Re: Goal for GNOME Mobile?

[Dave Neary <dneary gnome org>]

Hi,

Paul Cooper wrote:
> On Sat, 2008-11-08 at 13:22 -0700, Stormy Peters wrote:
>> Could we make GNOME Mobile a complete solution like Android? A set of
>> software and a spec that hardware vendors could write to and ISVs
>> could develop on top of? I realized we'd need to expand into the Linux
>> kernel space to make that happen. GNOME mobile would be completely
>> free and open and not tied to proprietary web apps like Gmail.
> 
> (Leaving aside the fact the GM is used in such a wide variety of devices
> compared to just mobile handsets like Android)

I think this is the core point - GNOME Mobile's used not just in phones,
but in a wide range of form factors, screen sizes, and applications.

I don't think it's our role to define the mobile Linux user experience
(any more than it might be the kernel's role or X11's role).

In fact, I'll go further, and say that any attempt to do so would
probably result in the various GNOME Mobile consumers cherry-picking the
bits they want and building what they want & need regardless of what we say.

My vision for GNOME Mobile is pretty much what it is now - better. A
collection of technologies addressing problems common to all or most
mobile UI environments. A clearly enunciated set of mobile specific
features and goals that should be solved in the framework of those
technologies. And a co-ordinated effort to solve those problems
together, rather than working on them piecemeal.

What's missing? The clearly enunciated set of mobile specific features
and goals. Stormy, is that what you were getting at?

Cheers,
Dave.


-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
dneary gnome org