Why I Don’t Care About LiMo
There’s a whole bunch of noise about the LiMo Foundation and comparisons to the Google Android project and the Open Handset Alliance. That’s cool, I’m happy there are people taking a look at both and poking around and trying to figure out how to make things better. But right now I don’t really care.
I don’t care because LiMo doesn’t seem to be an open source project at all. It’s a consortium meant to steward communal intellectual property and license rights. Just a quick glance over the open source definition and then the LiMo website should spark thoughts like “Hey, where’s the source code?” and “What’s with all this talk about membership?”
I’m not saying that LiMo isn’t a great effort. It might drive down the cost of manufacturing handsets and drive significant innovation back into Linux. But the project is really aimed at device manufacturers. They’re trying to bill it as a savior for consumer application developers as well because it supposedly standardizes Linux, but until the devices are out in market and I see some numbers that’s going to be a really hard case to make to me. Show me the code or show me the install base. Don’t claim open source without any public code and claim an end to device fragmentation without significant units in the market. I’m going to assume you’re just bullshitting.
February 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Mike, you’re not alone in your reaction. But as always there are many more details behind all the various curtains than most people don’t get to see. I really believe the LiMo folks are out to Do The Right Thing and its motivations stem from current industry players out to solve real issues. The OHA in constrast, is basically a G-initiated fan club to drive its own agenda. If you look into it you’ll find there isn’t much “open” about it all except for the name.
There were over a dozen real, ready for prime-time, LiMo devices on display at the MWC, and its a platform which partners are free to innovate on. Android has miles to go before a field-ready device is here, and go try to build something on its Linux underpinnings and see how far you get, or even go try to see its source code for that matter.
Still, I agree that what is good is there are multiple efforts trying to foster device innovation by driving more standard underpinnings - and that is good for the industry and should be ultimately good for all of us.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
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