Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

This is rather interesting..

1-2 years ago, this board would be buzzing with screams against Apple from idealistic individuals wanting a successful opensource handheld platform.

Today, Apple has proven a pragmatic platform design with a powerful profit sharing model with the developers can make a thriving ecosystem for their closed system...

Obviously the story doesn't end here. Android and Symbian are gaining steam and they're getting ready to strike back.. but who knows how well they know the current market and what the customer really wants?

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

Android maybe..I don't think Symbian is gaining much steam. The OS is getting outdated, and many reviews of the N97 cite this as part of the reason why it's not that great. at least android is a free open source operating system thats going to be on htc, samsung, lg, and other phones..all symbian's got is nokia phones which people are buying less and less of

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

@bigg3rdd0g: I completely agree. Even Android's application stable looks so puny by comparison to Apple's. I'd say iPhone's market dominance would stretch for another 2-3 years before anything else may challenge it..

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

My opinion is you should hold out a little longer. The consensus seems to be that the tech is already outdated. A 2nd generation Android device with a Cortex A8 or better, combined with a supported graphics chip and at least 256 MB is gonna be the sweet spot. The Hero is what, over $700? It's the Android version of the N97.

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

I agree with you largely though..

1) "but why do I need GV on my phone"

Err.. free unlimited voice and SMS. (well granted it may not be unlimited as I doubt any of us has tested Google's limits but it's sure higher than what unlimited plans a telco will give you probably). If they still aren't convinced, spam them till their SMS message limit is exceeded =P. Granted it's not needed, but it's nice to have a free alternative since I barely use minutes and SMS messages as is (so I don't see a point in paying for alot of minutes or SMS messages). Right now I just use GV for most of my calls, and my cell for when I'm out and about. Since I'm on a family plan it leaves more minutes for my sister and mother.

2) It depends on what you mean by open and closed. Operating system wise (Windows and Linux)? True, it doesn't matter so much. Open and closed e.g. Windows and Apple back in the early days? If we remember from history, Apple insisted on keeping their operating system tied to their hardware, and Windows eventually outgrew and now dominates the operating system market. I can see something similar happening to the smartphone market. Apple may have the temporary advantage now (coming from the iPod to iPod Touch/iPhone transfer) but they're in a new growing market now. It's not just media, it's games, it's tools, it's everything. And eventually as operating system that aren't tied to just one hardware unit (e.g. Android, Windows Mobile, etc..) continue to improve and grow we might see a repeat of the PC revolution. Where Apple had the head start first, but eventually gave way to a more "open" (as in not just one hardware unit provided by one company) alternatives that were cheaper and more plentiful.

I'm personally waiting for Android to mature, it already appeals to me, it's just minor issues like not being able to install applications to SD cards (sounds familar huh?) and how HTC is doing a better job of improving Android than Google is. And of course, price. Right now no matter what you choose, iPhone, Pre, Android the end cost of it is still in the upper $2000 after the two year contract. I rather get a smartphone with a minimal minutes/SMS plan and heavy on data.

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

Definitely wait for a Cortex A8 class device. The difference is HUGE.
Not to mention, htc overloads the hero with its eye candy-laden (or rather over encumbered) dashboard.. what a poor design decision.

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

@Laughing man: The kicker with Apple's iPhone\Touch closed system is that it gives great payout to good developers. This is a substantial difference that I don't think can be replicated by non financial oriented open system.

What good would an open system be, if it's lacking software?

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

lacking software? please tell me exactly what software your missing...

btw, iphone has a media presence bar none. hell, apple in general seems to be everywhere in the tech media these days. only google and microsoft is more talked about, and only google is in similarly positive light (mostly when there is a issue with app store or itms its brushed of as being related to at&t or the labels/studios, not apple).

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

When I wrote my above post there was two methods of open and closed i referenced. The first we think of is like maemo versus iPhone. Windows versus Linux. The second is Windows based computers versus Apple's Macs. Where both are considered closed if you use Linux but you can use Windows on more computers than you can OSX.

What is the benefit of the latter? Simple a bigger audience. You can make X dollars given a deal with Apple with the Y number of iPhone users. Or X dollars given the userbase of Y number of whatever OS which is found on alot more phones.

Right now it's in Apple's court but if it's anything like the PC market an "open" competitor that allows their OS to be used on more types of devices is going have more of a userbase, hence a bigger market to sell too. Right now all of Apple's competitors are still growing (Android being slowly adopted for more and more phones) or like Windows Mobile who have been slacking till Apple came on the scene.

Re: Perfect time to release Maemo 5.
 

The first one is opensource vs closed source, which refers to the (source) code licensing schemes. But I don't know about linux anymore these days. They're incorporating more and more non gpl stuffs for practicaility, no? I know the % is still very small, but still.

The second one (ms vs apple) would have to do with the licensing agreement of (both closed sourced commercial) operating systems and business model of Microsoft's Windows vs Apple's OSX... where Microsoft sells the windows OS to be run on any of its (technically) supported hardware, and Apple ties the sales of OSX to an 'apple branded hardware', correct?

For someone making business decisions (heads of software developer companies), the above factors should (generally) have lesser priority than where the optimal potential income lies, no? It is, after all, a business enterprise. I think Apple has hit a home run with its AppStore's software distribution model, giving great benefit to the users, the developers and right in the middle, to themselves.

I believe they will be trying to put all their other platforms through something similar (selling apps for their desktop and notebooks through iTunes?? And defintely their future tablet product) and other competing companies will try to replicate it also.