Thanks for playing But I'm guessing that your answers were a bit out of context to what funkord had in mind.

You're right that the companies you quoted were small/insignificant in the particular segment (smartphone) when they started, but as a whole they were already giant corporations with immense amount of resources.

Certainly not the 'small' that funlord was talking about.

I think Nokia (at least a good amount of well placed people there) GOT the zen/tao of open. They opened Symbian and they were pursuing maemo (then MeeGo) for quite awhile.

But both of those pursuit ended in financial disappointment.

Nokia had problem executing. Orrrrrr... making money out of FOSS is just too hard for big corps?

Lastly, you're right about the smooth migration; but they wouldn't have gotten a great deal from MS that way.

I really think MS gave them a ridiculously good deal (in financial terms; upfront cash, potential shared revenues, etc) to get them onboard crazy ballmer's train.