[ale] using ipod touch or iphone with linux (yeah, OSeX!)

JK jknapka at kneuro.net
Mon Jun 1 11:19:44 EDT 2009


aaron wrote:

> With all of the exponentially expanding variables of connection and
> communication and licensing among all of the increasingly layered
> [hard|firm|soft] technologies in a modern computer, Apple's single  
> source
> production policies allow them to reduce or eliminate most of the  
> variables
> that cause conflicts and complications for commodity PC systems and the
> Operating Systems that try to run on them. Having a computer where the
> Operating System AND all the hundreds of different [hard|firm|soft]ware
> components from dozens of different providers and production lines have
> been packaged, tested, licensed and presented as a consistent,  
> integrated
> unit is hugely valuable -- in the case of Apple's OSeX systems, it
> becomes well worth every extra penny one might pay for them.


Nice post, Aaron.

It occurs to me that the exact same strategy could be applied to Linux
very easily.  Instead of *manufacturing* a standardized platform, one
would simply provide an open-source *spec* for a standardized platform,
based on widely-available commodity hardware. Then produce a small,
well-integrated Linux distro targeted to that hardware, along with a
comprehensive set of user interaction guidelines and so on. (If you
don't have to support every conceivable piece of PC hardware in the
world, a Linux kernel can be pretty damned lean.)  Anyone who
wants a "LinMac" could go out and build one, much more cheaply
than they could buy a real Mac.  It's even possible that such a
standardized platform might attract some third-party developer mindshare.
Something similar to this seems to be happening with the Linux netbooks,
except that Asus et al are actually manufacturing the platforms, not
just spec'ing them.

Of course, the problem with this fiendish plan is that it would almost
certainly fall prey to the OSS "Fork You!" mentality.  It would work
wonderfully if there were only one such "standardized" hardware
platform out there; but once there's one, there'll quickly be
ten dozen, because everyone and his sister-in-law will second-guess
the LinMac hardware spec into irrelevance in about two weeks :-(

-- JK

-- 
A closed mouth gathers no feet.


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