A marketing angle

[Ben F-W]

Gabriel Ambuehl wrote:
>> OpenMoko will have enough power to become a plattform for endusers as
>> well. And then it could be sold like a PDA, a Linux distribution, or
>> any other PC.
>>     
> Yes. But it might be better, for the beginning anyway, NOT to market it as 
> a "phone". People want their phones to ALWAYS work and ensuring that could be 
> really though with a moving platform. And if ever got somewhat less stable 
> the idea is ruined for those end users affected by it.
>   
Interesting, Gabriel: I hadn't thought of that. In the same way,
Blackberry started off as an email device, and in most people's minds
that's all it is. As an email device, it's allowed to be a bit more
complicated and to require more of an effort to learn, because people
aren't mentally comparing it with the phone in their pocket. So perhaps
you're right: maybe the OpenMoko should enter the market as an entirely
new product category (some strong application of the GPS capability
seems appropriate), with the phone capability de-emphasised. In time, of
course, the phone capability could be played up more - and Blackberry is
indeed moving towards emphasising more normal phone functions.

That would certainly help to counter the point I make to Robert in this
thread.

Ben