Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 13th Dec 2012 00:23 UTC
"What are the chances that we'll see something with the finesse of the One X with stock software down the road? 'The Nexus devices are Google’s lineup,' explains Kodera, 'but in general, we're very proud of HTC Sense, and we'd like to continue shipping it on every device.' Not exactly encouraging." Big letdown. Not unexpected, but a letdown still. I will never again buy a non-Nexus device.
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Member since:2006-10-11
Almost missed you down here, sorry.
WHAT inconvenience? [...] Subsidizes are not a bad habit if the phone that is subsidized is unlocked.
Good for you. But originally we were discussing the market conditions in the USA, which leave you the choice between a cheaper crappy experience or a more expensive good experience. I understand that in your country things are different, which is, again, awesome for you and your country. But going all Adam Savage on me and trying to substitute the premises of the thread you posted in with your own will not magically make your argument sustainable under the original premises.
However, it's good to hear that in some countries things are different, even if I wonder why and how the carriers are subsidizing any phone. Are your contracts so expensive or what?
So, we should stop carriers from offering deals some of us want, just to satisfy some nerdy ethics that say the phone shall be sold unsubsidized? I don't think so If you want to stop the American and UK problem of carriers offering a limited range of (locked) phones, how about a law that forces carriers to offer unlocked phones and subsidize everything on the market?
Yes, that's still a terrible idea. Everybody likes his things cheap, me too! So why don't we force restaurants to subsidize meals, car manufacturers to give away their cars for free and while we are at it, why don't we pay everybody an above average income?
OK, I'm snarky, sorry. What I'm trying to tell you here is that the money you spend must come from somewhere (even if the recent events in our financial markets suggest otherwise) and if you believe that carriers subsidize certain (or even any) handsets out of the goodness of their heart, I've got news for you.
Since we are re-writing the US law system here, let's at least propose laws that most people will like.
Haha, good one. How about "free hookers for everyone?"
Member since:2005-07-06
However, it's good to hear that in some countries things are different, even if I wonder why and how the carriers are subsidizing any phone. Are your contracts so expensive or what?
Is it hard to imagine that your carriers just don't give you a very good deal? (say, they might be even ~cooperating, colluding in a cartel way)
BTW, most of the 5+ billion mobile subscribers own their phones, and are on prepaid - no contract. That alone makes your market a bit atypical.
Also, two Opera reports:
http://www.opera.com/smw/2012/05/
http://www.opera.com/smw/2010/09/
...in both of them US turns out to be most expensive.
Member since:2009-05-19
The problem of customers being forced to choose between a limited range of (locked) phones selected by the carrier is mainly an American and UK problem.
How good that Apple is there to fix that issue... oh wait! Apple is the one that is extending that practice outside of US to countries that have long stopped having locked devices(A contract with an ETF is good enough in reality)
Also, stop with the subsidies! You get a loan on your device. You get a higher priced contract for longer - you get a higher loan. Terminate your contract early - pay off the difference.
Hiding the price of a phone behind - $200 now and $90 for the next 24 months isn't a positive thing for a free market.
Edited 2012-12-14 12:29 UTC
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.More Features »
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Member since:
2011-04-11
WHAT inconvenience? The carrier I have a contract with (Cosmote) is subsidizing all the phones that are available in the retail market (yes, even Nexuses), and offers phones that are SIM-unlocked (yes, with a contract) and get their upgrades directly from the manufacturer. There is another carrier here (Wind) with similar pro-customer practices, so I am good. The problem of customers being forced to choose between a limited range of (locked) phones selected by the carrier is mainly an American and UK problem. The problem with phones being SIM-locked and also not receiving a upgrades directly from the manufacturer is mainly an American and UK problem, and for customers of Vodafone.
Also, I want to have a certain amount of "mobile" data for each month. I can either price list price (which is expensive here), or sign a 12 month contract and pay much less, and get a (SIM-unlocked) phone for less. What should I do? Hmm... let me think...
Subsidizes are not a bad habit if the phone that is subsidized is unlocked.
So, we should stop carriers from offering deals some of us want, just to satisfy some nerdy ethics that say the phone shall be sold unsubsidized? I don't think so If you want to stop the American and UK problem of carriers offering a limited range of (locked) phones, how about a law that forces carriers to offer unlocked phones and subsidize everything on the market?
Since we are re-writing the US law system here, let's at least propose laws that most people will like.
Edited 2012-12-13 13:14 UTC