I think this is possible. But it will require more interested developers than just me. Paritcularly someone skilled in the ways of gcc and (E)ABIs, Obj-C and so on.

The basic iphone API is fairly high level and could be re-implemented. For example, it should be possible to get some games up and running by implementing a few kits:

Core* kits - can be based on cocotron library
GL - remap native GL

Some clean room reverse engineering wil lno doubt be necessary but Obj-C should make this easy.

Then piece these together with a custom mach0 binary loader/linker (I have started putting one together but there's examples in qemu and other places). You won't be able to run apps from the app store because they are partially encrypted but apps from cydia or direct from developers should be ok.

ysss,

Who are you addressing? I don't really see any parallels with what I said and your comments. I didn't say I hate them. I didn't say I don't feel they deserve the market share they have garnered. I have obviously thought of why they are getting all the media attention they are getting (clever advertising and well played public speeches and letters to the community). Is it a conspiracy? Of course not. Is apple a bogeyman? Of course not.

I'm simple saying that apple's method stiffle real versatility. I also said supporting other OS's would ensure that the options we all seek become availible on those OS's and will eventually become more plentiful.

I will also say that if Microsoft finally can see the amoutn of money Apple is cashing in on in the smartphone arena, that they will ernestly try to compete. And when they do, this regime that Apple holds onto so tightly will not look so pretty, given the other option.

In truth microsoft was stupid for not competing with the iPhone immediately. More than 90% of the world uses Windows. Make a phone that support Windows native apps, and provides a slew of options, and you have a real killer. Windows Mobile 6.5 was dismal. Windows 7 real potential, but they need to have copy and paste, and they need real multi-tasking. Why Apple and Microsoft can't figure this out blows my mind.

2d

We're maemmals now, that we're strangers. No worries though, we'll get to know each other and become aMeeGos.

i am sure a crafty dev could at least recreate the core iphone apps(the ones it comes with) as a qt app, but that wouldn't let you run iphone apps.

there is also cocotron which might help, objective c for linux

i wouldnt want an iphone OS. it would defeat the object of owning the iphone killer!

I agree some of the apps on the iphone look fun but I think all we need is a developer to create some of these apps for the N900.

Those apps are also someone's property and they better not look and feel like them or it's legal boneville. Yes, look and feel can be patented and had been. And suits have been filed and won.

As an example, MS Office look and feel has been patented and now you have to import MS controls for ribbon bars. Good news is, they suck and nobody cares.

Also, there's been legal force applied to Outlook lookalikes and now there are none. Maybe if you're IBM you could take one for the team. But a maemmalian couldn't.

Besides, what exactly native OS app lookalike are you missing? It comes with a phone, map, agenda, calendar, player. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I am yet to see a dead iPhone. Who killed who? An iPhone killer would have to be everything it is and be better at it. There's no such device.

What you have here is an iPhone-league device, meaning that there are things it does better, things it does worse.

Let's face it people, if you like an elegant, finished look, if you want small, if you want simple, if you want tons of apps, keep wanting.

Nice free apps are cool, but all repository is function over form, and will be for a long time. Maybe forever. And with the updates and OS redesigns rolling, there's likely everyone is tied into using new features and porting older apps.

Who's gonna polish a GPS innards dump app to be an animated bitmap? Not to mention there are guidelines to follow, you're gonna have to use their buttons, their scrolls and rely on their animations lest your app becomes hard to use and understand.

And let's not forget that at 25% pixels and single tasking, ain't nothing we can say performance-wise.

A killer it's not. Don't believe the hype.

There are a handful of iphone apps that I want, and sadly I dont see them coming to the n900 but it is not and never will be a reason to get an iphone despite what all the sheep and sheep haters will say on here

main ones for me are

Formula 1 app
Nasa app
TomTom
Stealth Tones

and probably 1 or 2 more

Heh... all these vocal hate posts in the board against apple stuffs sound like an indication of envy of some sort to me. If I don't like something and I don't care about it, I wouldn't even waste any effort to post about it.

Think things through, guys.. understand how and why iPhone has garnered so much apps (190,000 on last count) and support from the developers out there.

lol ever the apple supporter on here? i'm starting to think ysss stands for Yes, Steve's Secret Snooper! :P at least you're rational and even minded about it!

i still really dislike apple though, yes they have a huge following but that doesn't mean how they do it is right, everything is locked down and i believe we as consumers must fight it, because if we don't the future could get very bleak indeed...

Haha good one.. that guy is probably privy to some interesting information from the Apple camp, huh?

Yes, I generally agree about that simplified assessment... but I can't help but notice that not many people here realize that the real battles are won when you can woo significant (numbers and quality of) developers and customers out there.

I think the 'lock down' aspect of their ecosystem is overblown. Most apps have export/sync function to dump the data to some web service somewhere. Those that don't, well it's early enough in the game that people can avoid them. As for the platform itself, I think most people I know replaces their phone once a year or at most two. This leads to a constant need for Apple (and everyone else in this business) to raise the bar on every iteration or they risk losing customers. We're not re-entering MS domination era here, imho.

Also, this isn't just about users awareness. Look at how many users in this forum that are aware (and supports) the OSS camp, yet they swerve from purchasing and using the N900 due to many reasons.