Comment by nzeid
15 hours ago
Come on, this kind of defeatism only emboldens entrenched players.
Yes, we're awkwardly cornered - hardware used to be open or easily reverse-engineered. Now it isn't. The solution is to demonstrate the demand for open hardware. No one is going to walk away from money that can be made even if the market is smaller.
This movement was strong enough that the incumbents themselves offered Linux-friendly hardware. We continue to see momentum in the mobile space as well with /e/OS, Fairphone, etc. GrapheneOS is pursuing alternatives to Pixel.
Be brave!
> No one is going to walk away from money that can be made even if the market is smaller.
Unfortunately the tech industry has shown us that isn't true. For example, look at the iPhone mini - I forget the exact sales numbers others have cited, but it sold very well. There is clearly a solid market there, even if it is smaller. But Apple isn't willing to chase it, and nor are the various Android OEMs. The same may well prove true for open hardware.
> Apple isn't willing to chase it
They are, it returns next year as iPhone Fold for $2K.
> Yes, we're awkwardly cornered - hardware used to be open or easily reverse-engineered. Now it isn't.
When exactly was that? The 1980s?
Linux hardware support is better now than its ever been.
What did it take to port Linux to M1 series Macs (which at least has an unlocked bootloader)?
How do I install GNU/Linux distribution on a latest Galaxy S25 or iPhone or Google Pixel or Apple Watch or... (these are likely top-selling general compute devices in the world)?
Yes, on Windows PCs, Linux usually works better than Windows itself (except for the very newest stuff for a short while). But I think you missed the point of the GP.