Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

I actually watched an interesting tedtalk on marketing and how Apple or rather Steve Jobs does it.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

Exactly. Too much energy is going into pointing out where the iPhone fails. Nokia needs specific functionality to show for its efforts. The fanboys will do the work of comparing competing devices, as long as Nokia delivers hard to match features.

One way to hit Android would be to really go for the nerd crowd while remaining transparent to people who don't care. Why not start a Free repo on Ovi that would mirror Maemo Extras, so developers could charge for their apps without destroying the idea of a package manager and users could easily support their favorites? We might even start getting GPL games like that!

Then push that concept like hell on Slashdot, etc. Free software fanatics need to see progress too, which is why Android has so far received more attention than Maemo despite being less Linuxy.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

Android has been receiving far more good press because it is "flashy" and "open".

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

Android is receiving more good press because the press can point at specific features, not nebulous concepts.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

S60 has probably the most features of all the smartphone OS's, but its press is abysmal. Android takes features, wraps them in a flashy, open envelope; and presents it. Most Android reviews (specially with HTC Sense) are "Oh pretty, and open"; while the detailed ones go past them and hammer on the features.

This is something MeeGo will need.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

OK, I'll rephrase: "specific, usable, features" :D .

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

That man could sell a refrigerator to an eskimo...

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

What MeeGo need is persuasive talking heads... Like Jobs.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

Except that you can't say anything like that, since you don't know who is going to adopt MeeGo and what the devices they'll put it on are like.

What has to happen is people that are leading the MeeGo project need to get hardware vendors on board with it, and pressure THEM to look at what Apple is doing right and to learn from it, while trying to maintain the openness for the end-user that we want.

In the end, the hardware vendors want to become service vendors and they're trying to learn from Apple. What has to be done is to convince them that you can give people a user experience equivalent to what Apple provides without being as hostile to end users and developers that Apple is.

Steve isn't just a persuasive talking head. He pushes design and aesthetics. Something that Apple really succeeds at. Simple things like not allowing the end user to see the UI redraw itself.

Re: MeeGo Needs Some Talking Points
 

But it also needs services. Out of the box. Not potential, not what might come later if the community delivers it.

If you get the services right, it sells itself. If you get a charismatic salesman to pitch it, you print money.