[SC.LUG] [Fwd: Xandros Desktop OS Open Circulation Edition]

[Rick]

> Open Circulation a free as in beer release. As in you don't have to pay
> for it.
> They are offering you a choice - a free distro or a commercially
> supported one.

They are offering a free one because they have to. Look at what your money 
actually buys if you go for the commercial version.

http://www.xandros.com/products/desktop_matrix.html

Apart from some distro provided pap software (and that depends on how deluxe 
your feeling) the only thing you get with the commercial version is 
"Installation technical support via e-mail"

> And yes, you can download all that stuff for free - but you can't create
> a distribution from all that software for free.

Of course you can (not that I am suggesting for one second that you actually 
try it), but you can run any other distro and have all the same free software 
installed by default.

> What you get when you pay for the commercial edition is .. Well, stuff
> you might want to pay for.

But they don't have anything to sell (aside from the "Installation technical 
support via e-mail")

> This is a good thing. I like choice like this.

This isn't a good thing, this is using the open source software catalogue to 
ransom cash from users who don't know any better. 

"I tried Linux, but my version didn't have all the features I wanted. The 
super deluxe would have been great, but its half the price of Windows - Which 
I already own."

Don't be fooled into thinking a lot of Linux vendors equates to a lot of 
choice, in reality the choice offered to you by different vendors is nothing 
to do with the actual software you will be running at the end of the day. 

You are choosing brand, support, a packaging system, security attitude, user 
community and feel good factor.

> Sometimes it's good to get people using your product early - maybe you'd
> offer a discount to early users as an incentive.

If you have to give your product away to get people to try it, your product is 
worthless. You are in effect sacrificing your business for better sales 
statistics - usefull currency if your dependant on 3rd party funding (because 
your sure as hell not making any money yourself)

> You may want to do that even if it hits your margins.

There is marketing, and there is offering every LUG member in the UK a 45% 
discount.

> It doesn't seem very fair to beat somebody up publicly for offering you
> a discount(and a choice) you don't want.

The're selling something I already have, chopped into lumps to make me pay 
more for it, discounted in such a way as to make me wonder if they will still 
be in business in 12 months AND I have to be greatful!

(I also love the way the boxed products are the exact same price as the 
download versions)

Rick