Are you supporting the Ubuntu Edge campaign?

[Snowhog]

Ubuntu Forums has a huge member base. But how many Ubuntu enthusiasts have committed to support Canonical's Ubuntu Edge campaign?

I'll be up front: I don't use Ubuntu Linux (I did early on); I use Kubuntu; but I am a Linux fan and supporter. I want one of these phones; to have what I am sure is going to be a piece of history. I contributed for one Ubuntu Edge phone.

The campaign goal of raising $32 million dollars in just one month may sound impossible, but it really isn't. Even if you can't afford to contribute at the levels that would get you one of these phones, your contribution will help ensure that history can be made here.

[fontis]

Great idea.
But too expensive.
I don't have money to spare on something which I can use next year. Especially not when I haven't seen any real prototype of it.
If I had that kind of money lying around then sure why not, but as things are right now - it's just not worth it for me personally.

[Paqman]

Expensive phone is expensive.

Sure it's got great specs, and is very versatile, but how much? I suspect it won't meet it's funding target, they've just priced themselves way out of the mass-appeal market and are just going for the super-committed-Ubuntu-diehard or very wealthy must-have-bling-early-adopter market. Not sure if there's US$32 million worth of that out there, sadly.

I wouldn't mind a phone running this software on this hardware, but I think we'll probably have to wait for one of the big OEMs to come out with it.

[monkeybrain20122]

I wish that it succeeds, it is a very cool idea. But my current phone costs only $50.. I would be more interested in upgrading to a Firefox phone if and when it is available in Canada. I am not big on phones and just don't have that kind of money, but I will definitely mention it to my rich friends who are into gadgets.

[fat yak]

I've pitched in; yes it's a lot of money and you have to wait til next year, but I have used Ubuntu for years, I want to support them and I view it as payback for the free operating system.
Not sure that they will get over the line and I see the negatives but I'd like them to give it a go and stick two fingers up to the rest of the computing world...

[cortman]

I'd love to get one and I think it's a great idea; however I am in no position to pay that much for a phone...

[lads]

I took one for 625$. My dumbphone is getting too old, I'll have to replace it any way. I hope the campaign succeeds, but I'm not that optimist at the moment.

[lads]

Btw, why don't you set a poll?

[John_McCourt]

I stopped buying touch screen only phones this year. I wont buy a phone that doesn't have a hardware keyboard. I'm happy enough with Android and am not convinced that Cannonical has what it takes to create a mainstream phone with lots of apps. The hardaware specs seem great, but that's only going to be good if the apps are good too.

[lads]

am not convinced that Cannonical has what it takes to create a mainstream phone with lots of apps.

Good thing then that's not what they are trying to do.

[GGG83kf]

I have pledged for a phone. Wish Canonical can work some magic and rescue the campaign.

[Linuxratty]

I have pledged for a phone. Wish Canonical can work some magic and rescue the campaign.

As do I,but I just think they bit off more than they can chew.

[bvanaerde]

I purchased the $625 perk. Still hoping that somehow they'll will reach their goal.
I would have thought that this community would give a lot more response to the campaign. Maybe the forum downtime has something to do with this?

[Hylas de Niall]

The Ubuntu Edge is completely irrelevant to me, so i'm not supporting it with pledges.
I'm sure the whole thing is just a wild pipe dream anyway and will not bear fruit.

Ta

[GGG83kf]

Bloomberg has just bought in. Like Mark said, "You never know what might pop up." ;)

[bvanaerde]

30% reached, and still 10 days to go...
It's getting more & more difficult to reach the goal, but who knows what'll happen :)

[Yougo]

fwiw, i pitched in at $725 a few days ago.
right now, I think this thing isn't going to happen ( :( ) unless Canonical or some other entity has a major trick up their sleeve, but I feel it's necessary to make as big an effort as possible regardless. It certainly won't fail because I didn't try.

even if you can't afford the whole phone right now, if you'd like this to happen, at least pitch in with a symbolic amount to get your vote in, so to speak.

[John_McCourt]

even if you can't afford the whole phone right now, if you'd like this to happen, at least pitch in with a symbolic amount to get your vote in, so to speak.

Give my hard earned money so rich people can get expensive phones? Hmmmmm.... No. Maybe if they'd stuck to their guns and made a phone "For Human Beings" then I'd be more willing to help.

[Snowhog]

I find it sad there are (so) few people with vision. Plenty however, who are more than willing to participate in using "free" operating software and the applications built for it. Where do they think it comes from? Out of thin air? Time, effort, and money go into it, yet those who expend the effort to benefit others, don't ask for compensation.

The Ubuntu Edge is visionary. I'm glad to be part of that vision. If it weren't for pioneers, new frontiers would never be found or explored.

[montag dp]

I don't have any problem with what they're doing; in fact, I think it could be pretty cool. I just don't have any reason to buy such a device. I still use a dumbphone.

[buzzingrobot]

I just swapped my smartphone for a dumb flip phone. I have a desktop, a laptop, a tablet, and a phone. I was making no use of the phone for anything but calls and text. But, I was paying close to $1000 per year for an ATT data plan. Broke the contract and expect to see my costs drop by 75-80 percent.

I wish Canonical well. But, I don't think the idea of running one OS on all kinds of devices is useful, for Canonical or Microsoft.

[evaarties]

Just pledged for a t-shirt :) . Spread the word!

Portal http://is.gd/UbuntuEdge
Thunderclap https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/3555

[scouser73]

No, I can't afford to help fund a $32 million fundraiser.

[MasterNetra]

Like the idea, but no money to spare. Would otherwise. They're totally not going to meet goal. On the plus side though, the 10M they raised already is a record I hear, when it comes to timed crowd-source fundraising for a comerical project.

[randomsrvapps2]

I put money on it, I really hope we reach the goal. But it's not looking too good at the moment, trying my best to convince as many people as possible to get them.

[Linuxratty]

They're totally not going to meet goal. On the plus side though, the 10M they raised already is a record I hear, when it comes to timed crowd-source fundraising for a comerical project.

This is true..I also like the idea,although I really have no use for such a gizmo. I feel it is a shame that they won't make it,but that is how it goes. They did give it their best shot and got Ubuntu a lot of attention, which is a good thing.
\(\
(='.')
o(_”)”)

[prodigy_]

I'll be deep in my cold grave before I consider buying a device that doesn't even exist.

[cortman]

I'll be deep in my cold grave before I consider buying a device that doesn't even exist.

Well, you're not losing any money by pledging (if it doesn't work out everyone gets a full refund).

[Paqman]

Well, you're not losing any money by pledging (if it doesn't work out everyone gets a full refund).

On Indiegogo you have to pay up front when you pledge. Even if the campaign succeeded, you're still down by that much with no phone for quite some time. No thanks.

Personally I've never paid anything up front for a phone. Although I understand in the US it's not unusual to have to pay a cost for the phone when you take out a contract?

[cortman]

On Indiegogo you have to pay up front when you pledge. Even if the campaign succeeded, you're still down by that much with no phone for quite some time. No thanks.

Personally I've never paid anything up front for a phone. Although I understand in the US it's not unusual to have to pay a cost for the phone when you take out a contract?

Yes, of course you pay up front, but with interest rates at what they are (at least in the USA) you aren't losing anything on that, for sure. :) It seems like the most fair way to do crowdfunding IMO.
I always buy my phones up front, and I don't do contracts- got burned on them one too many times.

[Paqman]

with interest rates at what they are (at least in the USA) you aren't losing anything on that, for sure.

Except the opportunity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost) to spend it on something else. You're aware of the idea of the time value of money? Having to spend the money now to get the product later effectively means it costs a lot more to you than if you only had to pay when you got the phone.

Everybody will be getting their money back, hopefully asap after the deadline passes.

[cortman]

Except the opportunity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost) to spend it on something else. You're aware of the idea of the time value of money? Having to spend the money now to get the product later effectively means it costs a lot more to you than if you only had to pay when you got the phone.

Everybody will be getting their money back, hopefully asap after the deadline passes.

Only if you would notice the fact that you don't have that much- i.e., if $695 meant doing without something. And if that's the case, it's probably best to save up until that is not the case, for a phone anyway. :)
It's all about knowing what you can afford, and keeping well under it.

At any rate, I still hope it pulls through.

[bvanaerde]

It looks like the Ubuntu Edge will not see the daylight anytime soon.
$12,812,776 collected in total. That's a lot (a record in crowdfunding), but not enough, sadly.

[ukripper]

Canonical should collaborate with that "secret manufacturer" to produce these phones with gorilla glass (not saphire) and Li-on battery (not anode) at around same price. Strike a deal with Bloomberg, Thomson reuters and any other enterprises - can't see why they won't be successful with the touch idea. But only if they could.....

[cortman]

Canonical should collaborate with that "secret manufacturer" to produce these phones with gorilla glass (not saphire) and Li-on battery (not anode) at around same price. Strike a deal with Bloomberg, Thomson reuters and any other enterprises - can't see why they won't be successful with the touch idea. But only if they could.....

If sapphire would be more shatter resistant I would stick with it at the current cost for sure. Gorilla glass has excellent scratch resistance but is very prone to shattering (like all glass).
Just the other day I shattered the screen on my Samsung Galaxy S2... still works but is ugly.

[Paqman]

Gorilla glass has excellent scratch resistance but is very prone to shattering (like all glass).


That's a general problem. If you make stuff more resistant to plastic deformation (scratches) you generally lose toughness (it becomes brittle) and vice versa. Trying to find a material or a set of processes that gives good balance of both at a reasonable price is difficult.