Your Linux iPhone Is Here

I can’t say that I am surprised to hear that the Linux operating system has rammed its way through yet one more door. This time however, the threshold is Apple’s flagship mobile device the iPhone. This weekend, iphone-dev.org announced that after considerable reverse engineering by the unofficial iPhone development team, a limited Linux OS in now available for iPhone and 1st gen iPod Touch (no touch screen drivers, sound, or WiFi / cell radio support).

This would seem to be a significant milestone for a growing number of developers, users, and enterprises interested in greater openness in the mobile ecosystem.  Even today in its limited state, Linux on the iPhone may catalyze some competition through linux-based mobile alternatives like Android.  As Android stabilizes on the iPhone device, users will have choice of where to buy music and more importantly, where to buy applications.

I recognize that iPhone/iPod Touch owners already have a perfectly usable (stunningly impressive) user experience right out of the box. However, not everyone joins the Apple cult by default when they shell out a couple hundred on these remarkable devices. In fact, many simply have no practical alternative.

The first thing I did upon receiving my iPod Touch was to jailbreak it and gain some control over what I could do with it. Since that time, Apple (and AppStore vendors) have added enough innovations for me to justify giving that control back (factory settings).  As Linux on iPhone (and Android) matures, openness will force more users like me to seriously consider the switch.

More importantly, developers are the real winners here. Android is already a significant alternative to iPhone with the release of T-Mobile’s G1 and several more devices expected in 2009. Like the AppStore, the Android Market offers developers a central place to distribute their products for the Android platform.  Android on iPhone opens Android apps to an additional marketplace with millions of users worldwide.

In the end, I don’t expect to see mass exodus from the iPhone OS, but we may see other favorable outcomes such as more relaxed control by Apple, longer life for iPhone/Touch hardware, and even more devices sold by Apple.

Now, if only I can convince T-Mobile or AT&T to come to Fargo and give me at least one option.