[SWLUG] Re: Starting with Linux

[justin at discordia.org.uk]

On 20 Jan, Tony Pursell wrote:
> I'm with you all the way, Adam.  I want to see Linux succeed.  Its just that 
> I think that the prevailing opinion that Hugh should do his own install is not 
> the way forward, if Linux is to break through into wider PC use.  We have 
> to look for what it is that attracts ordinary, non-techie, users and one thing 
> is that it come pre-installed and ready to run. 

That is going to remain a limited option whilst microsoft maintain the
competition stifling buisness practices that they have repeatedly been
taken to court over, yet still manage to get away with.

the classic example that i remeber is the contract clause that
meant that oems had to pay a fee to microsoft for every pc they sold
wether or not it actually had windows installed on it.  

Istr they were eventually forced to withdraw that one, but it was
replaced with a scheme where by dealers that agreed to ship only
microsoft preinstalled systems could get an additional 'discount' on the
price of oem software.

Someone may like to update me on where the various legal actions are on
such things, but they dont get very much media time.