12 ms·

Unboxing and setting up the Firefox OS ZTE

94 points by Danieru 13y ago

pekk 13y ago
More computers aimed solely at content consumers, neutered only to run web browsers, with their own NIH development environments tied down to specific languages.
- camus2 13y ago
  > More computers aimed solely at content consumers, neutered only to run web browsers, with their own NIH development environments tied down to specific languages. What are you talking about ? Firefox os made a choice i wish them good luck. If you are talking about phone oses is general Android is hackable,it's not just aimed at content consumers. As for specific languages you can code in java ,c/c++,python,... or javascript with android. you are not tied to anything.
- graue 13y ago
  That couldn't be a less accurate description of Firefox OS. aimed solely at content consumers: No. FxOS phones can't do as much as a Nexus 4 or iPhone, but they aren't meant to compete with those. Mozilla's targeting emerging markets where most people don't have smartphones or maybe even computers at all. At $80 unsubsidized, the ZTE Open is approaching feature-phone price and it can do a lot more than a feature phone (and will do more still once FxOS matures). neutered only to run web browsers: It has full-fledged apps. Using web technology under the hood isn't the same as running in a browser. NIH development environments: You can't get much less NIH than adopting the web itself, which everyone already uses and develops for, as your platform. If you look in the Firefox Marketplace, many of the apps you see now are web apps, written without FxOS in mind at all, with maybe 15-45 minutes of effort to package them for the marketplace. tied down to specific languages: There are hundreds of languages that compile to JavaScript[1], and some, like ClojureScript, are already seeing real-world use in commercial apps[2]. With Emscripten, you can use any language that compiles to native. There are performance and debugging challenges but they're getting addressed with efforts like Asm.js and source maps. In 2013 you don't have to write JavaScript to use the web as a platform. 1. https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-languages-that-compile-to-JS https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-lang... 2. http://keminglabs.com/blog/angular-cljs-weather-app/ http://keminglabs.com/blog/angular-cljs-weather-app/
InTheSwiss 13y ago
I am really tempted to buy one of these but I am currently torn between this and a cheap android phone. I find myself using the "smart" features on my phone less and less mainly due to the fact I have been trying to lessen my addiction to technology and being "always connected". Ideally I would like to spend around £100. I have also been looking at the Lumia 520 but I am not too keen on Windows Phone. All I really need it for is a basic browser (I don't do much browsing on my phone), mp3 player and maps. Everything else I can live without. Firefox OS does all I need it is just the reviews of the hardware on the ZTE Open are pretty poor. Suggestions welcome :)
- makmanalp 13y ago
  I'm also between a cheap android and this. Anyone know of any few-year-old phones that'll run 4.1? $200-250 is around what I'm hoping to pay. EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm a tad sketched out by the no-name chinese copies. They look good, but you have to wonder whether they go through decent QA processes and have to comply with the same safety laws as phones sold in the US.
  - tinco 13y ago
    I bought a ZTE v970 for 130 euro on pandawill. It's fast, good size and runs the latest android. You'll find loads more Chinese phones if you research well :)
  - isnotchicago 13y ago
    You should look at the HTC First. It is discontinued, but runs 4.1, has good specs, and is available on eBay for $150-$200.
  - jsight 13y ago
    T989 - Either an international variant, or a T-Mobile one that has been unlocked. 4.1 is readily available, and I think he used ones are ~200. Or you could find a Nexus 4 used. I bet some of those are in your price range. Neither has LTE, though, not sure if that is a requirement for you.
  - turshija 13y ago
natural219 13y ago
This article is amazing, the way I interpreted it. Going through each screen, I kept thinking to myself, "oh boy, here's another FxOS hater who just doesn't get it". Then, at the end, the catharsis: "To be honest I think the box achieves the goal. I do not expect FxOS to be complete. I expect it to have room for improvement and to be welcoming of my contributions. That is what FxOS needs right now, the luxury boxes can come later." Amen. Well-written, and I hope you enjoy your new FxOS :)
- wahsd 13y ago
  I just wish Firefox OS would focus on constructing a system that counters all the other devices that are essentially nothing more than tracking devices for corporations and governments....to a degree that negates anything that any other society has had to deal with in the past. You think {pick your favorite flavor of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, or monarchy} was bad? At least in the past you had a slight chance to move around anonymously. Today it is impossible without an organized network of people willing to risk their lives and livelihood. For all intents and purposes it is impossible to move anonymously anymore, and even if you want to make the case that it is still possible....it will not in short order.
  - andor 13y ago
    It's pretty hard to get rid of tracking completely: * You probably want to use a mobile network (like GSM) for phone calls and data. As long as you're booked into the network, the carrier knows (approximately) where you are. * If you use Wifi, you can be tracked by your MAC address To just reduce the amount of tracking by companies (not governments) a little bit, it would help to use distributed services like XMPP instead of Whatsapp and Facebook. Then you could choose service providers that you trust, or host your own server, and still have interoperability with other people. Because businesses like lock-in, this will probably not happen for the majority of people.
    - chimeracoder 13y ago
      > * If you use Wifi, you can be tracked by your MAC address There is a startup that does exactly this - track MAC addresses of cell phones in stores, and then resell that data to store owners, so they can track who comes into their stores: http://www.getnomi.com/ http://www.getnomi.com/
stuaxo 13y ago
I use it as my main phone, it has a little way to go (to be expected). [EDIT] - it is stonkingly cheap, and is amazing for the price.
- gcb0 13y ago
  in your opinion, how are maps? and text input?
  - OWaz 13y ago
    I was using the ZTE for a month as my main phone. I got the T-Mobile $30/month Walmart plan and kept my iPhone 4 with me. Text input was okay as long as I pressed the buttons a little slower than what I'm used to on an iPhone 4. I think spell check was not yet available - or I didn't notice to turn it on so I had to spell perfectly. The map app would give me incorrect data (store/restaurant locations for Tucson Arizona) and it became annoying enough that I just relied on my iPhone for map stuff. In some rare occasions I couldn't get the phone to dial a number and that required a hard reset. Sometimes I couldn't get it to answer a call. I would press the button to answer but the phone wouldn't respond. I don't know if that's the OS problem or the ZTE not responding correctly to input. When viewing a missed call I would see the phone number appear first and then the name of the contact replace the number. As if it takes a fraction of a second for it to match the number to the name. It did that every time and I didn't add that many contacts to my phone. FYI I haven't updated to the most recent Firefox OS release so some of those issues might have been fixed.
  - stuaxo 13y ago
    Text input is better in horizontal orientation. You have to turn on suggestions too.. Lack of cut and paste is frustrating. Text input is not as slick as other phones.. Maps are not super good to use. .. I tend not to write much text on it, as its a lot more effort. Browsing is mostly good though a lot of sites will overload it.
mihok 13y ago
Does anyone know of distributors for either of the Firefox OS's in Canada, been googling to no avail.
- dobbsbob 13y ago
  I bought mine off ebay, there is no duty on smartphones just 5% GST
joshmn 13y ago
Call me crazy, but I see a lot of inspiration from WebOS in FxOS. As someone who went back to their Palm Pre 6 times between July of 2009 (when I first got the device) and August of 2011, I love this. Now I just wish that Palm and Sprint would have put more into the hardware for the builds.
barwell 13y ago
I was going to purchase this phone but apparently we have to rely on the kindness of ZTE if we're to get OS updates, or go through a complicated process much like it is for Android. This is massively disappointing for a supposedly 'open' phone and has put me off entirely. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/967817 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/967817 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.b2g/q20PteboREo https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.b2g/q20P... Is is really as bad as it seems?

94 points by Danieru 13y ago

pekk 13y ago

More computers aimed solely at content consumers, neutered only to run web browsers, with their own NIH development environments tied down to specific languages.

camus2 13y ago
> More computers aimed solely at content consumers, neutered only to run web browsers, with their own NIH development environments tied down to specific languages. What are you talking about ? Firefox os made a choice i wish them good luck. If you are talking about phone oses is general Android is hackable,it's not just aimed at content consumers. As for specific languages you can code in java ,c/c++,python,... or javascript with android. you are not tied to anything.
graue 13y ago
That couldn't be a less accurate description of Firefox OS. aimed solely at content consumers: No. FxOS phones can't do as much as a Nexus 4 or iPhone, but they aren't meant to compete with those. Mozilla's targeting emerging markets where most people don't have smartphones or maybe even computers at all. At $80 unsubsidized, the ZTE Open is approaching feature-phone price and it can do a lot more than a feature phone (and will do more still once FxOS matures). neutered only to run web browsers: It has full-fledged apps. Using web technology under the hood isn't the same as running in a browser. NIH development environments: You can't get much less NIH than adopting the web itself, which everyone already uses and develops for, as your platform. If you look in the Firefox Marketplace, many of the apps you see now are web apps, written without FxOS in mind at all, with maybe 15-45 minutes of effort to package them for the marketplace. tied down to specific languages: There are hundreds of languages that compile to JavaScript[1], and some, like ClojureScript, are already seeing real-world use in commercial apps[2]. With Emscripten, you can use any language that compiles to native. There are performance and debugging challenges but they're getting addressed with efforts like Asm.js and source maps. In 2013 you don't have to write JavaScript to use the web as a platform. 1. https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-languages-that-compile-to-JS https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-lang... 2. http://keminglabs.com/blog/angular-cljs-weather-app/ http://keminglabs.com/blog/angular-cljs-weather-app/

InTheSwiss 13y ago

I am really tempted to buy one of these but I am currently torn between this and a cheap android phone. I find myself using the "smart" features on my phone less and less mainly due to the fact I have been trying to lessen my addiction to technology and being "always connected". Ideally I would like to spend around £100. I have also been looking at the Lumia 520 but I am not too keen on Windows Phone. All I really need it for is a basic browser (I don't do much browsing on my phone), mp3 player and maps. Everything else I can live without. Firefox OS does all I need it is just the reviews of the hardware on the ZTE Open are pretty poor. Suggestions welcome :)

makmanalp 13y ago
I'm also between a cheap android and this. Anyone know of any few-year-old phones that'll run 4.1? $200-250 is around what I'm hoping to pay. EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm a tad sketched out by the no-name chinese copies. They look good, but you have to wonder whether they go through decent QA processes and have to comply with the same safety laws as phones sold in the US.
- tinco 13y ago
  I bought a ZTE v970 for 130 euro on pandawill. It's fast, good size and runs the latest android. You'll find loads more Chinese phones if you research well :)
- isnotchicago 13y ago
  You should look at the HTC First. It is discontinued, but runs 4.1, has good specs, and is available on eBay for $150-$200.
- jsight 13y ago
  T989 - Either an international variant, or a T-Mobile one that has been unlocked. 4.1 is readily available, and I think he used ones are ~200. Or you could find a Nexus 4 used. I bet some of those are in your price range. Neither has LTE, though, not sure if that is a requirement for you.
- turshija 13y ago

natural219 13y ago

This article is amazing, the way I interpreted it. Going through each screen, I kept thinking to myself, "oh boy, here's another FxOS hater who just doesn't get it". Then, at the end, the catharsis: "To be honest I think the box achieves the goal. I do not expect FxOS to be complete. I expect it to have room for improvement and to be welcoming of my contributions. That is what FxOS needs right now, the luxury boxes can come later." Amen. Well-written, and I hope you enjoy your new FxOS :)

wahsd 13y ago
I just wish Firefox OS would focus on constructing a system that counters all the other devices that are essentially nothing more than tracking devices for corporations and governments....to a degree that negates anything that any other society has had to deal with in the past. You think {pick your favorite flavor of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, or monarchy} was bad? At least in the past you had a slight chance to move around anonymously. Today it is impossible without an organized network of people willing to risk their lives and livelihood. For all intents and purposes it is impossible to move anonymously anymore, and even if you want to make the case that it is still possible....it will not in short order.
- andor 13y ago
  It's pretty hard to get rid of tracking completely: * You probably want to use a mobile network (like GSM) for phone calls and data. As long as you're booked into the network, the carrier knows (approximately) where you are. * If you use Wifi, you can be tracked by your MAC address To just reduce the amount of tracking by companies (not governments) a little bit, it would help to use distributed services like XMPP instead of Whatsapp and Facebook. Then you could choose service providers that you trust, or host your own server, and still have interoperability with other people. Because businesses like lock-in, this will probably not happen for the majority of people.
  - chimeracoder 13y ago
    > * If you use Wifi, you can be tracked by your MAC address There is a startup that does exactly this - track MAC addresses of cell phones in stores, and then resell that data to store owners, so they can track who comes into their stores: http://www.getnomi.com/ http://www.getnomi.com/

stuaxo 13y ago

I use it as my main phone, it has a little way to go (to be expected). [EDIT] - it is stonkingly cheap, and is amazing for the price.

gcb0 13y ago
in your opinion, how are maps? and text input?
- OWaz 13y ago
  I was using the ZTE for a month as my main phone. I got the T-Mobile $30/month Walmart plan and kept my iPhone 4 with me. Text input was okay as long as I pressed the buttons a little slower than what I'm used to on an iPhone 4. I think spell check was not yet available - or I didn't notice to turn it on so I had to spell perfectly. The map app would give me incorrect data (store/restaurant locations for Tucson Arizona) and it became annoying enough that I just relied on my iPhone for map stuff. In some rare occasions I couldn't get the phone to dial a number and that required a hard reset. Sometimes I couldn't get it to answer a call. I would press the button to answer but the phone wouldn't respond. I don't know if that's the OS problem or the ZTE not responding correctly to input. When viewing a missed call I would see the phone number appear first and then the name of the contact replace the number. As if it takes a fraction of a second for it to match the number to the name. It did that every time and I didn't add that many contacts to my phone. FYI I haven't updated to the most recent Firefox OS release so some of those issues might have been fixed.
- stuaxo 13y ago
  Text input is better in horizontal orientation. You have to turn on suggestions too.. Lack of cut and paste is frustrating. Text input is not as slick as other phones.. Maps are not super good to use. .. I tend not to write much text on it, as its a lot more effort. Browsing is mostly good though a lot of sites will overload it.

mihok 13y ago

Does anyone know of distributors for either of the Firefox OS's in Canada, been googling to no avail.

dobbsbob 13y ago
I bought mine off ebay, there is no duty on smartphones just 5% GST

joshmn 13y ago

Call me crazy, but I see a lot of inspiration from WebOS in FxOS. As someone who went back to their Palm Pre 6 times between July of 2009 (when I first got the device) and August of 2011, I love this. Now I just wish that Palm and Sprint would have put more into the hardware for the builds.

barwell 13y ago

I was going to purchase this phone but apparently we have to rely on the kindness of ZTE if we're to get OS updates, or go through a complicated process much like it is for Android. This is massively disappointing for a supposedly 'open' phone and has put me off entirely. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/967817 https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/967817 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.b2g/q20PteboREo https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/mozilla.dev.b2g/q20P... Is is really as bad as it seems?