[sclug] Using open source to make money on generic PCs (article)

[Alex Butcher]

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006, Roland Turner (SCLUG) wrote:

> On Mon, 2006-06-12 at 13:46 +0100, Alex Butcher wrote:
>
>> Before I answer, I'd like to thank you for asking these questions as they
>> made me think about where my objection lies. In essence, it's with the issue
>
> You're welcome. This was more or less my hope.

[snip]

> [A]ny vendor [offering a substandard product] would most likely put itself
> out of business quickly. This applies both to boutique markets (selling to
> a small market like Linux desktop users, where bad news travels very fast)
> and even more so to mass markets (where support problems == commercial
> suicide; see also IBM's exit from the entire hard drive business on the
> back of a single dud product). Consequently, it's not a situation that
> bothers me too much.
>
> The corollary for anyone planning to run a business doing this is pretty
> straightforward: make good products or go broke!

Eventually, yes, but it doesn't stop cynical/boneheaded (delete as
applicable) idiots from attempting to exploit market exteralities and
leaving the mess for volunteers to clean up (especially after they've
actually /gone/ broke).

> - Raz

Best Regards,
Alex.
-- 
Alex Butcher, Bristol UK.                           PGP/GnuPG ID:0x5010dbff

"[T]he whole point about the reason why I think it is important we go for
identity cards and an identity database today is that identity fraud and
abuse is a major, major problem. Now the civil liberties aspect of it, look
it is a view, I don't personally think it matters very much."
  - Tony Blair, 6 June 2006 <http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9566.asp>