ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad <joerlend.schinstad@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12 September 2016 at 05:40, Bob Summerwill <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
> Having a good reference device for developers to rally around is certainly
> essential.
>
> That was a killer for Tizen for a long, long time.   Samsung released the
> RD-PQ (~Galaxy S3 spec) in 2013, and that was the only viable platform for
> development work for about 3 years, even when it was chronically old in the
> tooth.    And you were incredibly lucky if you could get hold of one.    If
> developers cannot easily buy a reference device and build an application
> then you won't get any applications.
>
> For a mobile OS to succeed you certainly need a very low barrier to entry
> for developers to participate.   The fact that even the small group of
> people who are keenly interested in Ubuntu Touch are having difficulty
> buying the few retail devices which are available is very much not a good
> thing.
>
>
Right. So you attract large numbers of professional software developers and
they start developing apps for Ubuntu for phones. And then you have to to
change something in the OS, like replacing Click for Snap, and all those
apps stops working and must be re-written and re-packaged. Would that
really be a good thing? Don't you think those companies would be a little
upset? Wouldn't it be better to deliberately prevent that from happening so
that people don't give Ubuntu a bad name?


>
> Beyond ease of access for developers, though, to actually get a decent
> application ecosystem, you actually need some end-users.    Not "maybe
> there will be users in the future", but there actually being real users
> before they build the apps.
>
>
Don't you think it would be a good idea to make the OS before you make the
ecosystem?


> That has been the achilles heel for mobile Linux, IMHO.   How to get over
> that app gap.   The network effect for Android and iOS is almost impossible
> to overcome.   Even Microsoft failed.   That is where I think Jolla did
> fantastically well with AlienHybris.    Having the ability to run Android
> apps is absolutely killer.
>
>
But again, Ubuntu for phones isn't ready yet. You're an insider.


> >> Jo-Erend >>Why would it be necessary for Canonical to make a new phone
> when they
> >> can just ask Meizu and Bq to provide a new batch?
>
> Because Canonical might be able to kindly request that, but I suspect that
> BQ and Meizu would kindly decline the request.   If they want to make them,
> they would be making them.   The fact that they are withdrew them from sale
> tells you everything you need to know.
>

But where does this information come from? Can you provide some sources? I
thought they made a batch and it was sold out. That's not the same as
withdrawing at all. It's not even similar.
And how do you know it's not Canonical that's telling them not to ship more
phones?


> So am I pessimistic?   Yes, I am afraid I am.    I would love UT to
> succeed.   After all of my disappointments with Tizen and Samsung, it
> looked to me like the best option for a mobile Linux to succeed, but the
> winds are not blowing in a good direction.
>
>
But why are you so pessimistic? Weren't you told this way ahead of time,
that Ubuntu for phones is a work in progress and not a finished product?
Have you ever seen any announcement that Ubuntu for phones is now ready for
the public? I haven't. I have seen many statements that it is not ready for
that. And that makes sense to me, because there are still fundamental
things that must be fixed and replaced.

I understand that you're eager for Ubuntu for phones to be ready for
release. Don't you think I am? But software development takes time and if
you rush your product to market before it's ready, you might ruin your
reputation. The giant companies can do these things in-house, but that's
not the Ubuntu way. The Ubuntu way is to allow people to be a part of the
process if they want to, like you've chosen.