From: Ad 

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35590

"THERE HAVE BEEN a lot of phones claiming to be 'Linux phones' and
those that do run a Linux kernel, but they all miss the point of Linux: to
be open. FIC is about to change that in a big way with a truly open phone,
the OpenMoko.

This is the first phone in a long time to get us really interested in what
it is, what it isn't, and the philosophy behind it. The philosophy is the
thing that makes Linux great, and not in the sense of window-dressing or
half-hearted openness, it is really open. It runs the latest kernel, 2.6.18
as of a few weeks ago, and you can get software from a repository with
apt-get.

The OpenMoko is meant to be a fully mobile Linux machine that happens to
look like a phone. The point is simple, where others have a Linux kernel
with a locked proprietary stack on top of it, this one is open, top to
bottom. You can use your own tools on it, compile your own kernel. and bang
on the bare metal if you are into that sort of thing. Everything barring a
few small drivers is GPL'ed.

There is no vendor lock-in, the only proprietary parts are the radio and
the GPS unit, but they are fully exposed. The radio must remain closed for
legal reasons, but it is available as 16 virtual serial ports that you can
do whatever you want with. You hit the GSM module with a similar set of
commands. If you like the software they include, great, use it, tweak it
and have fun. If not, write your own.

If you want your phone to do something it does not, you can get the
software you want from any repository that you can reach on the net. FIC
will have a certified one with apps that will work but you are more than
welcome to point it at any other you chose, or even to make your own.
Remember, this is all about being open.

Let's step back and look at what the phone itself is before we get into the
software that runs on it. The hardware itself is a Samsung 2410 266MHz ARM9
with a 2.8-inch VGA touch screen. There are only two buttons on the phone,
the rest is handled by the touch screen, a microSD slot, Bluetooth 2.0, and
USB for connectivity and charging. It also has two 1W stereo speakers so
you can repurpose it to an MP3 player or anything else you would like.

The initial version will come with 128MB of flash and 128MB of DRAM. There
is the potential for a version with 1G of flash, but with a slot, do you
really need it? OpenMoko comes with a 12mw battery for somewhere around
three hours of talk time, but there will undoubtedly be more options if it
takes off. It also has a Globallocator GPS unit and the phone bits are TI
quad band GSM. The only thing lacking is Wi-Fi and that is planned for the
next gen hardware."


Adam

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