On Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 10:50 AM, Stroller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > I would like openmoko to do bold steps. > > But they should also be careful. > > Introduction of a multi-touch screen would only fragment the userbase. > 10,000 Freerunner owners would be bitching that they can't run > $new.app because it requires the new screen type; owners of the new > device would be bitching that existing apps don't use the cool new
interface. > Well, that might be true.. But the case might also be that the userbase will shrink if nothing is done. That depends on what people want from their hardware. The lack of a new type of user interface which some of us believe is far superior on a hand held device will at least make me think twice before buying a new OpenMoko.. I bought the GTA02 since I found what OpenMoko was doing a great thing and I wanted to support that good effort.. But if the hardware is always a couple or more generations behind the leading pack then it's not much use, then I'm just trying to help a hopeless cause. The phone is a hardware disabled toy. I certainly don't speak for everyone, since there are plenty of voices for the current solution as seen in this thread, but I think the user base will shrink steadily while the use of multi touch gets more and more users on the big platforms. It's the future as I see it, and either we place us in the future, or we place us in the past... With a platform as the OpenMoko we have that choice. > Hardware decisions are best made by those who actually have an insight > into ALL the variables of the planned hardware. The whims of you & I > are simply irrelevant if Openmoko / FIC are unable to purchase multi- > touch screens. In case you're not aware, hardware decisions have > already been constrained by an unavailability of parts in such small > quantities as those used in Openmoko devices - you might have to buy > 100,000 or 1,000,000 units before the vendor will talk to you. > Yes, that's makes it a catch 22, because if you don't put together a hardware solution that is good enough, then the amount of people buying it will be small... And if you can't sell enough then you can't buy the good parts.. If that makes you aim low, then why bother at all? > > Besides that, GTA03 is no longer subject to change - isn't it stupid > to be making plans (especially when you're not in a position to do so) > for GTA04 or 05, when the hardware available by that time might be > quite different from what is on the market now? > > I know that the GTA03 is probably all decided hardware wise... But I think this might be a good discussion anyway. And the market is big, apple has shown that... And note that Apple doesn't have it's reputation since they make poor hardware decisions, but the opposite. There's still a future out there tomorrow and if we want to we can be part of it too. Best regards Anton
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