7 ms·

Ubuntu Phone Will Be A Big Success, Even If It Never Happens

83 points by madmaze 13y ago

auganov 13y ago
tl;dr Some reputational gain [for Canonical] is guaranteed. Bloomberg will portray itself as a "forward-thinking company" and is actually better off not getting the 100 phones. "To a significant degree, this episode has already succeeded in being disruptive, in proving that smaller players have new ways of tackling the status quo, and in acting as a very direct and powerful piece of market research for Canonical. " Didn't enjoy the article. Basically wraps the actual argument in 1000 words to make it seem smarter.
- iamnotbatman 13y ago
  TL;DR: Got butthurt over a competitor getting free publicity, resorted to bashing them.
sputknick 13y ago
Can someone explain to me why this has to be a hardware project? Why can't they just make this an OS project and load it on whatever high end phone exists in 2014? Hardware falls outside of Canonical's core competency, and as such seems like an inconvenience.
- Mikeb85 13y ago
  It's hard enough installing Ubuntu onto a normal computer (well, not really, but for the masses it is), installing a new OS onto a smartphone is much more difficult. I agree that they don't really need this phone, rather they should try putting out a 300-400 phone, along the line of the Nexus, that carriers can offer for 0-99 dollars on contract.
  - gizmo686 13y ago
    Using existing hardware does not mean making the end user do the install.
  - zanny 13y ago
    It is easier than installing Windows (partition layouts in the Ubuntu live cd are much nicer than what Windows provides). You can also get a machine with Ubuntu pre-installed and supported, see system76. They will have commodity Ubuntu Touch devices next year. They won't be powerful enough to take advantage of the convergence features Canonical wants to push, this device will. Carrier devices will also be horribly crippled by vendor bloatware to an even worse extent than Android because Canonical is literally selling the soul of its OS for potential market share. You can already put Ubuntu Touch on a Nexus 4, and I bet next years Nexus Tier will see an Ubuntu Phone version as well. No problem there, nothing to do with this crowdfunding campaign. This is all about making a phone with extremely high end hardware and storage to act as a desktop replacement, period.
- lukifer 13y ago
  I've been pretty unimpressed with the build quality and general aesthetic of the majority of Android smartphones. (I'm not anticipating Ubuntu on iPhone will ever be a viable option.) The Edge looks good, and (hopefully) will feel good in hand. The buttonless interface is also significant: every other phone has physical and/or touch buttons below, which would be superfluous. Ubuntu phones are meant to be oriented around edge swipes as virtual "buttons", with the few actual buttons being only on the top and sides. The project is most certainly a gamble, both for buyers and Canonical. But I think it's a worthwhile one for both parties. Note that their goal is to release a new "concept phone" once per year; they clearly want to turn mobile hardware into a core competency, even if they're bound to have a hard time keeping up with Samsung and Apple.
  - eterm 13y ago
    Touch volume buttons are very very useful, the ability to control volume just by feel is something that should not be dismissed for the sake of a misguided minimalism. A physical "home" button is also useful for when a phone starts to hang/go slow. If pressing the physical button has no effect then you press the physical on/off button, if that has no effect you power cycle the phone. If those first steps are software interrupts you cannot trust them when software starts to hang, so the only satisfactory option is to powercycle, which is less useful than being able to just get back to a home screen where the phone can better recover from whatever was causing the hanging.
    - lukifer 13y ago
      The Edge has physical volume buttons on the side. We'll see if the lack of a Home button ends up affecting the UX or not; it depends on the responsiveness and resiliency of the OS.
  - kayoone 13y ago
    They are getting better though. HTC One, Moto X, Xperia Z all are very well built and on par with the iphone. I love the aesthetics of my HTC One and many people i show it too (including iphone users) think the same.
- rlpb 13y ago
  > Why can't they just make this an OS project... It is already an OS project, and is happening regardless of the Ubuntu Edge fundraising initiative. Images are available for various hardware, including the Nexus 4 for example. (But it's still a very early preview, not for production use.) > Can someone explain to me why this has to be a hardware project? Mark Shuttleworth explains the reason for the Ubuntu Edge initiative in the video on the main fundraising page. My interpretation: the high end phone that exists in 2014 will not be as good as what technology is available, because the existing phone hardware industry is conservative in technology selection. As Ubuntu is focusing on a converged experience with phone hardware driving the desktop as well, it would be better for the hardware to be better than what the industry is expected to deliver by 2014. So Canonical are driving this initiative, which is separate from the existing Ubuntu phone plans, to additionally deliver a phone with better hardware than what will be available on the market otherwise.
- MrSourz 13y ago
  It comes down to the user experience. I see it as analogous in some ways to Apple and iOS who want control over the hardware to ensure a high quality consumer experience. If the user experience is not something to lust after then I don't see it taking the place of Android-only or iOS in people's pockets. Given that they are trying tmake a phone which runs Android and an OS traditionally run on a desktop there are many hardware requirements to ensure a quality consumer experience is upheld. Because they're working with two operating systems and trying to integrate components between them it makes sense to me to, for the first foray, make it work with one piece of hardware and get it into peoples hands. The downside to this is holy shit hardware really complicates things and is expensive.
  - berlinbrown 13y ago
    Plus, a lot of people feel that software should be free across the board. Most people are paying for the hardware. So if Canonical wants to sell stuff, they better get involved in the hardware side of things.
    - voodoo123 13y ago
      I find it hard to understand why people think that softare 'should' be free. Don't you mean they think that someone else should pay for it?
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- berlinbrown 13y ago
  Probably just like Apple. The Canonical might want a little bit more control of their hardware.
- listic 13y ago
  I think, no manufacturer has committed to making Ubuntu phones, so they have to do their own hardware first to "break the ice".
- cbhl 13y ago
  F/OSS drivers for high-end phones are practically nonexistant; Google can't even release binary (!) drivers for the new Nexus 7.
  - DannyBee 13y ago
    I'm not sure what the point here is, since ubuntu edge won't change this?
berlinbrown 13y ago
I am pissed off. I am a life long linux user and Ubuntu has done great work. I am really starting to see Ubuntu used for the desktop in various companies. But nobody gives a shit enough to invest in their technologies. I think edge is a great idea. I will buy (once the phone is available). That is my contribution.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- fedvasu 13y ago
  yeah, it is understandable to be annoyed when a good idea (even from a decent open-source company)doesn't get enough financial backing when shitty ideas and products get funding from left and right.
  - berlinbrown 13y ago
    You are right, buy/contribute.
- ihsw 13y ago
  Canonical has put its users over the barrel and let Amazon have their way with them, that's enough to stop me from giving one red cent. Privacy is a serious question for businesses, and "you can opt out" isn't a serious answer.
  - rlpb 13y ago
    Privacy is not an issue with Unity's shopping lens, since Amazon cannot identify you apart from anyone else. If you don't want your search queries to leave your computer at all, then don't use a global search box (just like you don't type those queries into Google, either). "We are not telling Amazon what you are searching for. Your anonymity is preserved because we handle the query on your behalf." --Mark Shuttleworth, http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182 http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182
    - 13y ago
wowaname 13y ago
Ubuntu is becoming the FOSS Google and trying to outreach its goal. Not saying it's bad; I'm just skeptical on how it will work out.
pmarca 13y ago
Forbes.com: Defining success down since 2013 :-).
apapli 13y ago
Sale: Global brand exposure, requires an $80,000 down payment, will be refunded in full minus PayPal fees at the end of the campaign. Why aren't more big companies seeing this?
MayankGoyal 13y ago
They're going to refund the people who paid a higher price than $695 - isn't that going to lower the funding amount even if it hits the target?

83 points by madmaze 13y ago

tl;dr Some reputational gain [for Canonical] is guaranteed. Bloomberg will portray itself as a "forward-thinking company" and is actually better off not getting the 100 phones. "To a significant degree, this episode has already succeeded in being disruptive, in proving that smaller players have new ways of tackling the status quo, and in acting as a very direct and powerful piece of market research for Canonical. " Didn't enjoy the article. Basically wraps the actual argument in 1000 words to make it seem smarter.

iamnotbatman 13y ago
TL;DR: Got butthurt over a competitor getting free publicity, resorted to bashing them.

sputknick 13y ago

Can someone explain to me why this has to be a hardware project? Why can't they just make this an OS project and load it on whatever high end phone exists in 2014? Hardware falls outside of Canonical's core competency, and as such seems like an inconvenience.

Mikeb85 13y ago
It's hard enough installing Ubuntu onto a normal computer (well, not really, but for the masses it is), installing a new OS onto a smartphone is much more difficult. I agree that they don't really need this phone, rather they should try putting out a 300-400 phone, along the line of the Nexus, that carriers can offer for 0-99 dollars on contract.
- gizmo686 13y ago
  Using existing hardware does not mean making the end user do the install.
- zanny 13y ago
  It is easier than installing Windows (partition layouts in the Ubuntu live cd are much nicer than what Windows provides). You can also get a machine with Ubuntu pre-installed and supported, see system76. They will have commodity Ubuntu Touch devices next year. They won't be powerful enough to take advantage of the convergence features Canonical wants to push, this device will. Carrier devices will also be horribly crippled by vendor bloatware to an even worse extent than Android because Canonical is literally selling the soul of its OS for potential market share. You can already put Ubuntu Touch on a Nexus 4, and I bet next years Nexus Tier will see an Ubuntu Phone version as well. No problem there, nothing to do with this crowdfunding campaign. This is all about making a phone with extremely high end hardware and storage to act as a desktop replacement, period.
lukifer 13y ago
I've been pretty unimpressed with the build quality and general aesthetic of the majority of Android smartphones. (I'm not anticipating Ubuntu on iPhone will ever be a viable option.) The Edge looks good, and (hopefully) will feel good in hand. The buttonless interface is also significant: every other phone has physical and/or touch buttons below, which would be superfluous. Ubuntu phones are meant to be oriented around edge swipes as virtual "buttons", with the few actual buttons being only on the top and sides. The project is most certainly a gamble, both for buyers and Canonical. But I think it's a worthwhile one for both parties. Note that their goal is to release a new "concept phone" once per year; they clearly want to turn mobile hardware into a core competency, even if they're bound to have a hard time keeping up with Samsung and Apple.
- eterm 13y ago
  Touch volume buttons are very very useful, the ability to control volume just by feel is something that should not be dismissed for the sake of a misguided minimalism. A physical "home" button is also useful for when a phone starts to hang/go slow. If pressing the physical button has no effect then you press the physical on/off button, if that has no effect you power cycle the phone. If those first steps are software interrupts you cannot trust them when software starts to hang, so the only satisfactory option is to powercycle, which is less useful than being able to just get back to a home screen where the phone can better recover from whatever was causing the hanging.
  - lukifer 13y ago
    The Edge has physical volume buttons on the side. We'll see if the lack of a Home button ends up affecting the UX or not; it depends on the responsiveness and resiliency of the OS.
- kayoone 13y ago
  They are getting better though. HTC One, Moto X, Xperia Z all are very well built and on par with the iphone. I love the aesthetics of my HTC One and many people i show it too (including iphone users) think the same.
rlpb 13y ago
> Why can't they just make this an OS project... It is already an OS project, and is happening regardless of the Ubuntu Edge fundraising initiative. Images are available for various hardware, including the Nexus 4 for example. (But it's still a very early preview, not for production use.) > Can someone explain to me why this has to be a hardware project? Mark Shuttleworth explains the reason for the Ubuntu Edge initiative in the video on the main fundraising page. My interpretation: the high end phone that exists in 2014 will not be as good as what technology is available, because the existing phone hardware industry is conservative in technology selection. As Ubuntu is focusing on a converged experience with phone hardware driving the desktop as well, it would be better for the hardware to be better than what the industry is expected to deliver by 2014. So Canonical are driving this initiative, which is separate from the existing Ubuntu phone plans, to additionally deliver a phone with better hardware than what will be available on the market otherwise.
MrSourz 13y ago
It comes down to the user experience. I see it as analogous in some ways to Apple and iOS who want control over the hardware to ensure a high quality consumer experience. If the user experience is not something to lust after then I don't see it taking the place of Android-only or iOS in people's pockets. Given that they are trying tmake a phone which runs Android and an OS traditionally run on a desktop there are many hardware requirements to ensure a quality consumer experience is upheld. Because they're working with two operating systems and trying to integrate components between them it makes sense to me to, for the first foray, make it work with one piece of hardware and get it into peoples hands. The downside to this is holy shit hardware really complicates things and is expensive.
- berlinbrown 13y ago
  Plus, a lot of people feel that software should be free across the board. Most people are paying for the hardware. So if Canonical wants to sell stuff, they better get involved in the hardware side of things.
  - voodoo123 13y ago
    I find it hard to understand why people think that softare 'should' be free. Don't you mean they think that someone else should pay for it?
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
berlinbrown 13y ago
Probably just like Apple. The Canonical might want a little bit more control of their hardware.
listic 13y ago
I think, no manufacturer has committed to making Ubuntu phones, so they have to do their own hardware first to "break the ice".
cbhl 13y ago
F/OSS drivers for high-end phones are practically nonexistant; Google can't even release binary (!) drivers for the new Nexus 7.
- DannyBee 13y ago
  I'm not sure what the point here is, since ubuntu edge won't change this?

berlinbrown 13y ago

I am pissed off. I am a life long linux user and Ubuntu has done great work. I am really starting to see Ubuntu used for the desktop in various companies. But nobody gives a shit enough to invest in their technologies. I think edge is a great idea. I will buy (once the phone is available). That is my contribution.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
fedvasu 13y ago
yeah, it is understandable to be annoyed when a good idea (even from a decent open-source company)doesn't get enough financial backing when shitty ideas and products get funding from left and right.
- berlinbrown 13y ago
  You are right, buy/contribute.
ihsw 13y ago
Canonical has put its users over the barrel and let Amazon have their way with them, that's enough to stop me from giving one red cent. Privacy is a serious question for businesses, and "you can opt out" isn't a serious answer.
- rlpb 13y ago
  Privacy is not an issue with Unity's shopping lens, since Amazon cannot identify you apart from anyone else. If you don't want your search queries to leave your computer at all, then don't use a global search box (just like you don't type those queries into Google, either). "We are not telling Amazon what you are searching for. Your anonymity is preserved because we handle the query on your behalf." --Mark Shuttleworth, http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182 http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182
  - 13y ago

wowaname 13y ago

Ubuntu is becoming the FOSS Google and trying to outreach its goal. Not saying it's bad; I'm just skeptical on how it will work out.

pmarca 13y ago

Forbes.com: Defining success down since 2013 :-).

apapli 13y ago

Sale: Global brand exposure, requires an $80,000 down payment, will be refunded in full minus PayPal fees at the end of the campaign. Why aren't more big companies seeing this?

MayankGoyal 13y ago

They're going to refund the people who paid a higher price than $695 - isn't that going to lower the funding amount even if it hits the target?