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Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

zdnet.com

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Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#31

Post by pajju »

I don't like the way there are going with Network operators. Depending on a network operator is adding bloatware and less control, more fragmentation and hardware innovation.

Rather, How about they start a fund raising campaign or a Kickstarter - use a crowd-funding platform?

I will love to pay them.

Just to add: I'm mind blown after I switched to Ubuntu a year back. They already have numerous fans like me and Professional users, enterprises who trust them now, even the Server editions.

I would love to see Ubuntu grow independently! Go Ubuntu go, raise money, grow fast.

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#32

Post by dragonwriter »

binarycrusader wrote: post #29
dragonwriter wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Apple can't do without a native SDK and Google can't, I don't know why Mozilla thinks it can. Apple is a for-profit corporation that makes money off its market for native apps. Google is a for-profit corporation that makes money off its market for native apps. Mozilla is a non-profit organization whose mission to advance the open web. Different goals, different requirements.

The need for a native SDK is not going to magically go away just because Mozilla is a non-profit organisation. There are real, quantifiable, technical reasons for having a native SDK that I personally believe are not going to be resolvable in the next 2-3 years, even with asm.js and all the other great things Mozilla is doing to advance the web. I'm fine with Mozilla wanting to advance the web; but not at the cost of…

> The need for a native SDK is not going to magically go away just because Mozilla is a non-profit organisation.

Well, no. Its not going to "go away", its not going to exist in the first place.

> There are real, quantifiable, technical reasons for having a native SDK

Sure, there are reasons for having one, they just happen to be reasons that are irrelevant to Mozilla's purpose.

> I'm fine with Mozilla wanting to advance the web; but not at the cost of precluding the possibility of applications that need native SDKs.

Sure, and that's why you might need a native SDK, not why Mozilla needs one.

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#33

Post by [deleted] »

u2328 wrote: post #30

I'm bored by Ubuntu, much less the promise of a Ubuntu smartphone. I thought the appeal of Ubuntu was that it was a freedom-respecting but user-friendly alternative to Windows and Mac. Turn out, their Unity interface ships your desktop search results off to Amazon and tried to sell you something when searching for a program or a file on your system. So, for a Ubuntu phone, at least on the privacy/respect front, it's…

[deleted]

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#34

Post by pilgrim689 »

u2328 wrote: post #30

I'm bored by Ubuntu, much less the promise of a Ubuntu smartphone. I thought the appeal of Ubuntu was that it was a freedom-respecting but user-friendly alternative to Windows and Mac. Turn out, their Unity interface ships your desktop search results off to Amazon and tried to sell you something when searching for a program or a file on your system. So, for a Ubuntu phone, at least on the privacy/respect front, it's…

I think its killer feature is how it's an all-in-one OS. In you pocket, it's a smartphone; docked, it's a complete linux desktop environment.

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#35

Post by jlgreco »

[deleted] wrote: post #33
u2328 wrote: post #30

I'm bored by Ubuntu, much less the promise of a Ubuntu smartphone. I thought the appeal of Ubuntu was that it was a freedom-respecting but user-friendly alternative to Windows and Mac. Turn out, their Unity interface ships your desktop search results off to Amazon and tried to sell you something when searching for a program or a file on your system. So, for a Ubuntu phone, at least on the privacy/respect front, it's…

[deleted]

He's not embracing google because he thinks they don't also make money from advertising. He is "embracing" them because although they also use advertising, they at least have a superior product.

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#38

Post by snogglethorpe »

dave1010uk wrote: post #22

It seems a shame that the backing of a network operator is still required to successfully sell a hardware device in this day and age (especially in the US). It's like only being able to buy a Thinkpad if your broadband supplier will sell you one. I look forward to the day when most phones are not tied into contracts, but I think I may be waiting a long time.

My carrier doesn't subsidize phones, rather they will simply finance your purchase of a phone that you pay back in monthly chunks along with your phone contract (so when your phone is paid off, your monthly bills drop).

So even for people that don't want to pay a lump-sum for a phone, you can imagine that it would be possible to just split those two businesses into "carrier" and "phone purchase financer."

However, presumably in that case the latter would have to charge higher finance fees than a carrier with integrated financing, because they'd be assuming the risk of financing without the extra profit that comes from the monthly phone contract.

So since the integration of the two allows lower fees, and people lovvvvve lower fees, well... the integration of carriers and phone financing isn't very surprising...

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#39

Post by Pxtl »

mtgx wrote: post #12
freehunter wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't Ubuntu Touch and FirefoxOS be competing in the race for 5th place? Windows Phone has third place locked up, and Blackberry is a very strong 4th place right behind them.

I doubt WP8 has 3rd place locked up. It's 3rd place, but it's a lot closer to 4th,5th, etc, than it is to iOS and Android. Blackberry and "strong place" don't match.

WP8 has Nokia's entire product line running it. Nokia ain't what they used to be, but the brand still has fans and they make a lot of phones.

Re: Verizon backs Ubuntu smartphone

#40

Post by zanny »

ealexhudson wrote: post #3

They've announced a number of companies to join their CAG. What is missing so far is any firm commitment that anyone is going to release one of these devices; without stuff likely to ship I don't see much likelihood of app developers doing anything on this platform.

It's all html5 and qml apps, so you are already writing those for other platforms. If Ubuntu Phone sees even mediocre success, app developers can spend a weekend porting their thing.
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