Linus Torvalds is now a happy Nexus One owner, pinch to zoom put him over the edge
By Paul Miller 
posted February 8th 2010 2:35PM
posted February 8th 2010 2:35PM
posted February 8th 2010 2:35PM
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Nerd gossip is epic.
@HardToBelieve
Ok, so he was looking for a GPS, he does not sound like an enthusiastic customer. Good news since other smart phones such as the Palm Pre with its webOS operating system also sports a Linux Kernel. Linus Torvalds is someone I respect for the way he has handled his leadership position in the Linux world.
@Thinker
Did you only reply to my post just to be at the top?
@HardToBelieve
If he really wanted to a Phone that is true linux, he should have bought a N900. A guy like that would be able to go crazy with Maemo.
Hmmmmm??? makes me wonder why he didnt go that route.
@HardToBelieve
Apparently you do not like my post – but you are subject to your views. But since you are talking about the subject of gossip, I think my post is quite relevant to the issue of Linus and his leadership role in the Linux community. His decision carries a lot of weight and influence, even if he acted without deference to his status in the industry.
@HardToBelieve agreed
@Thinker
I didn't really see the subject of your comment until I read it again. Forgive me.
@HardToBelieve Snap epic indeed. I guess that's his own preferences.. I bet he have watch these series of Nexux films. I can't blame him, its all great. Details: http://bit.ly/nexus-one-story-film-review
@HardToBelieve
If the phone part is secondary, he's selling himself short. Android is closed (in the Linux sense) and wont allow him to do much. Its surprising he would choose the nexus over the N900.
If it's good enough for Linus it's good enough for me!
@Argot Linux's usability as an OS might be good enough for Linus, that doesn't make it good enough for me.
@Tiptup300
Uh from what I heard is, he is a very nice guy.
@Argot
Ah 1.. 2.. 3.. 4..
If it good enough for Linus Then it's good enough for me
I no longer want a new shiny apple 3G
I want oled screen, snapdragon and Android in pocket
Not a fruity non multitasker that I'll launch like a rocket
Want to customise and randomise without a hack or trick
No need to jailbreak, dig around and make an expensive brick
iPhone you were so lovely you made me go wow
But looking at the Nexus 1 I think it's over now
Your only hope is OS 4 and true mobile multitasking
Until then in the light of Nexus I shall be gleefully basking
@Argot My current phone is actually one of the 'early China-only Motorola Linux' phones he mentions. Motorola Rokr E6. This phone could've preceded the whole linux smartphone market if only Moto had put in more effort into the software. There is still a very robust modder community out there that has created some great apps/hacks for this platform.
@NeoSeer Nicely done!
@Argot/Engadget
Who's Linus
@Contrail the Kid
linus torvalds is the guy who created the linux kernel.
That kernel is core piece of code that is inside any linux distribution.
Android has a linux kernel inside it.
@NeoSeer
Genius! :D
@NeoSeer
Yeah... except if he likes pinch and zoom so much, you have to wonder why he hasn't been using an iPhone for years already.
@NeoSeer
Uhh NeoSeer, I still had to root my HTC Hero to get WiFi Tether, and I'm assuming the same's true for any Android phone. But otherwise what you said is true.
@Jack
You really find it strange that the leader (in my opinion) of the free software world isn't seen rocking an iPhone?
Think about it.
Linus likes a phone? BLASPHEMY!
But seeing how this improves the ease of life rather than being an annoying ring in your ear constantly I understand.
Android ftw!
Btw, he prefers this over Maemo?
@Pyronick I thought it was odd that he's Finnish and he doesn't like phones. After all, Finland has more phones than people!
@Pyronick
Ya that question perplexes me. But when you think about it. he says that multitouch was the straw the broke the camels back.
So it looks like capacitive screen with multi touch pinch to zoom. was the determining factor. something that a maemo device will soon have. but its about today not later this year.
I am having trouble buying a new smart phone. my options are N900 or nexus one.
Some one please help. I need a gadget quick.
Ps: must make purchase in the next 3 days.
@Alexandertron
Update...... i ordered a N900 like any real man would. ^_^
You'd figure the N900 with a terminal and all would be his smart phone of choice. You know Python and that it doesn't run on a VM is closer to the real thing.
@Eternity Thank you! I'm so sick of Linux diehards completely forgetting about the N900. Nokia needs some advertising.
@Nerdtalker
Agreed... the N900 looks to be more open / promising and presumably, less invasive.
@Eternity He being finnish i would guess he knows all about N900.
He mentiones in the comments that 2 of his family members got N900. He also said that navigation was one of the most important things he was looking. Then he was right taking Nexus One even coming from a Maemo fan.
Like his comments show i don't actually think he is looking anything too special from a phone.
@Eternity Android has a terminal and you can run python, x windows, anything you want on it. There's even an Ubnutu variant that runs along side android so you can apt-get install anything you can think of.
@Pdexter Linus is so 1337 he needs a dumb phone. He finally caved in and got a nexus one, but I bet he always liked the challenge of hacking his regular cell phones.
@McPo is the terminal easily accessible as root like on the N900? Also I mean the software itself is not written in python.
@Eternity
From Linus's blog:
Linus said...
everybody: my dad got himself a N900, so there's one in the family. Don't worry about it, there's room for more than one Linux phone.
I like the Nexus One, maybe I'd like the N900 too. But I certainly don't like cellphones enough to have two.
February 7, 2010 8:01 PM
So since Torvalds Senior got one, Torvalds Junior had to suffice with an N1 :D
hey Linus,
If at&t ever decides to grace us with a nexusone, i'll be right there with you..
@elijahblake i second you!!
@elijahblake Why would you wish AT&T on such a beautiful phone?
@Dale P haha :D
@Dale P
I have had at&t for 6 years, with absolutely no problems.. I may have had a few dropped calls in that time. But in this area they have the best coverage and the best 3g service..
I know many people complain about their service, but I think it's only in certain locations..
I also notice a lot of the people that do complain have the iphone (my friends included).
@elijahblake +1
wow...... whats he think of the n900??
You'd think for someone like him, he'd get the Nexus One for free
After all, Nexus One is THE phone for nerds, just as the iPhone is THE phone for the masses
@TRLKOR
I think you have it wrong. The Nexus One/any Android phone/N900/Pre (minus Behold II abortion) is for power users who actually like using a touch screen phone for more than just one task at a time and are not tied in to a severely proprietary crippled, unitasking device. The iPhone is for the slowly stumbling, usually one track minded, sheep that seem to think that everything Jobs shits out is gold, just for the name.
Hmm, will that make GKH bring all the android drivers back to the staging tree?
I'm just sayin'..
http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/android-kernel-problems.html?seemore=y
@bergwitz
The problem with the Google power management drivers is it is a poor implementation and poorly maintained by Google. Yes Linux has something better in the kernel for power management so I am not surprised googles code got dropped.
gps navigation + pinch to zoom are all available for the iphone a long time ago
@k2001 get your iphone hoopl-a outta here!
@k2001
Linus 'probably' multitasks.
@k2001 FREE gps navigation?
@bazookafx3
And multitasking, MMS, SMS, free turn by turn, and open platforms have existed on every other phone. See, it goes both ways. :)
@k2001 3rd Party GPS services, like TomTom and others including some free ones where available on Android long before Apple finally started letting them into the App Store, but I'm guessing Linus is referring to Google Navigation.
I'm sure it's a fine phone. I must be waxing nostalgic because I'm getting just a little tired of candy bar phones. It seems that the only way one can get a smart phone is in some slab form. I actually like flip phones, but that an't gonna happen. No "smartness" to flip phones.