iPhone musings

The (just-announced, vaporware) iPhone looks very cool -- just two questions: what price when, and how open? I'm not spending $500 on a phone -- plus an extra $50/month for net access -- unless it's open enough to get some good open-source apps. It's absolutely not worth it if the open source community can't write software for it -- otherwise I'll just get a Linux phone from Motorola. We'll see.

Doesn't matter much anyway -- that price includes a 2-year contract, and I still have a most of a year to go on my old phone. Who knows what'll be available by then. Or what the iPhone's UI will really be like. The Mac is more useable than my Nokia phone, but not by much; I wouldn't use either UI if I had a real choice. (edited five or so minutes after posting)

(more -- some good comments on O'Reilly, and a link to Apple's iPhone page from DocBug)

More on the iPhone

here is a post from someone who made a cardboard mock-up from Apple's published specs, and compares its size with several other mobile devices. If it's open enough and reliable enough I may buy one in a year or so, if I haven't bought a cheaper, unlocked Linux phone first. It had better have a replacable battery, though -- battery longevity is one reason I haven't bought an iPod. Unlike some people, I do not think of a $500 phone as a disposable device.

Damn. Another one gone.

Just learned from everywhere on my friends list that tnatj -- Dave Alway -- joined the immortals this morning. His brother peteralway posted this announcement. ohiblather has some great pictures here. He was 56 -- much too young.

I first met Dave two years ago when I was Interfilk guest at GAFilk. He was a joyful, welcoming presence in the lobby, with his tableful of buttons. This year I bought one of his new Pengu the Filk Safety Penguin buttons and listened to the silly song his stuffed Pengu sings. I also had the opportunity to chat with him at some some length, and we wound up in the same small circles more often than not. It saddens me greatly that I'll never have that opportunity again.

Fare well, Dave. If filkers go someplace appropriate when they die, say hello to Cindy for me.