OpenMoko: Slick OSS phone, and hack nirvana.

People, burn your Windows Mobile smartphones. The coolest thing on the planet has just arrived, and I am not talking about Apple's iPhone. Although, on an after-thought, I might as well be. That's because instead of being compared to the iPhone, OpenMoko Neo1973 has the honour of having turned the tables. It was released before the iPhone, so some people have noticed the similarities between the two devices.



Standing together they look equally good. However, when it comes to customisation -- essentially the craze amongst a good many cellphone users -- very little can come close to the possibilities offered by OpenMoko. Purely because it is an open-source phone, the availability of hacks for the non-geek individual can be amazing.

From simple things like skins, to applications that enhance the functionality, OpenMoko opens up a whole new world to the world.

When I first got wind of it late last year, it did not impress me that much. The oblong shape it came packaged it really did not help it in convincing me that it would be a phone taken seriously. Square people like square things, I reckon. I quickly forgot about it.

Having taken a look at the newer pictures and perhaps slightly impressed with the iPhone, I definately have a new perspective on this little OSS gem. With an office filled with Linux programmers, I can essentially get this baby to behave any way I like.

I shall try to get my hands on one, and give it a review. For now, I have high hopes for OpenMoko, even if the name strikes as too Hello Kitty-ish.