Apple is going to beat all competitors

[Steve]

ian douglas wrote:
> Andreas Utterberg wrote:
>> Better to get it out now with more bugs, then later with less bugs.
> I disagree: having *any* noticeable bugs in a release product will bring
> a lot of criticism. Having "more bugs" just to get a release out the
> door will generate a lot of bad press about the efforts put in by
> everyone on the team, and will discourage a lot of people from trying
> the Neo.
[...]

This is a good point.  Let me make a suggestion, don't delay the October
hardware, but don't call it GTA02 either.  That has already been
associated with the phrase "Mass Market Release."  I propose releasing
the hardware when it's ready as another dev model (maybe GTA01C) then
rebrand it to GTA02 when it is shipping with bug free firmware.  Even if
the hardware hasn't changed.

To the end user, the phone is a unit and encompasses the hardware and
software.  With this proposal, you get more phones into the hands of
developers who will help fix up the software faster for a truly end user
release.  While, at the same time, keeping the press and bad word of
mouth at bay since it's still a developer release.  I have a feeling
some devs are going to be handing the phone off to end users to try and
get feedback, so figuring out when its ready shouldn't be too hard.

This is just a suggestion, as I believe that it may increase the total
uptake at the expense of some initial sales.  I envision general
interest when it works as a phone with more to follow as interesting
applications are released.

Getting the phone out before the market is flooded with touchscreen
phones is a good idea, but not putting out a buggy product may outweigh
it. (At least for a little while)

***I don't have a Neo, so I can't say if the software is ready or not
yet.  This opinion is based on the impression I get from this list.***

-Steve