Apple is going to beat all competitors

[Mikko Rauhala]

pe, 2007-09-07 kello 20:18 +0200, roby kirjoitti:
> In my opinion software can make the difference.. I think openmoko
> should go in the direction of providing things not possible in a
> closed phone..

Indeed.

Comparing to the iPhone is useless, and the Neo will not be in direct
competition with it for a while yet at least. Hell, it wouldn't be the
anti-iPhone if it was taking iPhone head on on iPhone's terms. It would
be just another iPhone.

The way I see it, the Neo will almost certainly be a niche product at
first, so woeing about "oh no, it's less expensive now to sell your
freedom to Apple (still with a 2 year contract on your soul unless you
hack it), so the Neo will only be a niche product" fails to impress me.
That's where you start. That's where Linux started. A niche. But that's
a niche that can actively make it a better product, potentially rather
quickly too.

Hell, a simple app for encrypted voice calls over GSM data will
instantly make it the cheapest, most transparent secure cellular, adding
it on the top of the shopping list of another niche. I'm sure there are
other killer features that add a niche at a time. And those add up.

The iPhone is laughably limited on the software side, and what's worse,
intentionally. Functionally besting it in most software categories isn't
too difficult. (The GPS is another advantage, though it's unfortunate
about the most useful maps not being freely available. Still, there's
stuff to do with that.)

And when there's a functional upper hand, with no arbitrary limits or
costs for trivial services, then it's time for the big push to ordinary
people. (Not that one shouldn't do some pushing before that, either.)

Who me? Certainly not with OpenMoko or FIC.

-- 
Mikko Rauhala   - mjr at iki.fi     - <URL:http://www.iki.fi/mjr/>
Transhumanist   - WTA member     - <URL:http://www.transhumanism.org/>
Singularitarian - SIAI supporter - <URL:http://www.singinst.org/>