For instance, look at Google Android and some of the phones that are starting to trickle out like the T-Mobile G1. Granted, it’s not perfect. It’s definitely not the prettiest phone out there. Is it an iPhone? No, and it’s not meant to be. The hardware and software aren’t as polished as the iPhone. However, judging from the videos I’ve seen, the T-Mobile G1 still looks to be a highly useable phone. Design wise, the G1 isn’t great but it’s good enough as a sort of a template for other phone designers to work off of.

Why couldn’t the OpenMoko developers create a starting phone that is as good as the G1? You say you want freedom but why can’t any developers that adhere to this philosophy design something that measures up to today’s standards? Is it really that hard? Is your point that in order to adhere to the philosophies of the FSF that we have to sacrifice good product design and usability for freedom? What’s wrong with Google Android? How come I don’t hear much from the FSF about Google Android? I’m sorry but I just don’t understand your argument when there is a severe lack of useability and design in the OpenMoko developer’s release. Sorry, calling it a “developer’s release” is no excuse.

Freedom of doing with your phone whatever the technology allows you to, not whatever the company selling you the phone decides you can do with it.

Again, it’s still a long way to go, and I and many others are willing to support that idea… thanks for doing just that by buying the developers release.

Openmoko on the other hand looks to have so many usability flaws in both hardware and software that I simply can’t see this phone getting any better without a complete redesign from the ground up. Text entry is atrocious due to the limitations of the hardware and software, it’s too damn thick, and the interface is slow and downright unusable. Baby? More like an aborted fetus if you ask me.

The philosophy you have regarding freedom is all fine and dandy but only if you have a decent product to go to. Even the demos for Google Android phones blow away the Openmoko. Why not mention it? Or does it too impede on your freedom? Again, the freedom you want is great…but I would never sacrifice something like that for usability. I’m talking good product design here. The kind of design that makes the product useable for everyday use. Regardless of philosophy, if a product isn’t well designed and doesn’t serve its purpose well then why use it? I just don’t understand how you or anybody can find a product that is so obviously flawed from the start to be acceptable and useable just because you want to enjoy a misdirected sense of freedom.

Some of the complaints you have over the iPhone are legitimate:

Yes, there is no way to use memory cards. Although it would be nice to have there are still ways to get files onto the phone without the use of memory cards.

Yes, the battery isn’t removeable. That’s one of the primary complaints most people have over the iPhone. Personally, as long as it lasts a full day of use I’m a happy camper. I don’t really care that I can’t remove/replace the battery myself. It’s a relative complaint though. It’ll bother some a lot and not at all for others. For me, it’s a pretty small one.

Yes, Bluetooth has limitations. You can’t send files, you can’t use it as a modem, and you can’t use a Bluetooth keyboard. However, an app was recently released that does allow you to use it as a modem over a wi-fi connection. As far as not being able to send files and use a Bluetooth keyboard, all of that can be fixed with software updates. Again, relative complaints. For me, the functionality provided far outweighs my ability to send files and/or use a Bluetooth keyboard. I don’t really create many files on my phone so I don’t really have a need to send files. However, I do need to send files to the phone for viewing and I have a great app that allows me to do just that.

No, you can use your own ringtones. You can send custom ringtones with a couple of different apps out in the wild. Granted, they’re not free but they do the job. There are free ways to do it though. I personally use Garage Band to send ringtones to iTunes to be synced to my phone. Got about a half dozen of custom ringtones I created myself. Got a great one called YOUR MAMMA’S CALLING BACK.

So, yeah, there are a few legit complaints but not the kind that matter to every user as you proclaim. If they matter to you then, simply put, just don’t buy an iPhone. But a Google Android phone instead. But an Openmoko phone? Come on. I seriously think that developers can do so much better than that in the first go-round.

When people said Open Source CMS were crap, Etomite’s people worked hard to get better and better. Then MODx forked code and went even better. And Etomite is also getting better!
That is the power of Open Source.

Openmoko is a baby. It has a some ugly things (babies are ugly, no matter what his parents say! ;), and a lot of promising things.
There are a lot of people working hard for making a good product.
Software is not ready. Is not even on alpha state. But nobody is saying so!:

-Thank you for purchasing this Developer release of Neo FreeRunner. Extract from:
http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Getting_Started_with_your_Neo_FreeRunner

Ready for use: Not yet
Extract from iphone & freerunner comparison:
http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/IPhone

It’s a matter of time that Openmoko gets decent software, and even overpasses iPhone
After hardware release last july, software are priority for Openmoko’s people. And
Why release a product that way?, you can ask
Because it’s free. Because by releasing hardware, community can get hardware for helping on development.

And last, but not least, what about iPhone flaws?. I’m not trying to compare both product’s hardware, one are better on X, the other on Y. I’m talking about iPhone FREEDOM flaws which DO matters to final user:

- Fixed storage. Why not memory cards?
- unserviceable battery. Pay Apple for changing something my grandma can change.
- useless bluetooth:
- you can’t send files over bluetooth in an $550 mobile. Isn’t that a joke???
- You can’t use iphone as modem for your laptop over bluetooth
- You can’t use a bluetooth keyboard…
- ringtones can only be used when you pay Apple for them. I know it’s possible, but not LEGAL. Another joke? Why can’t you put, YOUR BABY LAUGH or YOUR OWN VOICE on YOUR mobile?

Why should someone pay for a product you are not allowed to use?
You?. OK, if it’s fine for you. But let me enjoy my freedom.

The point isn’t whether OpenMoko can play MP3/ACC files or not, but I can certainly understand why they would leave it out due to licensing restrictions. When you want to license your product under a strict GPL license, you can’t include stuff like that. However, if it’s possible to create software that can at least play one or more of these file types, why wouldn’t you include that ability? But that’s beside the point.

The point is that it doesn’t take a company like Apple to create a good, well designed product. Any company or organization can come along and create a product that is just as good (if not better) than the iPhone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re creating something that will be licensed out the ass or will be completely GPL’ed.

Hell, I help develop an open-source content management system that is based on GPL components. MODx is pretty well designed as it is and it keeps getting better because the folks developing it insist on it. What makes OpenMoko any different?

All I’m saying is that it doesn’t make sense for someone to criticize a very well designed product and then try to claim something that isn’t as well designed as being a good alternative. OpenMoko, regardless of whether it’s GPL or not, is crap. I don’t want crap. Can’t developers have some f#$king standards? That’s all I’m asking for.

It’s not that opensource-developers want to exclude stuff like that. They are forced.

And “we” can thank you. Thank you, for buying apple-licensed-IP-stuff and supporting apple, so that open stuff will never ever come up to usual devices like the iphone, in terms of features.

thank you.

keep your non-thinking mind. it seems to be rotten, so that no one else can use it.