OpenMoko

OpenMoko was a project initiated by First International Computer to develop an open-source mobile phone platform, with the goal of creating a device that would allow users to modify and customize their phone's software and hardware. The project was announced in 2006 and gained significant attention from the Linux and open-source software communities, including Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation. The OpenMoko project was also supported by several companies, including Texas Instruments and Intel. The project's founders were influenced by the work of Alan Kay and the Xerox PARC team, who developed the Xerox Alto computer.

Introduction

The OpenMoko project was designed to create a mobile phone that would run on Linux and other open-source software, allowing users to modify and customize their phone's software and hardware. The project's goal was to create a device that would be similar to the iPhone, but with a more open and customizable platform, similar to the Nokia N900. The OpenMoko team worked with several companies, including Google and Mozilla, to develop the phone's software and hardware. The project was also influenced by the work of Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web Consortium, who developed the HTTP and HTML standards.

History

The OpenMoko project was announced in 2006 by First International Computer, a company based in Taiwan. The project gained significant attention from the Linux and open-source software communities, including Eric S. Raymond and the Open Source Initiative. The project's first product, the Neo 1973, was released in 2007 and was based on the GSM standard, which was developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. The Neo 1973 was followed by the Neo FreeRunner, which was released in 2008 and was based on the Wi-Fi standard, which was developed by the IEEE. The OpenMoko project was also influenced by the work of Vint Cerf and the Internet Engineering Task Force, who developed the TCP/IP standard.

Hardware

The OpenMoko project developed several hardware devices, including the Neo 1973 and the Neo FreeRunner. These devices were based on the ARM architecture, which was developed by ARM Holdings, and ran on Linux and other open-source software. The devices also included several peripherals, including a touchscreen display, a GPS receiver, and a Wi-Fi interface, which were developed by companies such as Broadcom and Texas Instruments. The OpenMoko team worked with several companies, including Intel and IBM, to develop the devices' hardware and software. The project was also influenced by the work of Donald Knuth and the Stanford University team, who developed the TeX typesetting system.

Software

The OpenMoko project developed several software applications, including the Om 2007 and Om 2008 distributions, which were based on Linux and other open-source software. The project's software was designed to be highly customizable and allowed users to modify and extend the phone's functionality, similar to the Android operating system, which was developed by Google. The OpenMoko team worked with several companies, including Mozilla and Google, to develop the phone's software and hardware. The project was also influenced by the work of Larry Wall and the Perl community, who developed the Perl programming language. The OpenMoko project's software was also compatible with several other devices, including the Nokia N800 and the Palm Pre.

Community

The OpenMoko project had a large and active community of developers and users, who contributed to the project's software and hardware development. The project's community was similar to the Linux and open-source software communities, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and sharing. The OpenMoko team worked with several other open-source projects, including the GNU project and the Apache Software Foundation, to develop the phone's software and hardware. The project was also influenced by the work of Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation, who developed the GNU General Public License. The OpenMoko community was also active in several online forums, including the OpenMoko wiki and the OpenMoko mailing list.

Impact

The OpenMoko project had a significant impact on the development of open-source software and mobile phone platforms. The project's emphasis on customization and community involvement influenced the development of several other open-source projects, including the Android operating system and the Ubuntu distribution. The OpenMoko project also influenced the development of several other mobile phone platforms, including the iPhone and the Windows Phone. The project's legacy can be seen in several modern mobile phone platforms, including the Tizen operating system and the Sailfish OS. The OpenMoko project was also recognized by several awards, including the Free Software Award and the Linux Journal Readers' Choice Award. The project's impact was also felt in the academic community, with several research papers and studies published on the project's development and impact, including papers by MIT and Stanford University researchers. Category:Mobile phones