As an N770 end user, I was quite frustrated when support dropped for OS updates. Initially, I was hesitant to install HE version due to their clearly labeled "not supported" status. Eventually I did install OS2007HE and got Skype/Gizmo5 working, which was a huge boon since I use my N770 when I travel.

I don't upgrade hardware often and my 10 year old PC is still kicking along with openSUSE 11.2. I guess my expectation of open source is that hardware will still be usable with newer OS versions, given that experience...

I am not a fan of closed source drivers.

But the issues with them can be solved if MeeGo has one very simple rule.

The API to the closed source component must be open and documented.

This will allow Open Source UI components to be created and merged with the whole meego enviroment.

Then as users our only problem is hardware providers that develop closed source drivers but fail to fix any bugs or issues before dropping device support.

Easy to solve refuse to buy from those manufactures again.

As long as the closed source drivers for a divice work and have an open API it should be possible to continue developing new versions of meego to support that device for as long as the hardware makes it worth the effort upgrading.

Wow, so many comments in here and I don't even know where to begin. Yes, they're moving forward too fast, but then again, so is everyone else right now. And the pace of growth and development is only speeding up. Does that suck for us guys who like to take it at a slightly slower pace? Yeah. Can we do things about it? Well, MeeGo will go a long ways towards satisfying the needs of both the new user as well as the legacy user as well. Does it suck getting dumped by Nokia after 6 months because some shiny new toy is out? Yes. Do I blame them? Given the current market, no. So if you want someone to blame for the speed at which the market is moving forward, blame the end users. They're the ones that are constantly crying "More, better, newer, shinier!" and the companies are complying. If that attitude goes away, then things will settle into a more manageable product cycle again.

The only problem with that is, I don't think it ever will, and this is something I *DO* blame Nokia for. But not just them, as there are thousands of others all engaged in the same pattern of promoting that same destructive "More, better, newer, shinier" mentality. And yes, I call it destructive. It destroys the environment (lots of E-waste), destroys pocket books, lives, companies, etc. It's good in the fact that we're getting technology to a level where it needs to be. But we're leaving a lot of carnage and collateral damage along the way. Far more than we should.

Some recent, relevant commentary by Stskeeps here:
http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...&postcount=255

Asking the original question with the information we have now:

The MeeGo project makes a new release every 6 months. Each release is supported with full maintenance for a year and then for emergency fixes for a second year.

http://wiki.meego.com/Release_Engine...lease_Timeline

The MeeGo API will be maintained across releases, following usual practices of deprecation of APIs notifying the changes to developers well in advance.

Every owner and even prosective owner wants to know just how far Nokia will allow the OS to be supported and updated but the REAL truth is as everyone should now know that Nokia are in this for money and to hell with customer satisfaction and the proof is very readable if you look at the situation spanning from the N770 right through the range to the N900 and you will see Nokia drops support fully within time and THAT is just not fair.

The reason is very simple to work out and if you realise what i am trying to tell you here you will probably lose all faith in Nokia !.

IF they continue to support any particular device to the point it does it all from applications to phone useabilty, and Nokia very know what is needed to satisfy 99% of customers needs and wants, then it would make a slump in sales simply because of the limits a mobile device is capable of and to reach that capability would mean far less need for a newer device.

Changes come with component architecture improvement making components faster and more reliable/capable, this in turn leads to new and better drivers and this is phone evolution.

What Nokia do is simple... they keep certain VITAL components closed source to stop developers making progress ahead of Nokia's progression money making machine and THAT means they want FULL control and get it by simply holding deliberatly components closed source like for example the GPRS and USB technology among many other components.

SO the BIG question is this, will we get satisfaction from Meego ?.

Look at the history of battles that go on to get components open sourced and you will see why it is no way likely that Nokia will make everything open source.

I have asked this community to go further with Nokia on many occasions but they always give reasons why it is either not possible or they simply give excuses and techical reasons so end result is slow movement.

Look at every company and deide for yourself who gives good support, for how long and the capabilities of their devices in terms of user needs etc and you will soon find Nokia to be if not right at the bottom of that list damm near to it !.

We have been scammed by Nokia on this N900 and i am not happy about it at all after spending out 500 pound PLUS shipping PLUS import tax !.

SO for me as much a Qgil reams away trying telling everyone Meego is the new future that is OPEN SOURCE ! i will not hold my breath i tell you !.

So the question of this thread "Rapid Obsolescence Syndrome (ROS)" is simple to answer, if this means NOKIA have control then it will go on and on and on with us being scammed again and again and again.

So... could you commit to answering this question. Are you stating that each release means a new device, or will you allow 1.1 to be updated to 1.2 on the same machine and state it in terms that other vendors have stated in their upgrade paths?

I hate to use Apple as an example, but they've stood by their update pattern of 3 "major" revisions of their OS (ex. iOS 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0) per device and all iterations therein are considered inclusive (ex. iOS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3.1 are "minor" revisions).

And how are the major revisions handled in MeeGo? Would 1.1 a major revision over 1.0, or would it be a minor revision (a dot increase)?

So to recap, what are the upgrade patterns for the upcoming MeeGo device, will it get support for that next 6 month iteration you've mentioned at least once, would it get a fully supported OS update to the next two iterations (1 year) or what?

Care to clarify what's known/unknown as it applies to each machine in terms of when it comes out and how many updates it will get; or are we looking at a single release, any updates we get for the OS are within those next six months and then looking forward to a new OS release (think: Maemo 5 to MeeGo and it will not be official, only community based support)?

Thanks in advance.

Very very good post gerbick please keep at it !!!.

I think Quim will be unable to answer the question any further than he did.

Meego will not by itself prevent users from upgrading their devices to their hearts content. Hardware vendors, however, MAY/WILL. Primarily through the same way the n900 is hobbled: closed device drivers.

Since the Meego API should largely remain the same, there shouldn't in theory be any reason that a driver, closed source or not, would be tied to any specific version of Meego. In theory.

That means if you can get the binary for the driver, you can use it to install the latest and greatest Meego. Whether you'll get all the possible features will depend on the feature and the driver.

Please don't do this to yet another thread. I really don't see any reason to get offensive so please calm down. Also please read the text behind the link that qgil provided. If there's something in there that you don't understand or agree with please ask politely and you will be answered politely and this won't turn into a another flame war and abusing thread (that people with knowledge and expertise tend to stay away from).

FYI: MeeGo is not a Nokia project, it's a Linux Foundation project. Also it's not aimed to some specific device, it's a mobile OS for a wide range of devices.