The problem with OpenMoko IMHO is too much hype and lack of direction.
The idea to have an open phone, is great, in principle, but executing it is much harder.
FIC is a hardware company and OpenMoko Inc. spun out of it, they made the hardware, and then hired a bunch of open source developers to make the software work on their somewhat broken hardware. As if that wasn't bad enough, they started drinking the kool-aid and spreading the hype about the OM phones being iPhone killers and gave their dev team _impossible_ goals. When v1 (the 1973) came out, it was pretty much useless but it sold out just because the community was so excited about it.
Fast-forward to v2, still a lot of iphone-killer hype (like that idiotic fsf article) and no working software, OM changed directions multiple times and the Qtopia abortion is a result of that, and almost everyone is disappointed, but for the first time you can actually make calls (if you run a non-smartphone distro). The community is now beginning to form and take ownership of the fact that the OS won't go anywhere unless they make it. But the prohibitive price is probably preventing the community from reaching a critical mass.
That idiotic FSF article was the reason I recorded the video. I was extremely upset at the article for exposing the OpenMoko project to too much expectation too early in the game.
But it's not just that article, a lot of defensive open source fans are saying, "I am happy with my FreeRunner" and trying to look at it in a positive light. But when they talk about it to those uninitiated into the situation, it ends up as praise with faint condemnation. "I love my FreeRunner, and it's free! It's wink wink nudge nudge nod nod knowhatimean not ready for primetime, but I'm enjoying the device." And this subjective experience might be true, but it's extremely misleading to someone who wants to actually use a smartphone in day-to-day operation.
The hardware is the most disappointing part to me. Everything else can be fixed. I really harped on the keyboard because I just can't envision how anyone looks at that thing and doesn't laugh, but it can be trivially fixed. The hardware problem for the planned revisions is not something we can wave a magic software wand at, though. I would have preferred it if they included a better touchscreen with hardware multi-touch and a flush glass surface and dropped the GPS.
The idea to have an open phone, is great, in principle, but executing it is much harder.
FIC is a hardware company and OpenMoko Inc. spun out of it, they made the hardware, and then hired a bunch of open source developers to make the software work on their somewhat broken hardware. As if that wasn't bad enough, they started drinking the kool-aid and spreading the hype about the OM phones being iPhone killers and gave their dev team _impossible_ goals. When v1 (the 1973) came out, it was pretty much useless but it sold out just because the community was so excited about it.
Fast-forward to v2, still a lot of iphone-killer hype (like that idiotic fsf article) and no working software, OM changed directions multiple times and the Qtopia abortion is a result of that, and almost everyone is disappointed, but for the first time you can actually make calls (if you run a non-smartphone distro). The community is now beginning to form and take ownership of the fact that the OS won't go anywhere unless they make it. But the prohibitive price is probably preventing the community from reaching a critical mass.