[Cialug] OT: Apple iPhone and digital media

[Dave J. Hala Jr.]

For me, it doesn't matter if the phone is hackable or not. Its more
important to have a sexy, slick, easy to use stable, functional device,
coupled with my choice of provider.  My phone is a utility device. I
can't function without it...

What kills the iphone for me is being tied to Cingular. 

On Tue, 2007-01-16 at 08:51, Nathan Stien wrote:
> > >So I saw the Keynote Steve Jobs gave and I have to say I'm pretty
> > > blown away by the iPhone.
> > >Anybody else have a reaction to it?
> 
> I have had more than one reaction.
> 
> Initial reaction: abject drool.  It's so, so very shiny and purty.
> The picture where it shows a virtual thumb slider "slide to unlock"...
>  Oh dear, gives me the vapors.
> 
> Then reality set in.  The phone is a locked platform.  No third party
> software.  Only Apple-approved third party hardware accessories, like
> the iPods.  You're carrier-locked to Cingular.  It's not just a GSM
> phone, it's a Cingular phone.  Unfortunate timing, as the Cingular
> brand is slated for demolition.  Chock full of DRM terribleness.  This
> and much more terrible news at this boingboing post:
> 
> http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/14/iphone_the_roach_mot.html
> 
> I want a phone I can hack.  There are Nokias that run Python [1] and
> all manner of Asian and European phones that run hackable Linux
> kernels.  Mildly famous kernel hacker Harald Welte [2] is working on a
> very sweet platform for Linux phones called OpenMoko [3].  Perhaps the
> very best part of these phones is that they are Debian-derived and
> therefore have apt-get (no doubt with a shiny GUI on top).  Mind you,
> the first phone for this platform is a lime green monstrosity, but the
> key here is the _platform_, and there will soon be other, better
> hardware that uses it, perhaps hardware that takes cues from the
> iPhone (minus the shackles and DRM).
> 
> [1] http://opensource.nokia.com/projects/pythonfors60/
> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Welte
> [3] http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35590
> 
> So I guess my position is, don't be fooled by teh shiny.  The iPhone
> is locked-down poison dressed in a sexy (and way overpriced) outfit.
> I fell for the iPod, but at least I could liberate it with Rockbox.
> The iPhone no doubt has hardware to perform signature checks on its
> firmware before booting.  It's a trap.
> 
> As for Apple TV, I think mythtv is working out fine for me so I'm just
> not very interested in it.
> 
> -nps
-- 

Open Source Information Systems, Inc. (OSIS)
Dave J. Hala Jr., President <dave at osis.us>
641.485.1606 www.osis.us
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