Nobody is talking about media content. The OP (and everyone else here) is talking about DRM for application distribution. You're the only one bringing up media.

I read well above a 5th grader level and was able to figure out pretty easily that this entire discussion thread is about using DRM to protect application deployment. The comparisons being made are to a marketplace driven app store (like iPhone or Android), not a media download service (like iTunes or Zune).

You are in violent agreement with each other. The OP is saying we need a marketplace type DRM in place. Another party argued that that particular type of DRM is not needed, citing lots of non-marketplace devices that lack it and still have content developed for them. You're saying the same thing...

In any case, it's not the best argument for the reasons I stated before, volume being the key item. The N900 install base is much smaller than systems that are surviving without a marketplace like system.

Again, I think DRM (for media, for apps, etc) may in fact be an aid in attracting people to a smaller market. But DRM is not needed to bring companies to a platform, there are factors that can outweigh the lack of it. In this specific case, a DRM app delivery system (like OVI) may help draw companies into making software for the device, but it's far from required. As noted there are third party methods for doing this on your own, with or without an OS based framework to build from.

Several business exist that explicitly do not use DRM in their model and are doing just fine. Amazon (and others now) sells raw MP3s these days, no DRM, yet they still do millions a day in MP3 downloads.

And Hitler would like DRM too!

There, it's been said. Can we close this thread now?

Godwin's Law wins again!

DRM or no DRM the only reason not many developers come for the N900 is because Nokia didn't push them. It's fairly obvious that the N900 was merely a transitional device.

Meego is the future. If Meego doesn't get apps, then you can consider Nokia as a failure. I don't think Nokia are too worried about the future of the N900.

It sucks, but it's true.

Some very interesting graphs comparing the numbers between a bunch of app stores: Android, Apple (iPhone), Apple (iPad), Blackberry, Nokia, Palm, Windows.

Proportion of free vs paid:


Average prices:


Source: http://jkontherun.com/2010/07/02/and...ove-free-apps/

Interesting, I will agree with that. But, it misses one crucial flaw, when looking at the ovi store(with regards to the n990 at least), which is the repos(and the maemo.org app page). Most of the free software will be distributed through there, and repo-package-counts aren't added to that graph.

I suspect that if those graphs included repo-distributed material, the percentage free would be much higher.

Just saying...

agreed upon
those graphs refer to majority of phones.. ie s60

The graphs explains why there's a huge increase in google's markets today. On an average it seems like google's price point per value seems to be more justified as compared to it's competitors. Personally I loved google maps more than any other navi application, and also I loved my n900. How I wish there's a perfect port of google maps apps on n900 itself, it'll be like cream on a piece of cake. Sweet !

@whiteice: really? I didn't know that the % of free apps (and how diverse and of what quality are they) are advertised to potential buyers at all. Actualy, I don't think there's a way for general users to know the % at all, without manually counting them.. or buying datas from these consultants.