[LINK] Dumb phone

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Rick Welykochy
> Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2011 3:02 PM
> To: 'The Link Institute '
> Subject: [LINK] Dumb phone
> 
> 
> Gentle Linkers,
> 
> I've often thought about a dumb phone, as opposed to a smart 
> phone. And apparently the concept is not that daft.
> 
<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dumbphone>
>Specifically,
>
>   "This is a near-exhaustive list of smartphone OSes. If a phone
doesn't use
>    something on this list it is probably a dumbphone:
>
>    * Android
>    * Window Mobile
>    * iPhone
>    * Blackberry
>    * Palm OS
>    * Symbian"
>
> I am hardly qualified to comment on the above. I would imagine that it
would not be too difficult to root and Android 
> ?phone, and replace all the bloatware with an open source "dumbOS"
that guarantees that all your phone does is make phone > calls.
>
> Does anyone see a need for this?
>
> cheers
> rickw
>
>
> p.s. I like the idea of dumb phone, since all it does is phone.
Nothing else. All the other brain offloading tasks that 
> smart phones perform are left to me and my brain. Under my control.
This has to be a Good Thing (TM).

Prologue:
This entire episode makes a joke of Western fears that Chinese
telecommunications equipment is bugged at the firmware level.
Governments are no doubt aware as to the funding sources of these "added
features" yet due to political détente, stop short of banning their
imports; whilst simultaneously engaging psychops in promoting stories of
inferior quality and running legislative interference with trade based
agreements like ACTA.

The Problem with your idea is "Reason for adoption". (Generally peer
pressure and not to make and receive phone calls. That requirement is
now secondary to Facebook updates RSS and media consumption. Ref [1])

Annecdote:
In 1989, ICL released SVR5.4 on an Intel platform.
It was a huge success.

At the first post release ICL conference, vt220 terminals were made
available for attendees to hack (officially take notes) whilst listening
to the presentations.

The biggest complaint of the conference was that Tetris coloured
elements were not clearly determinable on the limited vt220 emulation
(yellow screen) palette.

In the VHS/VCD/DVD era, Porn was the driving force encouraging early
adopter take-up.
With computers it was Mammoth cave, Zork, Leisure suit Larry and
Solitaire. Nokia introduced the world to snakes and by 1996, the heads
started looking downwards at little screens.
Smartphone apps have a little more competition but essentially, Angry
Birds (and throw a prawn on the barbie) are the new porn of the masses.

My guess Rick, is that your concept would work, providing the dumbphone
was powered by dual 1.6 processors, with HD resolution video, could
utilise P2P for transfer of media, multi GB storage, could double as an
MP3 player AND had a version of Angry Birds ported.

The newest craze combines (phone) video games with dating (Ref [2]).
Quote/
The controversial new craze allows guys and girls to trade in their
video games and playing partner.
"At the end of the night, a new game may not be all they're taking
home," said Mr Yardley.
/Quote

Unfortunately, in an era where a high Angry Birds score can be the topic
of a half hour conversation (I exaggerate), or, where one can swap their
"partner" with their game, I'm afraid that (imho) the potential for a
commercially successful dumb phone apart from the seniors market is
probably limited.

TomK

References:
[1] Kaiser Foindation  http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf
[2]
http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/story/2011/11/25/romancing-the-phone
-digital-dating/
Dumb Phone for Seniors:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Binatone-Big-Button-GSM-Mobile/dp/B001NMUGUI