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

[Rick]

On Friday 18 February 2005 22:06, Andy Roffe wrote:
> That's quite a rant.

Well it is *only* software :)

> I own a copy of Xandros (among many other free, "free" and proprietary
> linux distro's) and there is a market for all of them - they all suit
> different users with different needs, tastes and pockets. I think this
> choice is a good thing.

Bottled Water.

> What does "If you have to give your product away to get people to try
> it, your product is worthless" mean?

Perhape valueless would be better. Any software thats realeased under the GPL 
(or similar) licence has by the nature of the licence no monetry value.

There is nothing stopping me putting a great stack of GPL software on CD and 
trying to sell it, but I would have to offer more than the contents of the 
disk in order to convince anyone to part with any cash.

Would you pay more for a disk full of rpms relating to server software than a 
similar disk containing kde?

> That years of free-sample marketing was a pointless waste of time?

Sample free marketing only works if you can terminate the supply of free 
samples (or your free sample is in someway crippled) and leave your customers 
no choice but to pay. 

It doesnt work with free software as no vendor actually owns the software OR 
control the overall distribution.

This is why SCO got so much support for its litigation (from anti Linux 
companies and market investors), if it could show ownership of Linux, it 
would both own the product and be in sole charge of its distribution.

> That GNU/Linux is worthless because you don't have to pay for it?

Just because something has no monetry values (and is therefore worthless) it 
isn't a good thing. You don't pay for air.

> Buy one get one free because it is a worthless product actually?

Thats different, supermarket BOGOFF offers are usually run as a loss leader 
for other sales, double glazing BOGOFF shows the windows are priced at twice 
the market value.

Rick