Re: [Fsfe-uk] Explaining GPL to a Windows user

[ian]

On Sun, 2003-06-08 at 14:57, Paul wrote:

> Now, this has started me thinking. Have we been aiming the argument too
> high? Windows machines invaded schools (and killed Acorn in the process)
> down to governors using Windows boxes at home

More likely using Windows boxes at work and being told "its what they
will use when they leave school"

>  and wanting their kids to
> use the same at school (and obviously, have the same advantages such as
> proliferation of macro viruses as well). School governors are not
> exactly renowned for their grasp on either reality or technology (sorry
> if anyone is a Parent/Govenor on here, but from what I've seen, this is
> indeed the case).
> 
> What we should be doing is aiming lower. 
> 
> Convince the smaller computer companies to give two prices for their
> machines - the real price and then the price after adding on the 80 or
> so quid for Windows

Bit like ex VAT :-). Getting small companies to install Linux at all is
not that easy. At some point the Linux PC will start to sell mail order
in big numbers. Snag is getting the timing right. Some have tried and
failed to get sufficient business to justify the advertising costs.
Advertising in the PC Mags is very expensive and if it goes wrong it
could bring down a small company. 

>  and possibly sell the machines with Debian 3 or
> Mandrake 9.1 on (I wouldn't sell something with SuSE on and RedHat are
> being bloody silly IMO, though a copy of PinkCap from Linux Emporium
> would be an ideal candidate) pre-installed if the customer decides that
> 500 quid for a new machine is okay, but why the hell should they be
> ripped at 600 just for Windows.

We could build a decent quality basic GNU Linux PC which would be fine
for Office, web browsing and similar apps for about £300 ex VAT. The big
question is whether or not we could sell a few hundred in order to
justify the advertising costs.

>  There is no point trying to get PC-Worm
> to do this as they're already crap scared of M$ (and besides, I wouldn't
> want Linux to get a bad press due to PC-Worm trying to offer their
> unique brand of "support" to the OS), but smaller companies (especially
> ones who build their own) are a possibility.

Maybe if several small companies clubbed together to share the
advertising costs it would cut the risk down. Not easy to arrange
though.

> I don't believe install festivals do much good. The last one I attended
> was very poorly attended by the general public.

Its another part of the problem. Branching into those who don't already
know the benefits of free software.

> Getting some effective advertising in the PC specialist mags is
> important. Preaching to our own side in Linux User (et al) is like
> giving yourself a blow job - very nice, but doesn't let anyone else have
> the pleasure ;-p Adverts from the linux companies need to go in Computer
> Shopper and other computer mags. Sure, Ximian, RedHat, SuSE etc don't
> have the cash to compete with MS, but no advertising in newpapers or
> news-stands gets us nowhere.

See above. We don't advertise Windows PCs in these mags never mind Linux
ones. Taking say a 10 grand risk on magazine advertising when you would
have to sell a couple of hundred machines (and provide support for them
in use by clueless individuals ;-) )to just cover costs, is not for the
faint-hearted. My heart wants to do something like this in the run up to
Xmas but my head is saying hang on a bit you can't afford it if it
doesn't work!

> Until the school licences with M$ are recinded or at least, made fair,
> then aiming at schools may not be that good an idea. Sure it's free,
> hard to break, robust and able to stand whatever a kid throws at it
> (hold on, these are exactly what Windows isn't!), but teachers are not
> computer savvy and in all probability, have not used anything other than
> Windows. There are exceptions of course.

Its easier and safer to get into schools if you know the market. 

> Hopefully, I'll be sending a local school a whole pile of P3-450s (and
> through a local company, will be able to shove 10Gb HDs, floppys, CDs,
> netcards and monitors for about 170 quid a throw [unless Ian can come up
> with a better price, needs 10base net cards and 15" monitors]) all of
> them will have a linux distro on and the Linux Education CD on there as
> well (and OpenOffice and Evolution). Dunno how long it will be before
> they move then to Windows though. I may decide to bung Wine on - but
> then, that means they need a M$ licence for the dll's, which kind of
> defeats the object.

If you don't want them to degrade to Windows, take out the HDs, etc and
make them into thin clients. Find some low cost second hand monitors and
put the money you save into servers on a 1:30 ratio to clients. Such a
server will cost about £700 or about £20 per client. A network card with
BootROM about a tenner. Then there is no easy way to put Windows on the
machine :-)

Once they get used to and like these machines, next time they buy just
say, well actually if we put 256 meg of RAM in each client we can run
apps locally in RAM and give you all the multimedia etc you thought you
needed a hard drive to run.

> A target needs to be identified, not just a general "aim for", but a
> specific target.

I agree with that, focus and specifics are important. As many GNU/Linux
desktops out there as possible for people to ogle.

-- 
ian <address@hidden>