Using email as an example, having to transfer email with drag'n'drop in something like Thunderbird is clunky, slow but works to a degree.
Having direct access to the mailbox directory on the filesystem would make it easier to transfer out/in (assuming you already have your emails in the same format).
These are honest questions because I have often thought about a similar project where a static IP is required and wondered if and how it could support itself.
This is how I view the internet. I pay for access, and this gives me access to, among other things, the web, and various "free services" offered on the web by so-called "tech" companies.^2 There is no obligation that I have to use them. I can choose what I think is useful and ignore the rest.
1. Previously we have seen the static IPv4 address marketed by ISPs in the US as a "business account". Personal use is not contemplated.
2. But the IP addresses we get from ISPs suck for things like running a smtpd. We need solutions to this problem besides "tech" company middlemen.
All data is accessible on local ports on the LAN, with or without the subscription service.
Considering R&D and manufacture, it looks to me like you're offering the box itself at cost or even below. Your obvious competitor is Synology, and they have an extensible storage space concept.
So I agree with you that the meat is probably in the Apps. You're offering an email solution as the killer subscription service using somewhat questionable marketing text. But again, that can be fixed. If you were to say "okay, we're planning on offering a range of subscription apps where the core concept is to provide a public-internet service endpoint and the resulting data gets funneled directly into your home box" then you're much clearer about the value you provide and customers would have an expectation that a) their app still works if the subscription expires (it just doesn't get any new data) and b) what they're paying for in the first place. Throw in an info graph that shows the data flow!
Of course, you might have to contend with open source implementations that offer the same endpoint services as a self-hosted option BUT you could even embrace that and make the protocols open because I suspect that the convenience of your all-in-one services would trump the complexity of self hosting in most cases.
Other services/apps you could offer along the same lines could be: federated social media, video downloading and conversion, video and audio chat, collaboration and office tools, home automation, and of course cloud backup (not the paltry 128GB currently folded into the subscription package, but a separate pay-as-you-go solution with "unlimited" storage).
One thing I definitely gather from that comment is that E-Mails wouldn't work, which appears to be the main selling point of the device.
If a customer doesn't want a subscription, they can still use the Helm on their local network and get access to all their data. Running without a subscription is not something we currently support because of a lot of variables that can prevent email from working consistently, creating a heavy support burden (which is costly) along with bad customer experiences. It's best for people wary of a subscription to go down the DIY path (and we end up with a lot of DIY switchers once they realize how much effort it is).
No problem. I see the technical difficulties with that and that you don’t want to support it. But is it possible?
If you want peoples’ (definitely mine) trust I’d suggest clearly decoupling the subscription from the device and communicating that it’s only for the E-Mail routing.
Otherwise it feels like renting a device with some extra initial cost, which is like 20% as good as actually owning something (If I’m already renting just take away the setup cost and make it 12$/mo).
There are much cheaper ways to send spam effectively than using a Helm so we haven't seen real issues around this.
The problem is that spammers will get into your customers' boxes and use them to spam.
there are plenty of ways to get around that particular problem (although a cloud server is one of the best). so why not provide the information and let the user decide rather then telling us all we need to use your subscription service.
We don't make the subscription optional at this time because the overwhelming majority of people on the Internet do not have a static IP address with a corresponding PTR record, which is required if you want to have deliverable email. There are other ways to handle domain registration, DNS and backups on your own, but we believe the subscription is a pretty great value for the convenience it provides.