RE: Linux Demo Day

[Al Hudson <nospam [at] york.ac.uk>]

On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, SIMS, Paul, LCTL wrote:

> Let's face it, why would PCW want to sell Linux cds at £2 a throw when they
> can flog MS Orifice 2000 at £200+ a go.

Firstly, I doubt linux is in competition with Office 2000 in the server
market ;), secondly, I doubt they would want to sell linux cd's at £2 -
but then, very few (non-linux) people wish to buy them at that price.

> The drawback benefit of Linux is
> that it's not a commercial proposition to the likes of PCW who are purely
> profit-motivated.

Depends. For most people, price isn't necessarily the issue. And I would
also bet most of PCW's Win sales are OEM - hardly the golden goose.

> That means the smaller vendors clean up with specialist
> knowledge products, while the likes of PCW are left with Caldera 2.2 and
> RH 6 if you're lucky, both at premium prices.

I don't know about 'premium', RH 6 is superior in it's non-GPL form, and
Caldera doesn't have a GPL form. You get what you pay for generally.

> by. I can't see the meadowhall computer shops being too happy either.....

How many computer shops are there in Meadowhall? I know there's a Dixons,
can't think of anyone else off the top of my head. I presume there must be
some console places. . . actual bona-fide computers don't make a great
appearance, do they?

> How about contacting one of the local PC/component retailers like *Memax in
> Chesterfield - this gives them a chance to show off kit they aren't a
> major software vendor, so you're not competing. Consider the benefit of
> setting up a system right there in the demo room whacking on Linux out of
> the box - Memax get to say Linux compatible (ok, they'd have to rip out
> the WinModems) and you get to say look how easy it is, even on new
> hardware.

Memax only have three (last time I visited) computers in their demo room
for a reason - it's a cupboard ;) I think they come under my
'box-shifters' category. And again, how many other stores are there about?
Perhaps I don't look around hard enough. I can't think of anywhere else in
Chesterfield. . . precious few in Sheffield as it is.

Cheers,

Alex.

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