It's an open source OS. How is "carriers should be powerless" compatible with "users should have all the power?". The carriers are downstream users...
Now, I'm all in favor of interoperability requirements and limits on redistribution that infringes on freedom (c.f. automatic patent grants, antitivoization, etc...). But for branding? I just don't see it. If I, personally, am allowed to reskin my Ubuntu device, surely Verizon must be also, no?
Re:Ubuntu on tablets
by chimeracoder on Tuesday February 19, 2013 @03:20PM
(#5246816)
> If I, personally, am allowed to reskin my Ubuntu device, surely Verizon must be also, no?
That depends on whether or not they distribute it with any of Canonical's trademarks (I'm assuming they have a trademark on Ubuntu, not to mention their own name).
Trademarks are completely independent from (and compatible with) open-source - look at 10Gen, which preserves the rights to the MongoDB name while releasing a product under the GPL.
Well, of course. But that's the point. Verizon can reskin it in exactly the way that CentOS does RHEL. And I have no problem with that. My interpretation was that mtgx thought this freedom (shared by me, Verizon, and whoever else wants to use it) was a bad thing ("the carriers should be powerless"), and I disagree.
Re:Ubuntu on tablets
by stcredzero on Tuesday February 19, 2013 @01:31PM
(#5246075)
> The carriers should be powerless when it comes to the devices they sell. They should be no more than retailers. Who has ever heard of retailers messing with the products? No one, because that's a crazy idea.
It's even a doofy idea for car dealers to tack their own logo plaques on the back of your car. Annoying.
One of the first things I do with a new car is get rid of the branded license plate frames. I seem to be a minority though, as most people either don't seem to care, or can't wield a screwdriver.
Ubuntu is free so they need to make their money somehow, and consumers are unlikely to spring for Canonical's expert training, support, or consulting fees. Perhaps if you had to purchase Ubuntu for $29 on top of your naked device price (there's likely very little margin in the hardware), the incentive to charge carriers for customization wouldn't be there.
Re:Ubuntu on tablets
by MatthewPhillips on Tuesday February 19, 2013 @12:36PM
(#5245675)
The only way to make carriers powerless is if consumers buy phones unsubsidized. Even Apple makes concessions to carriers.
They often do outside the US.
Which is quite common in Europe.
Ubuntu design guidelines: http://design.ubuntu.com/apps
The carriers should be powerless when it comes to the devices they sell. They should be no more than retailers. Who has ever heard of retailers messing with the products? No one, because that's a crazy idea. Yet that's what the carriers are doing, and will probably do even more with these new operating systems desperate for market share.
3. Why should Nokia back this project up? I mean why specifically them, and not Samsung, HTC, Sony or Huawei? Also there's zero chance they will do it. They didn't back Meego, they killed Meltemi, they aren't backing Sailfish, and they will back Ubuntu? Why? Microsoft would never allow it. And we all know Nokia is just a subsidiary of Microsoft now.
4. One of my biggest problems with Linux in general looking at it from a "consumer" point of view, has always been how ugly the programs look on Linux. They are cringe worthy, and I hate the font, too. I don't know what they're doing here, but I really hope Canonical is serious about design guidelines and resources for developers, much like Apple, Google and Microsoft have done it. They need to make it dead-easy for just about any developer to create beautiful Ubuntu apps at least with the stock resources.
This should be one of their top priorities with Ubuntu, not only on mobile, but on the desktop, too. So I hope they're using resources and design guidelines that will scale well to the desktop, too. And I still think they need to rethink the Unity UI to make it more user-friendly and less frustrating.