[Gta04-owner] [SPAM] Re: GTA04A4 Group Tour - next steps

[Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller]

Am 04.04.2012 um 14:22 schrieb Xavi Drudis Ferran:

> On Wed 04/04/12 12:31 , "Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller" <hns at goldelico.com> wrote:
>> But I have analysed the whole situation and now think the key issue
>> for finding more potential buyers within the linux and open source
>> community is the lack of a really complete device.
>> 
> 
> I strongly agree.
> 
>> Regarding an application shop: would it be interesting to software
>> developers
>> to earn some money through a central shop (with portal, search facility,
>> payment management) and for users to get higher quality applications by
>> paying some cents? Some percentage could be used to support future
>> hardware
>> development. I.e. similar to the revenue sharing model of Apple?
>> 
> 
> I disagree. 
> 
> Application shops are just prostituted distribution repositories. 

Essentially yes. With some enforced marketing decoration.

> The concept of distribution is only really possible with free software
> (the concept is some developers develop software and some [others?]
> integrate it and package it, the integration needs the 4 freedooms to 
> really work). Application stores are successful with nonfree software
> users because they give a central point of access to what they have been
> used to experience as a disgregation of software sources. Sometimes they 
> _force_ a central point. But free software
> users are used to distribution repositories which give both central point of access,
> easiness of installation and removal, integration and choice (different distributions
> solve problemes in different ways even sometimes with the same software). 
> Application stores can't be attractive to a free software audience. 
> 
> What would be very attractive would be the phone software to be integrated
> in general purpose distribution. I'd love to be able to run debian squeeze 
> (or wheezy) and have the QtMoko applications (or equally useful alternatives) 
> in debian main. This isn't  as easy said as done, I suspect, and it does 
> not help any financial model. 
> But I think if possible it would bring more users to buy the hardware, because
> these distributions already have a user base. Just install your distro in this phone
> and add this phone metapackage, or whatever.
> 
> But I think that if you come from a financial model selling hardware that 
> hasn't been as successful as it should and try to improve it by selling 
> software, you won't be lucky. Selling more hardware may do it (complete phone), or selling
> hardware with better software, but application stores would be a nightmare.
> If the hardware vendor profits from it then the software developer may want 
> some profit too, then either it is propietary software (missing the point and 
> the integration potential) or other intermediaries may get in and dissolve 
> the capital... 
> 
> I'm ok with paying for free software, but I don't think this can be done per copy.
> The profit model and the cost model are too dislocated. It can be done 
> with crowdfunding, custom development, public grant, or even contract support service, 
> but paying by copy of some app downloaded just doesn't work. The very 
> problem is people isn't paying (enough) for the hardware (which can't be
> reproduced at 0 cost), I don't see why will they pay for the software (which can). 
> 
> You kind of suggest to have both free and nonfree software in the application shop.
> But the people interested in free software will get it elsewhere and the 
> developers interested in selling propietary software will develop for bigger
> markets. I don't see it. 
> 
> But I'm no business expert, by any means.
> 
> Now, of I just had some time to install the latest releases and play a little (not even dreaming
> of contributing :( )

Great comment! Thanks!

Nikolaus