Does the device work as expected? Does it do useful
things? Does it do the fun things that I actually want
it to do?
Those aren't the only questions that people can ask about a phone or a mobile OS. I particularly would like a mobile OS that isn't tied to an advertising company (Google) and isn't a black box (iPhone). I don't even have full comfort over everything running on my Android device. I have no way of knowing which companies can access the data on that device and the ways with which they can access it.
If those are things you don't care about then yea, you certainly shouldn't care if FirefoxOS "wins". However, them "winning" shouldn't be looked at as them gaining dominant market share in mobile OSes, but rather (a) the open web prevailing and gaining development resources, (b) having a legitimate option for people who DO care about what software is running on their devices.
Plenty of choices of Android builds that have no closed-source Google code whatsoever.
> I don't even have full comfort over everything running on my Android device. I have no way of knowing which companies can access the data on that device and the ways with which they can access it.
That has nothing whatsoever to do with the OS. You think just because it's Firefox OS suddenly OEMs are going to open source their drivers, ship unlocked bootloaders, etc...? If so, I've got a bridge to sell you.
The article cited Panasonic as an organization interested in Firefox OS. To whom is Panasonic marketing its TVs? Gearheads like us who might care about the OS, or the mass market?
If the mass market, they aren't going to say "Not Android! Not iOS!" because many will ask "Why not? Those work pretty well, this won't work with my phone, ARGH!"
Instead, they will focus on capabilities, features, things that set them apart, and will not discuss the OS. Though they will have very carefully crafted messages about how their TVs do support interacting with your favourite smartphone.
As to the gearhead market, speaking as a recovering gearhead myself (:->), well, that's who Linux appeals to, right?
So it devolves into "Ubuntu Vs Firefox OS" for phones aimed at neckbeards.
No offense intended in any way. All tongue partially in cheek.
But the OS is irrelevant to the mass market and the market of people who care about the OS is relatively small. Good enough to support a few laptop suppliers here and there, maybe niche phone makers, but nothing big.
Broadly speaking, there are at least two communities on Hacker News: 1) People who want to grow big successful businesses based on tech, 2) hackers of all ilks and stripes who don't fall into #1.
My guess is that most of the people in Group#1 don't care what OS they use, what tools they use, as long as they deliver the capabilities and support the vision they require.
So my original comment was really about the hyperbolic statement that "we want Firefox OS to win". My bet is that many in Group#1 don't even care. Some do. More in Group#2 might. But to assert that everyone here does? Not so much.
(I love the Internet. I could care less what it runs on. Cisco Vs whomever is just so not interesting to most of us - unless we're "Group#2 networking gearheads".)
If those are things you don't care about then yea, you certainly shouldn't care if FirefoxOS "wins". However, them "winning" shouldn't be looked at as them gaining dominant market share in mobile OSes, but rather (a) the open web prevailing and gaining development resources, (b) having a legitimate option for people who DO care about what software is running on their devices.