Re: Linux Demo Day

[Paul Sims <nospam [at] psims.free-online.co.uk>]

The philosophy of Linux is not in question. I just don't see retailers
giving over shelf space to gpl disks on which there is little profit. Sure,
they can charge what they like, but Joe Public only has to be made aware of
CheapBytes, Linux Emporium etc. to realise that, say, £10 is a lot more than
the £2 the others are asking. The big boxed distributions are another
matter - what's at question here is the level of commercial risk. Do PCW,
for example, go out buy 10,000 copies of RH6 do a proper marketing
campaign, or do they buy 100 and let the boxes rot on the shelves. No doubt
the powers-that-be in purchasing are aware of Linux in the market, the
results are there for you to see.

The best way forwards as I see it is for one of the big LUGs - presumably
London-based - to host a mini-expo for the purchasing techie guys at PCW,
independent PC makers, etc, to get to the people who make the decisions. For
such a degree of penetration I'm sure it would be in the interests of RH,
SuSE and possibly the FSF/Gnu Project to send representatives, so the
marketeers may speak unto their breatheren likewise.

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