What is the justification for SF OS and Jolla's existence?

answered 2016-08-23 21:33:08 +0200

ossi1967
15990 ●198 ●253 ●259

I remember the very same question being asked in the good old maemo days. The answer is still the same: The question doesn't make much sense. It's like asking "What's the reason for Burger King's existence (when there's McDonald's)?" It's taste. Personal preference. Choice. Difference.

See, I became addicted to mobile GNU/Linux devices when I got my first Nokia 770. I was amazed how the very same technology that powered my desktop PC would run on this small consumer device. For the very first time, I felt that it was possible. And I knew that I wanted a phone that

• was as similar to my desktop and laptop as possible, using the same middleware, letting me use the tools and technology I had become familiar with without having to learn something new
• used not only free, but copyleft software as much as possible (neither Nokia nor Jolla were able to produce 100% free OSes, but Jolla is very close with slightly more than 80% of the packages being free software)
• supports the upstream development of the whole ecosystem because the makers of the phone push changes back upstream
• accepts me as root right away when I SSH into it

Given what I want, there's not that much choice on the market right now. Google's Android is no longer really free; the free versions still aren't copyleft; even more important, they're not as similar to a desktop GNU/Linux system so that I could chat with them right away.

The only alternative that really exists today is Ubuntu. Technically it's pretty much SailfishOS with a different UI and without many of the proprietary bits like Android support and Exchange (well: without email, to be precise) etc. I own an Ubuntu phone, but I don't use it. There's not even a SIM card in it any longer. The UI is clumsy, it's slooow, it doesn't multitask, but above all: It lacks so many features. If people complain how SailfishOS cannot do this and that - try its cousin Ubuntu for a week and you'll see how far Jolla actually got. Still, I desperately hope for Ubuntu to evolve fast and to succeed. One free OS that's good enough for me is good. Two of them will be even better. Should Jolla finally get buried in its fourth and final death valley, I want yet another OS that will run my strange little bash scripts on a full featured phone. :)

Did you notice something? Check your original post and read what you said you expected from the Jolla phone. Now read what I want. Any similarities? No. Different tastes, I'd say. That's why there's SailfishOS (and Ubuntu) and free Android versions. And that's why there's McDonald's and Burger King. And that's why it doesn't really make much sense to discuss these things over and over again. Let the old t.m.o. threads rest in peace.

answered 2016-08-23 21:39:13 +0200

vattuvarg
13872 ●197 ●289 ●323

https://wordsmith.social/...

...and the ability to run commonly used apps

The blame should not be placed entirely on Jolla. Sudden changes to the APIs and draconian user policies are but two examples of what obstacles the big companies can provide. Just see what happened to Mitäkuuluu (a native app for Whatsapp).

As for companies promoting non-google-android stuff... Cyanogen Inc. reportedly fires OS development arm, switches to apps. Being up against giants isn't easy.

There is no "life multitasking", but is there really a need for this?

Yes. Both Google and Apple are trying hard to add this feature to their systems. Sailfish OS has it now, which means that you can do what you want without having one app blocking another. For me that means getting things done. Not just done faster but also better. Smaller apps can be used toghether to get to the same result as one big app in android and iOS. That leads to freedom too. The start screen becomes a dashboard, easy to monitor and control.

Why should I continue to use my Jolla phone with limited functions and wait for improvements?

To support the idea of open protocols and APIs, perhaps? Right now you are telling those big american companies that limiting alternatives is a good thing.

I read a post by Facebook itself today that celebrated the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. Mr Berners-Lee is still actively promoting open protocols after all these years. Compare that to how Facebook is behaving (they broke message support for Jolla, banned the use of Mitäkuuluu, etc.). On top of that there was a suggestion that I would start to "follow" Mark Zuckerberg. I'd rather read about what sir Tim is up to, thank you very much.

And what would I be waiting for?

You shouldn't wait. That's the idea. Find a goal and go for it. One example of something to actively work for is native navigation based on open systems. I'm trying out Maps.me at the moment and would happily be a guinea-pig for a native (and hopefully unlike) version of it. I already support the OpenStreetMap Foundation that delivers the maps for that app. Without the Missing Maps initiative it would be harder for organisations like MSF (doctors without borders) to do what they do best.

If you still want to wait for something then why not for someone that will create a free version of android now that Cyanogen won't.

I believe the road to the future is narrow, hard and long but I can still see Jolla taking us there.

https://together.jolla.com/question/23779/wiki-features-missing-before-i-would-recommend-jolla-to-non-techies/?answer=29435#post-id-29435

answered 2017-01-21 21:59:02 +0200

DarkTuring
6918 ●221 ●320 ●327

https://DAB.com/

@Stefanix i think the answer nedds to be security and control of permissions, content, sharing of personal identifiable information.

If SFOS can maintain an edge on transparancy, openess in software development, security features backed into the OS, distancing themselves from large corporate users and use cases (at which point you are basically required to fork your source code over to the government especially for military applications) then their existence can be guranteed.

Google and Apple will have days where a cloud storage center gets hacked, blows up etc and all your data is not only lost but sold on the data market. To allay such fears amd cater to the privacy conscious individual is key.

answered 2016-08-23 21:18:42 +0200

Dreej
4686 ●62 ●86 ●84

http://www.aral.de/

i really can understand the most of your poits. I'm coming from Nokia too. In all the time since my first "smartphone" a Symbian powered 7650 I always prefered using a "unique" cellphone. I used only once an Android Phone (HTC one m7) for 6 months before I bought a Nokia 808... this brings me to the point I can't understand... the screen size. so many people here always want a size 4" -4.5" for me 5" are almost perfect. only the dimensions of the phone itself (Jolla C) could be lesser. finally I can say I also will buy the next Jolla phone because I like Jolla and Sailfish OS and all what it stands for :)

answered 2016-08-23 20:35:43 +0200

tortoisedoc
11414 ●172 ●269 ●287

http://kastlunger.blogspo...

I bought Other Half, then I got Jolla C, if this disgraced company would have had balls I'd had a tablet by now. ;) Ill definitely buy the next device from Jolla!

answered 2016-08-23 19:36:39 +0200

partha9940
726 ●21 ●27 ●34

In my view each owner of Jolla device have purchased it to keep Jolla stay afloat. It's everyones 2nd device atleast. Nost Jolla user is from the old Nokia background who still now like to see the legacy of Nokia to be a real challenger of Android. We are here to help Jolla and since the OS is still in it's nascent stage so we can't expect too much from it.But one thing we would really expect from Jolla that they will listen to our voice and act accordingly to the best of their capability being within their limits. Jolla must license their OS to different manufacturers so that more handsets could be brought to market because that's the main source of revenue. But to do so the OS and the hansets should offer the bare minimum features that android sets provide like WiFi direct, USB OTG, good battery backup, fast charging etc. On software front to threre are some basic requirements like importing contacts from multiple Vcards,syncing of contacts, a better message app etc. But SFOS still lacks these features. Lack of High MP camera and vibrant AMOLED screen can be excused if cost of handsets are kept on budget segment. People would also buy those sets keeping in mind that they will have access to all the popular Android apps and at the same time have a refreshed experience. So my sincere request to Jolla would be that they listen to us...

answered 2016-08-28 01:57:33 +0200

EwanS
71 ●1 ●2 ●6

http://www.ewanspence.co....

Emotionally I've always favoured something 'different' in my personal tech. There are quite a few hardware choices in Android that ultimately offer the same (there are very few Mi-5 users in the United Kingdom) and for a time my daily driver was the twin screen YotaPhone 2. Jolla/Sailfish has offered that since the Jolla 1 and now with the Jolla C I feel like I'm back home with the dreamers/changers/weirdos that make tech as a whole exciting.

Practically the increased Android support helps, and it means there's less feeling of being ;left behind; as so much of the industry focuses on third-party apps, but at the same time the tightly integrated Sailfish native PIM and Core apps means I can spend less time in the Android world... as for iOS my god it's so similar it's amazingly simple yet boring.

As for supporting the company, there's a little bit of that, but compared to VC investment I'm not sure that the hardware sales is the answer to the continued support - it's all about licencing, and that needs visibility across the net.