Finance Firm Bloomberg Goes In For $80,000 On Ubuntu Edge Project

DW100 writes "Ubuntu has secured a surprise enterprise backer of its $32m Edge smartphone crowd-funding push with corporate powerhouse Bloomberg signing up for the top tier Enterprise 100 package, worth $80,000. Chief technology officer at Bloomberg Shawn Edwards said the firm wanted to give its support to the innovative open source project as it could have real benefits for its IT workforce." Adds reader nk497: "So far the campaign has raised $8.5 million and has two weeks left to run. Individuals can buy the smartphone-cum-PC for $780 at the moment, but Canonical is also offering business bundles of 100 handsets, including a month of support, for $80,000. Bloomberg is the first business to opt for the bundle — but it will get its money back if the project isn't fully funded." Update: 08/08 12:58 GMT by T : One more note: Canonical has dropped the price to $695 for the remainder of the fundraising campaign.

Comments

Ubuntu Edge now $695, thanks to industry backing.

[Janek Kozicki]

These news are already outdated. Ubuntu edge is now selling for $695.

With 14 days to go, it’s time for our biggest announcement yet. From now until the end of the campaign, we’re fixing the price of the Ubuntu Edge at $695! No limited quantities, no more price changes. You wanted a more affordable Edge, and now you’ve got it.

So of course we’re passing those savings on to you. There’s now a single unlimited $695 Ubuntu Edge perk, which comes with a year’s subscription to LastPass Premium and a place on the Founders page. At the end of the campaign, anyone who’s already pledged more than $695 for the phone will be offered a refund of the difference.

FSF questions

[santiagoanders]

Were the following questions by the FSF ever answered?

"Will the Ubuntu Edge versions of both Android and Ubuntu contain or rely on any proprietary software or proprietary firmware?"

"Will the Ubuntu Edge include any Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) software?"

"Will the device's bootloader be free software?"

"Will the device have Restricted Boot, or will users be able to replace the operating system with a free one of their choice?"

"Will Ubuntu Edge include F-Droid, the free software Android application repository, as part of a commitment to promote and recommend only free software?"

Re:FSF questions

[BitZtream]

Dear FSF,

No.

Go make your own phone and distribution instead of demanding everyone do everything exactly like you want.

Seriously, get over yourselves.

I'm not buying into the edge on indiegogo, but if it comes to fruition before Apple does the same thing with OSX and iOS on the iPhone, then I'll be hard pressed not to just switch to Linux. See not everyone in the world is a freetard, some of us just like to get the job done and don't mind paying for it and not always knowing momma's secret receipt.

If you want an FSF phone/PC, then get the FSF to make you one.