Re: Fwd: updated framework

Hi Atanu,

thanks for your comment.
My view:

> I am convinced type of mobile
> handsets, networks and connectivity in general may depend on income
> level, but there are so much of exception to that (15% at least)
> developing a criteria based on the income level would be difficult.

if i understand correctly what you are saying, i also believe that 
defining the type of device and infrastructure based on the targeted 
end-user would be a mistake.
not only these characteristics might evolve quickly in the future, 
deprecating the work we would do, but then we might miss important use 
cases imho.
For instance, i would not by default exclude the availability of 
high-end phones. I saw few projects developed by ngos which was offering 
a specific phone to a community and a simcard to deliver them services.
So considering only what is possible on low-end phone is a limitation i 
would not want ot have. Here again, mobile web technologies are 
available only on a small subset of the total phones in the market in 
Developing Countries. But not only this might be relevant in some case, 
but it is also, imho, something which would grow. So if we stick only 
with what possible today for mbile within the targeted end-user 
population, this would be too limiting.

That said, we have to define in some way what we are considering. we had 
this discussion yesterday mobile phone versus mobile devices, and it is 
clear that we have to define what we are considering.

I still believe that the range should go from the low-end phone which 
are only voice and sms capable, till the high-end smartphone and not 
further.
My view is that a mobile device should be at least GSM capable, with 
voice and sms (this is what is on the market now for most of targeted 
end-users imho, tough i would be happy to get data about that). At the 
other end, it might have extra features that while not present today on 
the targeted population, are available on numerous phones (a JVM, a 
browser or widget engines,...), and would surely appears soon, or might 
even be available for specific communities.
This rules out imho all equipment not GSM capable (nintendo DS, wifi 
laptop, table PC...). yes wifi or related technologies like wimax will 
be there soon, but before it reach the level of GSM (~90% of the world 
population covered) it will take ages.

Stephane

-- 
Stephane Boyera		stephane@w3.org
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Received on Tuesday, 5 August 2008 08:46:17 UTC