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I'm gathering that the handset makers and carriers and VCs laughed them out of the office, so they had to go this route. I would have expected to read somethin
by RockyMcNuts 13y ago
I'm gathering that the handset makers and carriers and VCs laughed them out of the office, so they had to go this route.
I would have expected to read something like, the phone is an enhanced version of x/y/z with these features, we got a great deal from (manufacturer), but we need 50,000 pre-orders to proceed.
- shmerl 13y agoI guess they just didn't find investors. Jolla managed to do it because they have expertise and accumulated knowledge in the field. Canonical don't have that.
- Apocryphon 13y agoAny idea how Firefox OS was able to do it? Maybe because Mozilla is more established as a corporation in addition to being a nonprofit?
- shmerl 13y agoI didn't follow Mozilla closely on this, but I'm not sure if they design their own hardware. As far as I know they are using existing one from partners (correct me if I'm wrong). I.e. they took a few shortcuts to make things easier for them.
- slgeorge 13y agoWrong guess I'm afraid. We (Canonical) haven't announced any hardware or network partners for a general market launch. Ubuntu Edge isn't aimed at the mass market. It's a special limited edition hardware platform which accelerates lots of interesting hardware technology combined with the Ubuntu phone. So it's designed for developers or technology enthusiasts who really value cutting edge innovation.
- shmerl 13y agoThen it's not so surprising, that going with extra high end non common device before releasing one available for common users didn't attract investors. It looks very risky. Canonical had to start with practical and common device, before going into super experimental one. And with resources from the first, go for more experiments.
- rlpb 13y ago> I'm gathering that the handset makers and carriers and VCs laughed them out of the office, so they had to go this route. From the FAQ: "If we don’t reach our target then we will focus only on commercially available handsets and there will not be an Ubuntu Edge." I don't think this supports your assumption.
- RockyMcNuts 13y agoI think it means they'll do Cyanogenmod style distribution instead of partnering with a handset maker/carrier.
- socceroos 13y agoI think you need to watch the video. It definitely sounds like they've had talks with manufacturers and been heavily criticized for believing that the industry is ready for this kind of convergent device. As Mark said, manufacturers need proof of this proposition. It sounds to me like Mark has said, "Fine then, we'll go to our fans with the ideal device and see if the market responds. If they do, we're right and you can help us make these. If they don't, we're wrong and you can help us make more realistic devices."
- RockyMcNuts 13y agoSounds like another way of saying what I did, no? I hope it works and it's awesome. Just can't help thinking the pitch is a little half-assed, for an Ubuntu. The crowdfunding model is for little guys who are doing amazing things and can't get investment and distribution. It's a sign of weakness when an established player can't get those things. Ubuntu was featured by Dell but isn't anymore. Meanwhile Chromebook seems to have found a niche. You have to keep the users and OEMs on board and execute the stuff that's in your wheelhouse.
- rwallace 13y agoIn fairness, on the scale of phone vendors, Canonical is a little guy, not an established player.
- achiang 13y agoUbuntu Edge is orthogonal to existing commercial discussions with OEMs and operators. It's a premier, demonstration platform, not a mass market device.
- RockyMcNuts 13y agooh, it's orthogonal. so it's got that going for it, which is nice.