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[Linux-aus] For those of us who aren't on the same Planet...
...specifically http://planet.linux.org.au/ here is a copy of my most
recent 'blog post. Please read and consider:
The news aggregator that everybody loves to despise is running a
story<1> on /Using Computer Stores to Spread Open Source/, but what
caught my attention was a post<2> asking:
How does the local computer guy, FireFox, GIMP, etc differentiate
themselves not among the geeks, but among the general population?
Being a marketing guy (hold the hisses) with a good dose of
liberalism and technology I'm all for F/OSS, and I be happy to
offer a few hours a week to good software I believe in. So, is
there an opening on the F/OSS world for the marketing guy as well
as the coder?
You see, each copy of MS Office (standard) sold wins the OEM AU$60, and
MS Windows XP netts them $75, which means that if they just made
$120-$150 selling a basic $1000 system, then they make /twice as much/
if they then sell MS-Windows and MS-Office with the machine.
So... if you want to get them to distribute FOSS with the machine
instead, you have to replace half of their profit as well. Showstopper?
I think not.
But is the answer better to implement as an Open-Source-style
"community" response or as a commercial enterprise?
If commercial, perhaps this is something for those arch-CD-confettists,
Canonical?
Read the post, read my answer, tell me what you think. Go ahead, post as
an Anonymous Coward even -- you know you want to! (-:
Cheers; Leon
<1> http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/28/2215246
<2> http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=151034&cid=12667321
--
http://cyberknights.com.au/ Modern tools; traditional dedication
http://plug.linux.org.au/ Member, Perth Linux User Group
http://slpwa.asn.au/ Member, Linux Professionals WA
http://osia.net.au/ Member, Open Source Industry Australia
http://linux.org.au/ Member, Linux Australia