I just explained the daily problems I have with closed source or with a device which is somewhat open, but has some locks built-in (the E51). I just explained why most open source activists are frustrated by locked devices.

In the end, it is about people who have unusual needs, whatever those are. The largest part of the market has needs which are relatively well served by what the industry cooks for them. For phones: call, sms, download top 50s music, buy the latest ring tune, play small games, watch football on DVB-H, use your camera for small prints.

However, there is a sizeable amount of the market who wants to do different things. For example: I rarely phone, never SMS, like unknown hard to find music, wrote my ring tunes myself, never watch football and use a SLR and hugin (free software) for wall-sized prints. I know free software activists, and they all have uncommon uses for their computers. This market wants machines which they can taylor to their needs. Locks get in the way when you need that.

Apparently, it is difficult to get the message across: open source is about building a machine which does what you want. And the industry can't really serve your needs when only you and 20 other geeks on the planet have the same needs. But add 20 geeks here, 20 geeks there and in the end, Nokia sold hundred of thousands tablets. It's a sizable market.

I am a pretty good customer. Altogether, I bought 9 (nine!) N800 (mostly distributing them to my family and friends). Another open source enthousiast I know bought 5 (five) and is using them to build some kind of robots. It's a sizable market...


@qwerty12

I know that Symbian can be jailbreaked, but that is not the point. I don't want a locked machine for which I have to break the lock, and then there is a firmware upgrade which solves important bugs, and I have to break the locks again, and then there is another upgrade, etc... I'm too old for that kind of games. I'm paying good money, I want good service.