Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 27th Feb 2013 22:42 UTC
"Firefox OS could actually be wildly successful, no matter how underwhelming the actual phones may be. And that's because - at least for now - you're not the customer; your carrier is." I'm extremely disappointed by Firefox OS so far. There's nothing wrong with the low-end hardware we've seen during MWC, but there is something wrong with low-end hardware that can't even properly run its operating system. To make matters worse, carriers are the boss here. Terrible first impression.
Thread beginning with comment 553897
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2006-02-15
People tend to have this utopia idea that carriers can be circumvented, but as long as they have anything to say that is very hard thing to do.
Only on countries were people tend to prefer pre-pay to contracts this is somehow possible, but people need to be able to buy the handsets, which tend to be quite expensive nowadays.
So if the choice is between a carrier specific firmware or very expensive standard firmware, many people will pick the carrier one.
Only on countries were people tend to prefer pre-pay to contracts this is somehow possible, but people need to be able to buy the handsets, which tend to be quite expensive nowadays.
So if the choice is between a carrier specific firmware or very expensive standard firmware, many people will pick the carrier one.
Don't assume that your experiences cover even most of the world. Here in Finland, for example, carriers generally sell their phones completely unlocked even if you sign for a 2-year contract, you are also given the possibility of just buying the phone outright and going for a pay-as-you-go contract if you so choose, and I'm not aware of any operator bothering to make custom firmwares.
RE[2]: What else is new?
by moondevil on Thu 28th Feb 2013 09:34
in reply to "RE: What else is new?"
Member since:2005-07-08
Member since:2007-09-22
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
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.More Features »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2005-07-08
People tend to have this utopia idea that carriers can be circumvented, but as long as they have anything to say that is very hard thing to do.
Only on countries were people tend to prefer pre-pay to contracts this is somehow possible, but people need to be able to buy the handsets, which tend to be quite expensive nowadays.
So if the choice is between a carrier specific firmware or very expensive standard firmware, many people will pick the carrier one.
Given my experience in telecommunications I can assure the situation will never change, regardless of what a few geeks might wish for.
Get prepared for the myriad of discussions about FirefoxOS being fractured and updates only available in certain devices.