Modulok | # 21 | 2007-04-03, 21:29 | Report

I think it is very simple. If Nokia drops the support for the 770 such early then many users will drop their support in not buying new Nokia devices.

As I bought the N770 and thought it runs a free Linux, but at the moment I'm pretty much disappointed after I know it better.

Now I'm using the N770 as an E-Book reader and wait for a small device which runs one of the big Linux distros ...

... THEN I have support and no 18 month hardware subscription.

statwrangler | # 22 | 2007-04-03, 23:23 | Report

Anyone who is worried that a nice machine could die should visit

http://www.newtontalk.net/archive/newtontalk.2007-03/

and be assured that the enthusiasts always win.

Nik1 | # 23 | 2007-04-03, 23:31 | Report

All of us must remember that Nokia is fairly new to the UMPC game. This may disappoint many people, but in my opinion, anyone that bought the n770 was a mere ALPHA/BETA tester for a future device to come. The future device today is the the N800. This is not a mystery though, all great things require time to build upon each predecessor.

mrp | # 24 | 2007-04-04, 05:37 | Report

Now some real enthusiasm for 770 is needed. What I would like to see, is a fully Canolaized 770. Canola has spinned the wheel. Put a few more items on the wheel, start Minimo/Mplayer/Mail/...

I want to remind/ inform those not familiar with, of Nokia Dbox2. A digital tv box, originally used in German cable networks, with Betanova software, now runs on linux, utilizes the originally useless 10MB ethernet connection for recording digital tv programs to a PC or a NAS. You can watch your recordings using Dbox2 Movieplayer or with help of VLC runnning on a PC, one can listen to web radio, show photos... Guys have even put an ide hard disk in that box and I think some success has been made using an RW-DVD. From Betanova to a completely different OS. Do some Googling and you propably will be impressed (Dbox2, Neutrino, Jacktherabber, Yadi, Dlaatikko)

Another nice example of real enthusiasm is NSLU2, which I use for as a media server (NFS-server) for my Dbox2. Flash a new firmware to this <100 Eur device, start OS from a HD/memory stick, install what ever package is needed for your purposes OR install complete Debian to it. (NSLU2, slug, unslung, openslus, genttoslug)

I know all this takes a lot of effort and I myself can only assist in beta testing and maybe translations, but using boot menu-type approach, starting OS from a memory card, everybody intrested could safely be part of this new venture.

phatcat33 | # 25 | 2007-04-04, 06:02 | Report

That’s no reason to repeat those same mistakes. There’s enough history to step up and step beyond the failings of the past. Just do the right thing and open or port OS2007 (hacker edition??) to the 770 so “enthusiasts” can keep their toys (and allow the rest of us end-users to play too - ).

And yes, I’m disturbed by this latest development since I’m not sure how future non-support will affect my continued use of the device. I’ve had my 770 barely 12 months! Did your box/paperwork say “Alpha/Beta test device”? Mine didn’t. I got the impression the device was tried and true; and at $400, would be around much longer than 12 months. Perhaps the development has been too fast???? "All great things" indeed!

Anyway, should people who are mostly satisfied with the out-of-the-box version be concerned by Nokia dropping support? Will my 770 work in the morning? If not, will Nokia repair it?

And no, I will not be purchasing an 800. That trust has been broken.

cucurigu | # 26 | 2007-04-04, 06:05 | Report

Yes, great things take time and experience, but the users and clients do not have to be beta-testers or unwilling investors. This opinion (which sounds like a buddhist chant coming from Nokia heardquarters ) is false - nowhere in the ads was there a warning "Buggy platform" and no price reductions have been offered even AFTER the bugs were identified and stacked mile high.

What irks me is the way they play around with the idea of open source : bugs everywhere, but "hey, it's normal - we are aproviding the hardware; the software is yours to do. However wait - you can only create a few applications - and when we say it's over you'd better get your stuff and move to the next platform. We'll get it this time !"

I don't see the difference between developing for the 770/N800 and a Windows Mobile device - you have the same control over the OS. Anything else is a problem of semantics.

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Last edited by cucurigu; 2007-04-04 at 06:07.

sevenape | # 27 | 2007-04-04, 06:39 | Report

it's not really my place to add my 2 cents here, as I'm far, far less qualified to talk about this subject than the majority of you, but I'll happily lend my voice to the chorus, however, of course I'd like to see continued support of the 770, so show me where to sign the petition and I'll do it

fanoush | # 28 | 2007-04-04, 07:42 | Report

That's huge oversimplification and exaggeration. With windows mobile you are completely screwed. With maemo you have approx. 90% (my guess) of system sources available. This still makes it not completely free and some bugs are really not fixable, but you (or someone else) can do a lot to fix your problems. That's big practical difference not just problem of semantics.

tabletfan | # 29 | 2007-04-04, 07:49 | Report

Apple will be new to the cellphone game when it comes out with the iPhone this summer. Do you think the iPhone will be a mere ALPHA/BETA product? I bet it will be polished and a fully functional product.

Modulok | # 30 | 2007-04-04, 08:15 | Report

Uhmmm. You are talking about Windows, arnt you . Or do you talk about Nero who was burning Rom to build a new one (he got killed)?

If you have followed the development of Linux you see that great Linux distros improve continuously and are not written from scratch every 18 month. This is the only way to gain a big community. Without a big community contributing back into the Project a Linux distro cannot survive.
Nokia is doing the best to kill the community by cutting it in two halves.

What we could do is to jump on the Zaurus train if all details of the N770 were released ...