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Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

theguardian.com

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Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#41

Post by loceng »

eterm wrote: post #30
MarcScott wrote: post #26

I get the impression (I am just speculating) that Canonical is running an enormous focus group. Whether they hit 32m or just 16m, they have evidence for the device manufacturers that there is a demand for a convergent and powerful phone running an open OS.

Surely missing the target would demonstrate a lack of demand? It's pretty hard to spin "We couldn't even get 30,000 contributers" asz success. Especially given the strong existing brand, the news coverage, etc.

$800 for a product that isn't created, nor guaranteed, isn't a small sum of money for most. Mass consumers pay around $400 on average for a phone.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#42

Post by loceng »

glesica wrote: post #11
zombio wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mark Shuttleworth said in his Reddit AMA that if the project was not successfully funded he would not close the gap. Are you suggesting he would let the project die, only to reintroduce it later? http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1j166z/hi_im_mark_shut...

I don't think anyone is suggesting that he would let it fail and then reintroduce it later. From what Canonical has said, if it fails, it fails. They specifically say in the video that they are not getting into the hardware business. This is a one-time thing. This is sort of Canonical's "Nexus" device, it isn't their primary strategy, just a demo.

One-time thing after putting all of the effort into manufacturing makes zero sense, and more likely a marketing strategy.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#43

Post by richardking »

MarcScott wrote: post #36
eterm wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely missing the target would demonstrate a lack of demand? It's pretty hard to spin "We couldn't even get 30,000 contributers" asz success. Especially given the strong existing brand, the news coverage, etc.

Again, I'm speculating but; hitting 16m at around 800 a phone equates to 20,000 phones. That's 20k potential sales of a phone that doesn't exist, using an OS that's still in development, to a tiny subset of individuals willing to engage in crowd sourcing. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. Imagine how well a carrier-subsidised version would do?

Not very easy to extrapolate from that, but Blackberry sold 2.7 million of their Z10 and that was considered a failure, so I don't think 20,000 phones will prove anything.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#44

Post by forgottenpaswrd »

Kequc wrote: post #35

Lets see I can buy an Android phone for $300 that runs an operating system that is state of the art and one of the world's largest tech giants is currently spending a billion dollars developing. Or I can buy a $800 phone for neckbeards that runs Ubuntu, an operating system that hasn't made headway in approximately a decade.

Lets see, you can use an OS that a single company has spent a billion dollars in order to control it, or you could use a real operating system that tens of companies(like IBM) had spent tens of billions of dollars developing.

The fact that you need to insult to get your point is not good man.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#45

Post by kmfrk »

zombio wrote: post #8
t0 wrote: post #2

I don't think they ever planned on hitting $32m. This was simply a way to gather information and see just how much interest there really is.

Mark Shuttleworth said in his Reddit AMA that if the project was not successfully funded he would not close the gap. Are you suggesting he would let the project die, only to reintroduce it later? http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1j166z/hi_im_mark_shut...

He would have to fork over something like 10% of the contribution to payment and Indiegogo fees. Probably a lot to spend, if he has to throw in a couple of millions.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#46

Post by chris_wot »

forgottenpaswrd wrote: post #44
Kequc wrote: post #35

Lets see I can buy an Android phone for $300 that runs an operating system that is state of the art and one of the world's largest tech giants is currently spending a billion dollars developing. Or I can buy a $800 phone for neckbeards that runs Ubuntu, an operating system that hasn't made headway in approximately a decade.

Lets see, you can use an OS that a single company has spent a billion dollars in order to control it, or you could use a real operating system that tens of companies(like IBM) had spent tens of billions of dollars developing. The fact that you need to insult to get your point is not good man.

I took neckbeard as a compliment.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#47

Post by alperakgun »

rogerbinns wrote: post #33

HN discussion from two days about the report directly, not an interpretation via the Guardian. The Guardian does have some updated data. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6132686 There are some good comments about the rewards like "the early adopter bonus shouldn't have been a cheaper phone it should have been a more expensive but exclusive colourway"

I am curious if 64GB instead of 128 would make a significant price difference.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#48

Post by phreeza »

rogerbinns wrote: post #33

HN discussion from two days about the report directly, not an interpretation via the Guardian. The Guardian does have some updated data. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6132686 There are some good comments about the rewards like "the early adopter bonus shouldn't have been a cheaper phone it should have been a more expensive but exclusive colourway"

This analysis is a lot better than the one linked to in that thread.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#49

Post by pavs »

snitko wrote: post #16

They should buy bitcoins on some money they raised: it will surely spark a new spike in price, but, hopefully, because they initiated it, they can later profit from people who follow the trend by buying and raising the price even more. That way, they can maybe reach $32m target and possibly even more.

Canonical doesn't actually see the money until the project is fully funded.

Re: Ubuntu Edge will miss $32M crowdfunding target

#50

Post by DannyBee »

kushagrawal wrote: post #4

If they don't hit the $32m, I'm pretty sure they have some deals with telecom giants lined up. This was probably an attempt to keep the ball in their own court

Which will fail if they can't convince a telecom they will sell 45k devices .....
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