Nokia buys Trolltech (Qt/Main KDE developers)
I personally think that this is good news: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080128-nokia-buys-trolltech-will-beco... -- Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/ Blog: http://iansblog.jandi.co.nz
On Tue, 2008-01-29 at 10:12 +1300, Ian McDonald wrote:
I personally think that this is good news: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080128-nokia-buys-trolltech-will-beco...
Kinda worries me a bit. If their smartphone products are anything to go by, it would seem that Nokia are heavily into crippleware - locked-down appliances - as opposed to open, general-purpose computing platforms. I'd bet there's some folks in Nokia already pondering ways to Tivoise qt - for instance, leaving the GPL releases to languish several revs behind, and putting out future commercial releases as binary-only, under a license which forbids modification and imposes a J2ME/MIDP-like certification regime (read: walled garden, closed shop) on 3rd party apps - not so much for desktop/laptop, but definitely for embedded/mobile devices. Sorry, but until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm viewing the Trolltech sell-out as somewhat of a Faustian deal - for way too small a purchase price. Cheers David
On Feb 1, 2008 11:23 PM, David McNab <david(a)rebirthing.co.nz> wrote:
On Tue, 2008-01-29 at 10:12 +1300, Ian McDonald wrote:
I personally think that this is good news: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080128-nokia-buys-trolltech-will-beco...
Kinda worries me a bit.
If their smartphone products are anything to go by, it would seem that Nokia are heavily into crippleware - locked-down appliances - as opposed to open, general-purpose computing platforms.
I'd bet there's some folks in Nokia already pondering ways to Tivoise qt - for instance, leaving the GPL releases to languish several revs behind, and putting out future commercial releases as binary-only, under a license which forbids modification and imposes a J2ME/MIDP-like certification regime (read: walled garden, closed shop) on 3rd party apps - not so much for desktop/laptop, but definitely for embedded/mobile devices.
Sorry, but until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm viewing the Trolltech sell-out as somewhat of a Faustian deal - for way too small a purchase price.
Cheers David
Yes traditionally they have been but I see that changing now. Google the N800 and N810. They have always encouraged software development for phones on the S60 platform. They are getting more and more open by the day. I know of other open source work that they are involved in heavily as well but I'm not sure I can disclose what it is (I have talked to Nokia staff privately). But with all these things time will tell. Ian -- Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/ Blog: http://iansblog.jandi.co.nz
On Sat, 2008-02-02 at 08:25 +1300, Ian McDonald wrote:
Yes traditionally they have been but I see that changing now. Google the N800 and N810. They have always encouraged software development for phones on the S60 platform.
The problem is that even with the S60 platform - even with the N95 device, you have to fork out hundreds of dollars a year for a signing certificate that fits into the certificate chain in the shipped S60 devices. AFAIK, a signed trusted 3rd party app can be configured on the device to have access to certain APIs eg TCP/IP sockets without the annoying dialog popping up to harass the user. But the more core APIs, such as accessing PIM databases, performing voice calls, setting timers for code to be executed at a given date/time, even the ability to set a shortcut for a 3rd party app - are still kept under lock and key, regardless of the app's certification. I worked in many different software shops over the years, most of them embedded software, and know just how much inertia a set of corporate cultural values can have. All I can say is that it might be easier for Nokia to embrace true openness to the satisfaction of the open source community than it would be for Microsoft to release their next operating system under a BSD license.
They are getting more and more open by the day.
I really do hope so. It was a cruel shock to discover that I'm locked out of my Nokia 6288 phone, which I bought and should own, but don't. I found it a total insult to the intelligence, and the experience has completely put me off buying any more Nokia products.
I know of other open source work that they are involved in heavily as well but I'm not sure I can disclose what it is (I have talked to Nokia staff privately). But with all these things time will tell.
If Nokia are moving to a culture of true openness, that would be a daring and commendable act of leadership on their part. We'll see. But I'm not holding my breath. Cheers David
On Feb 2, 2008 9:48 AM, David McNab <david(a)rebirthing.co.nz> wrote:
If Nokia are moving to a culture of true openness, that would be a daring and commendable act of leadership on their part.
We'll see. But I'm not holding my breath.
Cheers David
There's an interview here with one of the main KDE developers which talks about Nokia/Trolltech on page 3 of interview. http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;885892575;pp;1 -- Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/ Blog: http://iansblog.jandi.co.nz
participants (2)
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David McNab -
Ian McDonald