Then you wouldn't understand the N900 by principle. It's not suited to the consumerist thinking you convey. It is a device with a really distinguished operation system, a programmable, open, flexible framework. It is like a fine drink: not something to get drunk with, but something to get acquainted to, to enjoy, to feel in your lips and tongue. The N900 is a device to spend time with.
I guess you would never touch Desktop Command Execution widget or Queen Beacon Widget. You would never find how to make a scrollable wallpaper by yourself and would rely on others to provide them to you. You would never, ever set up ssh access to your N900 to have some remote stuff done, install software or fix problems.
It's not even comparable. There is no OS like Maemo currently. Even Android or WebOS, for lack of GNU components, do not even get close. Maemo has an actual GNU/Linux stack, with all the gimmicks - from gstreamer to dbus, from X and GTK+ and xkb to HAL and full shell scripting.
That's what you don't get and if depends on Apple and alike companies you will never get. The other OS's make you merely a consumer, a spectator, a buyer. The N900 sucks you into it, to make part of its ecosystem. It makes you a participating "digital citizen". You have control of your stuff, not others. That's what makes it wonderful and is the shiniest part of open source.
Then you wouldn't understand the N900 by principle. It's not suited to the consumerist thinking you convey. It is a device with a really distinguished operation system, a programmable, open, flexible framework. It is like a fine drink: not something to get drunk with, but something to get acquainted to, to enjoy, to feel in your lips and tongue. The N900 is a device to spend time with.
I guess you would never touch Desktop Command Execution widget or Queen Beacon Widget. You would never find how to make a scrollable wallpaper by yourself and would rely on others to provide them to you. You would never, ever set up ssh access to your N900 to have some remote stuff done, install software or fix problems.
It's not even comparable. There is no OS like Maemo currently. Even Android or WebOS, for lack of GNU components, do not even get close. Maemo has an actual GNU/Linux stack, with all the gimmicks - from gstreamer to dbus, from X and GTK+ and xkb to HAL and full shell scripting.
That's what you don't get and if depends on Apple and alike companies you will never get. The other OS's make you merely a consumer, a spectator, a buyer. The N900 sucks you into it, to make part of its ecosystem. It makes you a participating "digital citizen". You have control of your stuff, not others. That's what makes it wonderful and is the shiniest part of open source.
Then obviously you turn them over like they're nothing, and obviously the content of the device doesn't really carry much importance with you.
Maybe for you, but not for everyone.
BADA is yet another closed pile of crap, Samsung's attempt to be Apple: a closed, restricted OS with entry by developers determined by some mysterious criteria.
I suspect, and indeed hope, that Samsung fails. We don't need more people thinking walled gardens are good.
Well whether we like it or not closed platforms are the future and there nothing we can do about it. Well I can't make that prediction but so far it looks like it. The only thing we can do to prevent the rise of closed platforms is adopt open platforms but I doubt the consumer cares. Walled gardens aren't good but people don't realize it almost every new platform coming out is now closed. Sure Android has been successful but how long will that last it has been criticized for not being "consumer friendly" so how long will the openness of Android lasts how long till Google closes there platform. Windows Mobile used to be one of the most open platforms ever now with Windows Phone 7 Microsoft has closed there platform and made it more restrictive than the iPhone! So we either need to convince consumers not to buy products or learn to accept closed platforms. Also Symbian was never really open we all remember running Helo0X2 on Symbian to bypass "Symbian Signed" in reality Nokia phones aren't that open either.
Well whether we like it or not closed platforms are the future and there nothing we can do about it. Well I can't make that prediction but so far it looks like it.
You can always sit back and let apathy take its course.
Originally Posted by
how long will that last it has been criticized for not being "consumer friendly" so how long will the openness of Android lasts how long till Google closes there platform.
Being consumer friendly has nothing whatsoever to do with a platform being open or closed and everything with how the interface is designed. The default UI isn't that great, which is why HTC ported SenseUI and Motorola created MotoBlur (good or not.)
Originally Posted by
Windows Mobile used to be one of the most open platforms ever now with Windows Phone 7 Microsoft has closed there platform and made it more restrictive than the iPhone!
That's because MS only really understands closed platforms, and they see Apple's restrictive route as the way to go. I hope it fails as well.
Originally Posted by
So we either need to convince consumers not to buy products or learn to accept closed platforms. Also Symbian was never really open we all remember running Helo0X2 on Symbian to bypass "Symbian Signed" in reality Nokia phones aren't that open either.
I never gave a damn about Symbian, and the Symbian Signed crap for sure would have kept me away.
You can always sit back and let apathy take its course.
Being consumer friendly has nothing whatsoever to do with a platform being open or closed and everything with how the interface is designed. The default UI isn't that great, which is why HTC ported SenseUI and Motorola created MotoBlur (good or not.)
That's because MS only really understands closed platforms, and they see Apple's restrictive route as the way to go. I hope it fails as well.
I never gave a damn about Symbian, and the Symbian Signed crap for sure would have kept me away.
I would agree all consumer friendliness all it takes is a nice looking interface. I hope Windows Phone 7 fails to. Yah Symbian signed was very annoying.
To further that point.
Where I live Samsung paid a large group of us to test and experiment with that phone with a direct comparison against the iPhone. Finding reasons for and against the BADA OS when put up to the iPhone.
I really didn't enjoy the BADA os but I suppose for the mass market its a pretty good thing. My problem with it is that it isn't trying to compete with the iOS but its trying to BE the iOS. Other than the Home-Screens (up to 10......WHY?!?!)
Some of the key things we found out:
1. The iPhone Internet kicks the crap out of Bada
2. Menu system beats Bada (Not enough App's per Screen)
3. Setting up Emails is easier on Bada
4. Video's look better on Bada
5. iPhone is easier to unlock than Bada
The whole testing was a little ridiculous and didn't focus on the main points of the phone but more the simpler tweaks. Most of these things you wouldn't notice or pay attention to as they really don't make a difference to you in the long run.
I trust Nokia in January 2010.... but they **** on us 
