Make:

Well, it's an open source device that sort of runs a version of Linux, and might be able to make calls, but they don't recommend it yet...

Once the bugs are worked out, though, why would anyone want an iPhone instead of OpenMoko?

The Trolltech interface (also open source) works pretty well on it already, and can be used for phone calls and text messages. The Openmoko UI is moving along too. The biggest showstopper I see so far is the battery life, as power management isn't quite all there yet. It's super fun to be able to SSH into your phone though, and I certainly look forward to being able to use the device on a regular basis.

Also, to be pedantic, OpenMoko is actually the name of the software platform. The software itself can be ported to any phone, and experimenters have succeeded in getting it to boot on a number of other devices. FIC has made two phones to run the software, the Neo1973 and the Neo FreeRunner, and the CAD files mentioned above describe these phones.

As an Industrial Designer I felt a little envy of the Open Source community of programmers when I first discovered the Neo 1973. I had just found a new attitude as well as a device that promised to cure all the problems of current handheld communications/computing devices; yet the only way I could be part of this new “ubiquitous computing” frontier would be as an early adopter or beta tester.

Since the CAD files for the first model have become available I now feel I can contribute to the Open Community myself and have as much fun as the programmers have had with the OS and applications, but with the device (I resist to call it just a phone) shape itself!

My first contribution to OpenMoko’s initiative is also possibly what most users would buy right after the phone itself; a flexible skin that fits snugly the Neo’s outer surfaces and provides a rugged feeling to either the Neo 1973 or the upcoming Freerunner (they share the same outer geometry).

I have added a new section to my website where you can view all my future concepts and accessories for any OpenMoko powered device as well as download any 3D CAD files and graphics I used to create the projects themselves under the Creative Commons license. Anyone is welcome to download actual CNC machinable Class “A” surfaces for the NeoSkin project as well as any other accessory or case design I come up for the Neos.

Best Regards,
Guillermo Sureda-Burgos | www.sureda.org

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