How to bring forward the community?

arne anka openmoko at ginguppin.de
Wed Feb 29 20:33:06 CET 2012


> So the question is, with whom we (this community) are competing?
>
> E.g.
> * QtMoko & SHR vs. Android & iOS & Win Mobile etc.!
> * GTA04's flexibility and hw-modifiability vs. any commercial device!
> * the art of self modifiable 3D-printed case vs. take what you get!

imo, android _is_ the main opponent.
let's face it, "openmoko" has left its mark in the archives and everything  
in it's wake will inevitably evoke those reminiscences, thus linking any  
further effort to the "geek phone" (and as we all know, it's not entirely  
unjustified).
i am convinced that people readile buying symbian, baida or windows phones  
do not even remotely consider purchasing a GTAxx -- the user base GTAxx  
are targeting to a large extend intersects with those buying an android  
phone intending to jailbreak it (or whatever the right term may be, i am  
not familiar with the scene's vernacular ;-)
those are people somewhat prepared to take a risk with their phone and to  
invest time to make it fit their demands.

taking myself as an example, i currently own an n900 and without any  
intention of replacing it in a near future, look around for devices  
qualifying -- and any possible device runs android, just because it is  
closest to being "open".

i am not that much satisfied with maemo's openess, but it's still better  
than anything i've seem from android so far, and android's openess is much  
better tahn anything else on today's amrtphone market.

despite supporting the open hardware idea and cherishing its ideals, i  
don't think the vast majority of potential GTAxx customers value it so  
high as to let it tip the scales in favour of GTAxx -- so for anyone not  
just looking for a truly open device, GTAxx can't really compete with  
today's middle class devices (apple, samsung), or rather, GTAxx shouldn't  
be pitched against those devices, but rather see itslef as a class of its  
own.

so, to conclude and repeat, software-wise android is the main opponent --  
hardware-wise it's better to see GTAxx as class of it's own w/o real  
competitor.

if GTAxx runs android, it will be just another android smartphone, albeit  
with the advantage of faster updates and longer support, since you're not  
forced to wait for the vendor to release newer firmware or even to decide,  
if that device should recieve updates at all anymore.

supporting fsfe's "replicant os" initiative might be interesting, but  
besides other questions, i fear it will peter out soon without noticeable  
effect ...

cheers

ps: maybe my english is too limited, but "self modifiable 3D-printed case"  
sounds like it would modify itself, morphing into ... odd shapes ;-)

-- 
"Schon vor dem Come-Back von Modern Talking wusste ich:
Dieter Bohlen ist der Preis der Freiheit."
                                                    Heinz Rudolf Kunze



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