Uhmmm, so I'm assuming (only because of the responses here), that carriers don't have to be convinced that they should support Maemo/FOSS users of this type because our business is better for them than the rest of the business cases out there - most of which they are already employing?

So essentially, on some basis of "we just know better" they should support Mameo devices and/or different types of purchasing models, no matter if its easily supported or profitable (to them or us or both) at all?

Eh... and here I was hoping to find some business savvy/sense amongst the reams of conversation here. Guess its more or less like they know best, we know best, and our best is better than theirs - though theirs built and owns the networks we'd be using best.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be an apologist for carriers nor their schemes; I'd like to know the other side of the discussion. Because for all the eyes that Maemo is getting now, if this community cannot speak towards that (whether we believe there's a benefit to carriers or not), then why should any of our opinions about how they use networks have substance?