Apple came down on the side of a closed architecture for the iPhone, and that could open the door for a new breed of open architecture Linux phones, according too Tom Yager at InfoWorld on Wednesday.

The Linux crowd has been craving an open Linux-based mobile phone ever since Sharp killed the Zaurus. At LinuxWorld 2007, attendees were looking favorably on Apple’s closed architecture decision as an opportunity for them. "The whole exhibit floor had the feel of a mining town that was just getting its footing," Mr. Yager wrote.

Motorola is toying with the idea and demonstrated Eclipse development tools at the Expo, but can’t seem to make a decision one way or the other. Palm, on the other hand, is where the Linux action is, according to Mr. Yager. In addition, a company called Openmoko has shown a US$300 open source phone called "Neo" that Mr. Yager described as "gorgeous." It has sold out.

The whole issue is based on whether an open source Linux phone, a highly coveted playtoy for hackers, can be successful as a mass market product. Certainly the pace of development and interaction with the vendor could, in principle, outgrow the iPhone, but there are dangers that the manufacturer won’t be able to control the messaging and the product profile. Everyone in the Linux community is eager to try, but Motorola is hesitant and Palm is desperate. In any case, opportunity is knocking.