I applaud and support the HW side of this, this is absolutely needed and could be a game changer. Keep also in mind this is a v1.<p>However I have reservations on the software choice. Mobile OSes live and die depending on the app ecosystem that is available. If you want lots of people to use your system, your need the popular apps to be on board. That will be hard with a KDE or Gnome based UI, and a second class citizen web support. The developer community has millions of iOS, Android and Web devs, but likely only thousands of Gnome/KDE ones. Getting top-notch PWA integration could ease that but that's unlikely to be a high priority.<p>That being said, I feel they are happy with not being mainstream and that's fine too. Just different expectations.
As someone who tried to fund the Ubuntu Edge, I don't see this getting fully funded.<p><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge#/" rel="nofollow">https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge#/</a><p>It probably wasn't 100% FOSS (blobs?, baseband?, ...), but that was a much more polished product soft+hardware, especially for touch based usage.<p>That is not to say that I don't want it to get funded, rather the barriers to entry are high.
I think the initial goal of Purism should be to make a working device with WiFi and GSM drivers and a minimal software layer on top. Even a command line tools for things like making a call, or sending an SMS would be enough for the initial release. Let then a small group of enthusiastic early adopters experiment with different UIs on top. It is not possible for a small organization to release a product that will compete with iOS or Android from the start. I think Firefox OS and Ubuntu Phone could have failed because they had too ambitious initial goals and targeted too wide group with they early devices.
Librem 5 funding page, for those looking for it: <a href="https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/" rel="nofollow">https://puri.sm/shop/librem-5/</a>
I paid for a Purism "Libre 13" laptop with a supposed shipping date that was roughly a month away from the order date. Every month I was told "another month!" until after six months I finally gave up and asked for a refund.<p>They look like a great company, and hopefully they will fix their supply issues soon but I'd not recommend them until they manage to get better at predicting shipping dates.
Really really love to see this going somewhere, but what advantage does PureOS have after UbuntuTouch, FirefoxOS, SailfishOS, TizenOS or even Windows Phone OS backed by a tech juggernaut failed to make an impact?
Does this mean they won't be using GNOME, or will this simply be another user interface option? The Purism fundraiser has mockups of a GNOME interface, and there was a recent [1] mailing list thread about starting a GNOME Mobile effort. I'm a GNOME user on my laptop, mainly because the design feels more polished than Plasma, so I would have liked to see a mobile initiative for GNOME.<p>[1] <a href="https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2017-September/msg00011.html" rel="nofollow">https://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2017-Sept...</a>
What is HN's opinion on Purism laptops? I'm looking for a new linux machine but I'm unfamiliar with Purism.<p>Currently leaning toward a Lenovo X1 Carbon or 470s, possibly a system 76.
I want to love Plasma Mobile. But development on it has always looked extremely dead every time I've checked on it since it has came out, and there are next to no phones that it's been ported to. I've never even seen someone mention using it online, unlike Ubuntu Touch or FirefoxOS or Sailfish (when they were all alive).<p>Honestly, it's felt like it's been thrown by the wayside ever since it came out, and that's not encouraging to the thought of running it on a phone that you'd use as a daily driver.
Any idea how to switch the mouse-centric desktop in KDE 5.36 to the mobile/touch variant? I want to experiment a bit.<p>IIRC in an earlier version that was a simple matter of installing an additional package and switching a quite obvious setting in the control panel, but now I can't find it anymore…
A second place Desktop OS in popularity (in desktop Linux, which itself holds just 1% or so of desktop OS share) and a niche PC manufacturer?<p>Doesn't bode very well from a commercial perspective. Would even most KDE project contributors switch to one?
Am I missing something? Why does FirefoxOS, for instance, not count as a "truly free smartphone"? Were there blob drivers or something? Or are we just forgetting them for the sake of the headline?