[Tfug] Hackable phone?

[Bexley Hall]

Hi, Steve,

--- On Wed, 2/18/09, Steve Franks <bahamasfranks at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Some creative googling has turned up a set of HTC products
> > (Dopod 8xx, Cingular 8125, etc.) that seem to fit the bill
> > (none of which appear to be offered for retail sale any
> > longer).  I'll have to see what else I can uncover...
> 
> Watch those HTC's - development on most of them stalls
> before anyone gets the phone part working.

<frown>

> I've a HTC apache / PPC6700 that is a
> total POS with windows on it (locks up weekly, sometimes
> daily).  You

That sure sounds like true-to-form for MS.  <frown>  I am
amazed at how 200+MHz processors take *seconds* to start
what appear to be *trivial* applications!  Sheesh!  What
are they doing, swapping to FLASH via a serial interface???

> might have better luck on a newer HTC, development usually
> stops when
> the next model comes out, and all the hackers move to it...

Does the phone (radio) hardware change, much, from model
to model?  E.g., is it realistic to think you can back-port
to an older model?

I think I'll try to find a few on eBay just to take them
apart and see how they are designed and constructed
(e.g., getting WiFi, BT and the rest of the wireless
stuff into the same box without the RF stages beating
against each other).  I figure they are probably not
designed to survive disassembly and reassembly (esp.
by someone without the secret handshake)...

A shame to see all this delightful hardware being
obsoleted so regularly.  :<  If nothing else, they
would be cute little "remote controls"...