Reactions From Other People to News of OpenMoko

Bryan Fink bryan.fink at gmail.com
Thu Jan 25 17:54:56 CET 2007


On 1/25/07, Peter A Trotter <peter.trotter at gmail.com> wrote:
> I reckon I'll get a few developer converts for the phone if not to a desktop
> flavour of linux.

That's actually something I'm anxious to see.  Given that it's
non-trivial to buy a computer (in the U.S.) with linux pre-loaded, and
that people are generally leery of abandoning their current OS, and
that mobile phones have a larger market and higher penetration than
desktop computers - it will be interesting to see how the name "Linux"
moves through the public consciousness.

Will people be impressed by their cellphone interface, and pleasantly
surprised that they can find something by the same name for their
desktop computer?

I fully expect their to be no such effect on the greater linux
community - there's been no such effect, that I can tell, from things
like Linksys's networking products or other linux phones - but it is
fun to speculate.  :)

> From what you've said I think it would be fair to predict a uniform
> indifference to the phone from non developers since they are already
> bombarded daily by a deluge of new must have handsets. Once we reach general
> availability and hopefully have a few more fun apps put together I think
> that plenty more people can be swayed.

Agreed.  I think we, as developers and early adopters, will have to
have patience and be persistent to see the OpenMoko market grow.  It's
impossible for OpenMoko to go head-to-head with Nokia/Motorolla's
advertising, but solid "underground" community support could easily
produce a strong following that would grow naturally on its own.

Alas, I'm no marketing expert, and certainly not privy to Scott &
co.'s plans.  So, like everyone else here, I'm just excited and ready
jump in and see what happens.

-Bryan




More information about the community mailing list