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  • Bloomberg Announces Backing Of The Ubuntu Edge

    Phoronix: Bloomberg Announces Backing Of The Ubuntu Edge

    Bloomberg LP has come forward as the only corporate backer to date of the Ubuntu Edge smart-phone project...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Heck, right now would be a great time for anyone who wants some cred with the FOSS community to step forward and throw some money at the campaign, since it's almost certainly going to fail at this point. I really wish it could go through, but we haven't seen a miracle like that even with normal crowd-funding projects.

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    • #3
      fail?

      only fails if mark wants

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      • #4
        WTF

        I really don't understand what they were thinking with this crowd sourcing campaign. Ubuntu has enough name recognition to work with a phone manufacturer and team up, provide a phone with Ubuntu software and use their distribution channels. They could have also tried to work with Google. Heck, they should get Ubuntu in Chromebooks, as well.

        I know Mark S made a ton of money with his start up, so he can make a buck, but I really don't understand where they going with the execution side of the brilliant idea of having Ubuntu be an OS for the new generation of hardware (phones, tablets, light laptops, etc)

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        • #5
          My theory is that they tried to negotiate support with big companies about bringing an Ubuntu Phone to market and no one wanted to get their feet wet. Name isn't everything as Blackberry and Microsoft (and HP and Palm and Nokia and Intel[Moblin] and Samsung [Bada OS]...) have shown.

          With all the other entrants (Firefox, Jolla, Tizen...) they had a hard sell.

          This wasn't a 'This is going to succeed!' project so much as 'We are Linux hear us roar!'; showing companies that people want this OS, it isn't going to get dusty on the shelves and they should back it.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by beaverusiv View Post
            My theory is that they tried to negotiate support with big companies about bringing an Ubuntu Phone to market and no one wanted to get their feet wet. Name isn't everything as Blackberry and Microsoft (and HP and Palm and Nokia and Intel[Moblin] and Samsung [Bada OS]...) have shown.

            With all the other entrants (Firefox, Jolla, Tizen...) they had a hard sell.

            This wasn't a 'This is going to succeed!' project so much as 'We are Linux hear us roar!'; showing companies that people want this OS, it isn't going to get dusty on the shelves and they should back it.
            That's my take on it as well. They probably shopped the idea around and had about as many takers as they got for Ubuntu for Android. I.e., none.

            The thing is... now that it's been shown that there aren't enough people interested, what exactly is Canonical to do? They've staked their future on this "convergence story" and it's pretty clear that nobody is interested.

            There are larger, fundamental problems beneath the surface here that aren't being addressed.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by mendieta View Post
              I really don't understand what they were thinking with this crowd sourcing campaign. Ubuntu has enough name recognition to work with a phone manufacturer and team up, provide a phone with Ubuntu software and use their distribution channels.
              Venture capitol. Crowd funding it means that Markula doesn't have to put up as much of his own coin and that they don't have to as an actual VC firm that will want a chunk of the company in return.
              Last edited by Kivada; 08 August 2013, 12:00 AM.

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              • #8
                I wouldn't say there aren't enough people interested, looking at the social media numbers (110k likes, 8.8k tweets, 29k +1's) and backers (7116 including 1 company).

                The thing is if they can use this to help their cause or not. We won't see this phone as it stands, but maybe the phone OEMs are taking a better look at this new player.

                The whole phone-is-a-PC thing is a bit of a gamble, depending mainly on software. If they can have a decent Chrome OS like experience (browse the 'net, basic text editor and video player stuff) that is snappy and doesn't feel like it's being run from a phone it could catch on. Add any lag or usability irks in there and you've got something no one will use much more than once.

                I wouldn't say no one is interested, I am, but I'm not at the put-money-on-it stage. I hold it in higher regard than motion technology and gestures for the future of computing.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by beaverusiv View Post
                  The whole phone-is-a-PC thing is a bit of a gamble, depending mainly on software.
                  Not exactly, If you remember a few years back Motorola had a series of phones that could dock onto a web top. The problem there was the cost of the docking webtop and of course a lack of software.

                  For what Ubuntu wants to do they'd have to go big or go home with the SoC specs, but they shouldn't have much trouble with "fat binaries" with a phone and desktop version of all software since flash storage has gotten quite a bit cheaper.

                  Their idea at least has more promise then a netbook with a phone poking out the back of it screaming "Steal me, I have to be expensive!!!" over what looks like every other phone once you slap a silicone case on it.

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                  • #10
                    Wow, I didn't think any corporate backer would jump on the $800000 pledge.
                    Because it seems rather stupid to commit to buying a 100 of a device that you never seen, held, tried, used, evaluated before.

                    It might look good on paper, then be crap in reality, then you wasted all that money and got all employees frustrated.
                    In the enterprise you have to rely on proven technology.

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