Plan B at OpenMoko: Remaining Developers Let Go
In a message to the community, OpenMoko CEO Sean Moss-Pultz explained how things with the open source mobile phone are to go from this point on.
As befits most good businessmen, Moss-Pultz congratulated all for their past good work and didn't spare any praise:
"We've always said that the talent and creativity of those outside the company is superior to that inside the company... We've opened up more than any other phone, from any other company, in the history of this industry. Every time we chose openness over internal control, we have been rewarded."
Consequently OpenMoko will now (finally) deed the entire Freerunner hardware specification as far as possible to the community. In fact, all of openmoko.org, including the website, wiki, branding and trademarks, and all remaining designs will be handed over. Moss-Pultz's company will continue to act as sponsor for outside development and "will start another effort on an altogether different type of device."
Even if community members and former OpenMoko-ers have already begun building a mobile phone based on the new specification and free hardware components from OpenMoko, Moss-Pultz's announcement indicates the final bowing out of the company in its own development of the device. Meanwhile "plenty" of Freerunner A7s are still in stock for a good price.
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