Ubuntu on the Nexus 7 [LWN.net]

Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 28, 2012 13:23 UTC (Wed) by njwhite (guest, #51848)
Parent article: Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Eugh, that usage notice is horrible. Isn't this exactly what free software should be delivering us from? It really distresses me that Google's "Nexus" line, despite being explicitly not user-hostile, don't demand acceptable terms for their hardware drivers. But then I suppose it's in their short-term interest to keep things on Android. Great...

I'd like to imagine that the explicit disregard for peoples' freedom when it comes to phones and tablets would discourage people from buying them, and have the knock-on effect of doing less environmental and social damage (here meaning poor labour conditions). But apparently not.

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Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 28, 2012 22:48 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (4 responses)

Are you sure you don't come from some parallel universe? On my Earth most buyers are not even ready to do the first baby step in the fight for "for peoples' freedom" and stop buying phones from carriers (at least in most affluent countries: somehow people in dirt poor and oppressed countries value their individual freedom more and buy unlocked phones).

This means that people are not really customers as far as phones are concerned: carriers are.

If people are not ready to do such an obvious first step in the fight for freedom with obvious costs and gains then what hope is there for more vague things like "acceptable terms for their hardware drivers"?

Remember that Openmoko was announced year before Android. Heck, first hardware for Openmoko was released before Android's announce! But carriers refused to buy it and as was noted above end users refuse to become customers for the mobile phones thus it's fate was obvious from the very beginning.

Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 28, 2012 23:27 UTC (Wed) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]

Well, carrier-independent phones are very popular in Europe (in both Western and Eastern ones).

Mostly only people from US/Canada/UK are in thrall to phone companies.

Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 29, 2012 20:38 UTC (Thu) by BenHutchings (subscriber, #37955) [Link] (2 responses)

... people in dirt poor and oppressed countries value their individual freedom more ...

That's a very broad sweep! But practically, carrier locking is associated with carrier subsidy, a form of credit. Poorer people are less likely to be considered creditworthy, and poorer countries are less likely to have a norm of carrier subsidy.

Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 30, 2012 19:17 UTC (Fri) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (1 responses)

Many European countries are usually considered "not-all-that-free", "socialist" countries by Americans but many of them are quite affluent... and they don't sell their freedom by signing two—years contracts. Strange, isn't it?

Ubuntu on the Nexus 7

Posted Nov 30, 2012 19:38 UTC (Fri) by Klavs (guest, #10563) [Link]

"Many European countries are usually considered "not-all-that-free", ""socialist" countries by Americans but many of them are quite affluent... "and they don't sell their freedom by signing two—years contracts. Strange, "isn't it?

Well - in Denmark atleast, it's most likely primarily because it was deemed illegal to bind a customer more than 6 months - otherwise most would probably be stupid enough to do it, to save a dime in the short run.

Fortunately we have some consumer protection :)