A marketing angle

Stefan Schmidt stefan at datenfreihafen.org
Mon Nov 20 22:55:48 CET 2006


Hello.

On Mon, 2006-11-20 at 17:25, Ben F-W wrote:
> 
> Instead, I think I saw someone confirming that it will be 
> available globally, with FIC selling direct to the customer.

It's the same I heared.

> There seem to me to be three problems with uptake:
>    1) The market attracted by the current proposition is likely to be 
> quite small. Very dedicated, sure, but not massive.

It rumors that the Neo will also be able to run with WinCE. This gives
FIC a bigger market. Anyway linux smartphones with touchscreen are
very popular in asia.

Another point are companies ore even govermentswhich like to have a
customizable phones for their employees. It's another market as the
newest and hypest nokia ringtone+mp3+game cellphone, but it is a
market.

> Secondly, what's to stop another manufacturer from taking a GPL'd
> product and adapting it to work with their (closed) Linux-based
> phone? 

Nothing. It's exactly what FIC want.

> They'd already have the operator channel and the consumer brand,
> but wouldn't need to open up their mobiles in the same way FIC
> is doing.

Of course other comnpanies can handle this different to make it
harder for us, but they have to give us the modifications of the
GPL code. Ask the vendors which were in contact with
http://gpl-violations.org/

Another point you forgot here is that FIC have with OpenMoko a
platform for new devices with low engineering cost. Some new
hardware driver, a little bit GUI polish and that's it. No need to
complete redesign a phone every 6 months.

regards
Stefan Schmidt
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