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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for your input.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>Yes, it can work.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>That's nice to hear :).</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>However, to run any business, you need to
understand the customer need, and find something to fill it at a >price which
1) the customer will pay, 2) will make a profit for you. <FONT face=Arial
size=2>You need to understand things from your >customers' perspective, which
involves thinking through exactly what it is you have to offer in terms that the
>customer can relate to.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>><FONT face=Arial size=2>"A simple to use,
stable system that does what they want - no more, no less at a minimal cost (ie
free)".</FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>My problem with this is that it isn't free. At
least, not free in a way that the customer will understand. The >customer
does not CARE how much a Windows licence costs. The customer CARES how much the
whole >package will cost, including hardware, software, and
installation.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let me describe a normal scenario. I have an
elderly customer using his system for email, word processing and a bit of light
surfing. He's running a K6-2 300, 64mb of RAM, Windows 98. For one
reason or another his 98 install is out of action, and he asks me to put things
right. Rather than reinstall 98 which he hasn't a clue how to use anyway,
I install Linux in one form or another. Using a minimalist window manager
(fluxbox is my favourite), he is given 3 options when he starts up his machine -
Email, Web, Word. As he's not root there's no way he can do anything to
harm the system. The system does exactly what he wants, no more, no
less. Unless he wanted to, there is no reason he would ever have to touch
the inner workings of the operating system.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Normally when I'm called out to install Windows I
spend an hour there at the most, and charge £20 flat fee (I'm not underselling
myself, there's just a lot of competition round here). For this to
work I would have to be able to have the system up and running within the same
length of time. The cost of the licence is never an issue, as I'm rarely
called out to install an OS different to the one they are currently
using.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>If I were you, I would cost up some machines,
and work out how much you would need to charge the >customer to give them the
system you describe. Then compare that price to what the customer would pay
>from, say, Dell. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The idea of selling systems with Linux
pre-installed was playing second-fiddle somewhat to the idea of replacing
Windows with Linux on older machines. I don't advertise machines for sale
ever, and only ever sell to regular customers or friends of theirs. I sell
the machines without OS, and instead install their current OS for them. I
would charge no extra for supplying the machine pre-installed with Linux, the
only thing I would get out of it is possibly more recommendations and less
chance of people doing something untoward to their new system. To compare
with Dell is rather difficult as I sell PCs without monitors, keyboards, mice
etc but for as little as £220.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The biggest problem to overcome is how to get Linux
on there in the same time it would take to install Windows, which considering
the range of hardware I have to work with, is going to be very very
difficult.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Adam.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>