Jim Zemlin Pitches Linux App Stores For Telcos

angry tapir writes "Mobile carriers may start giving away netbooks for free, and Linux-based application stores could help them profit by doing so, the Linux Foundation's Jim Zemlin argued at a recent forum in Beijing. 'Selling discounted netbooks to users who buy a mobile data subscription would extend a sales strategy widely used for mobile phones. Carriers often sell phones for below retail price and let a user's subscription fees make up for the loss. AT&T already sells subsidized 3G netbooks in the US, and China Mobile has announced similar plans. Carriers worldwide are likely considering the option, which lets them charge for added services like downloads of music, videos and software, said [analyst Jack Gold]. Those downloads could come from platforms like the iPhone App Store that target mainly mobile phones today. Competition could push netbook prices down as more carriers subsidize them, which would make putting Linux on the laptops an attractive way to cut costs, said Zemlin.'"

Comments

Great....

[ducomputergeek]

...a netbook with Verizon vCast OS.

Re:Great....

[goombah99]

...a netbook with Verizon vCast OS.

Exactly. for most folks, and atleast initially, the netbook will be the "second computer" and really more like the "third computer" if they use one at work as well. Why would I deliberately choose an OS that was different than my other OS, especially if I were to be transferring documents and presentations I wrote on the airplane back to my main computer. For most people one of those other computers is going to be a windows computer because the OS came pre-installed on it.

Moreover, even if my other computer was a linux computer it would probably not be a vcast or moblin linux computer. So again I have two different looks and feel to deal with.

A perhaps more enticing bussiness model would be for MS to give away the OS and sell microsoft Office in Two-packs (one for the home computer and one for the netbook).

Re:Great....

[Tubal-Cain]

Why would I deliberately choose an OS that was different than my other OS, especially if I were to be transferring documents and presentations I wrote on the airplane back to my main computer?

Because your other OS doesn't run on ARM.

Shiny package managment system?

[ruin20]

Isn't an "app store" just a shiny package management system for small programs? 99% of linux distros have this already. What, we need to skin it prettier and put it on the web? That should be easy enough. I don't know why we need to copy something from apple when the idea creating a repository for programs and working out interdependence started in the *nix environments. Getting useful usable programs onto the computer is the main barrier for adoption. Cost has nothing to do with it, they'll put out the cheapest item that will sell. If linux won't sell netbooks, then they won't use it.

Re:Shiny package managment system?

[hackel]

Or you can get together with the millions of other people in the world who need the software, each contribute, oh, $10, and make it. And then install it on as many machines as you like, no license fees, no stupid USB dongles, no upgrade costs, nothing.

There is little doubt about which method is more effective, it's just that we've become so entrenched in the previous closed-source model that we don't see any other way out. It does take a huge amount of organization, admittedly, but it can be done, and done to higher standards than most commercial software currently adheres to.

Another less attractive option is what some companies have already tried--agreeing to release the source code once a certain number of "licenses" have been purchased. This is not ideal, however, because the actual process of development remains closed.

The biggest area where we need to employ this type of strategy is in public services--the software that runs our governments, schools and universities, libraries, etc. None of these organizations should be victims of for-profit corporations. They perform basically the same task all over the world, and everyone can benefit from a common, high-quality, open source solution.

Re:Shiny package managment system?

[LWATCDR]

Yes but number one you would have to collect that money, pay the programmers and run the project.
Then what about updates?
Also you will have to wait for the software to be written.
So far no large project like this has worked and people need software NOW.
I actually work for a software company. There was a group of people that used a competing program from a company that went out of business.
The users all got together and bought the rights to the source. Sounds like your dream open source situation doesn't it.
They soon found out that the users group couldn't manage even one programmer. The software started to lag way behind the commercial products including ours. They the failed to figure out how to interface with a new device on the market that they really wanted to use.
A user was friends with us and told us about it. We felt sorry for them and gave them source to interface with the device. It wasn't our device but we had figured it out and wanted to help out.
After several months the other programmer still hadn't managed to port the code and get it working.
In mass they bought our software because we where willing to help and our software was actually very good.
I have a small sample of the system you have proposed but the failure rate is 100%.
So I have to say it is possible but very unlikely and very risky.
So prove me wrong. I will even give $10 for a 3d cad program as good as Solidworks if you promise it in less than two years.
It will not happen.

A bad trend

[CopaceticOpus]

This is exactly the opposite of what would be good for consumers. Mobile providers should get out of the hardware business entirely. They should be selling a service, and providing something like a SIM card which consumers could put into whatever phone or netbook they like.

The benefits for consumers are clear. They could use any hardware they like with any provider. They could reuse their hardware devices for new contracts. There would be a good market to buy/sell used cell phones. And best of all, mobile providers would be forced to compete on service and price rather than competing on who has the shiniest phone.

This will only happen with legislation, but unfortunately our legislators are more likely to be working for the phone companies rather than working for the people.

Re:A bad trend

[CopaceticOpus]

The cell phone industry has such a huge barrier to entry that it's cost prohibitive for any new company to "come along" and shake things up. The existing companies have no desire to make this change because they're making huge profits under the status quo.

Even if a company did come along and adopt this model, it wouldn't be a big benefit to consumers unless other companies also adopted it. What good is having hardware that is theoretically able to use multiple providers if only one provider actually supports it?

This is a case where market forces aren't going to direct us to the way things should be, and so we need legislation to make it happen.

Great idea

[LWATCDR]

Honestly I would say that limiting to the Telcos is dumb. It is a good way for Distros to make money as well as developers. The price for the software could be split between the developer, the store, and the Distro/Telco with the developer getting the majority of the price,
And just to put a stop to the "It's called a repository" statements.
An app store would allow the developer to set a price and handle charging the customer and would just send a check to the developer.
It would have reviews and ratings
And would allow the developer to decide what version is available and not the distro.
It should take care of dependencies just like a repository as well.
That would be a huge leap for Linux on the desktop and would encourage commercial software development.

Already in the UK

[jeffthejiff]

"Mobile carriers may start giving away netbooks for free"

Eh? This has already happened in the UK, without any carrier-specific crapware installed.

Re:Great Idea, As Long As

[delire]

Firstly I sincerely doubt they'll be running Debian Unstable on their phones..

Perhaps you haven't tried installing proprietary third party applications (like Skype, World of Goo, Adobe Acrobat) on a modern distribution of Linux (or used a modern distribution of Linux at all). From the user's perspective a .DEB for Ubuntu will install with as few clicks and fuss as a Windows .EXE or OS X .DMG, proprietary or otherwise, as long as it's for the particular distribution (think "OS") they're running.

Tales about people needing to touch the CLI to install software on a Linux distribution almost always refer to those people using unsupported repositories and developer dists of software (tarballs and SVN).

Re:We already have that!

[Nursie]

Price?
Ratings?

Who the hell cares about those?

Oh right, people that write "useful" applications like iFart.

Re:Lack of programs will make this hard.

[JumpDrive]

Not necessarily. I would be out in a heart beat to buy one of these for my Mom, who currently only needs email, web browser and an office suite. I'm currently looking for a phone which will easily connect into a computer and give her internet access. And when I say easy, I mean absolute minimal problems.