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Originally Posted by jmarkevich
Don't confuse free "gratuit" with what should be free "libre". PocketPC seems to be somewhat inflexible to OEM's needs -- the best they can offer is add-on applications, and maybe drivers.
What if someone wanted to rewrite the tasking scheduler? Make a completely different input model than SIP? How about HI-RES screens that rotate? Blow memory limitations off the map?
The OEM can do this. Actually, the USER can do this, since GPL requires the code be included. This kind of flexibility is what embedded devices really need, and Palmtops don't desperately NEED but can be helpful.
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ok... I agree that the ability to mess with things like resolution or hardware architecture can be fun, and even useful in the small picture, and I think it's wonderful for users to be able to mess with their OS more than PPC lets them (not even a builtin regedit!). However, as much as I am "pro-linux" I think that allowing those things you said to be up to individual manufacturers can be a very bad thing. Case in point with Palm. There was a point not too long ago that between the standard resolution 160x160 coexisted with the Sony Clie 320x320 along with whatever weird res the soft-graffiti HandEras had. This was a royal mess for developers, as you had to code using everyones APIs and such. It's an awful place to be in; so in that sense the standardization of PPC hardware and software by MS is a good thing. It's less hassle for everyone, and less confusing for endusers.
That said, non-standard Linux has a place. Mostly, I think, for corporations that need a very customized system. For that, on both servers and on PDAs etc. Linux has what it takes as long as your primary issue is not interoperability with existing software or cross-compatibility with new devices. But for PPCs? what a nightmare. I can't even get half the software I want working on the new 2210- imagine if it also had a diff. resolution, a different processor core, even a completely different method of entering appointments. That would be a royal mess.
That said, good point distinguishing between "free beer" and "free speech," as it were. Interesting that some languages have proper different words for them.
Perhaps the FSF should change its name from "free software foundation" to the "Freedom Software Foundation" to clear that up (hey, they get to keep their initials, too!). It has the added benefit of sounding patriotically American (although people may think it's the new name for the French Software Foundation... Freedom Fries, anyone? :wink
