the adults and taxpayers — take control of the schools. After a couple of generations there will no longer be an argument because the next generation will think the way you taught them to think.
[/side bar comment]

Cheers.

Probably ought to be a word limit on your posts, but somewhere in the midst of your ramble I saw: \”@macpgmr Linux solved those two problems long ago.\” Please enlighten us on how Linux solves the problem of malware on handheld devices and piracy of mobile apps.

Android reminds me of the heady, early days of Linux, when it was going to take over the desktop. How did that turn out? Let\’s see, 1% market share… and dropping.

Apple has a vision of mobile computing and has been able to execute on it pretty well. The question is not so much the OS but whether a company can figure out a way either to duplicate Apple or create something better. Right now I wouldn\’t bet on any of the other smartphones.