I’m spending some time thinking about missed and anticipated opportunities this week. In looking at Windows Server, I’ve become convinced that it is the wrong product for the Unix displacement market. In fact, in my head, it really always has been — I just don’t talk about servers much, so it doesn’t come up. On the desktop side, Dell is considering Linux, and there is a lot of speculation that Microsoft is pressuring Dell not to do it or that “Get the Facts” is making Linux look unattractive to Dell.
I've been reading TechNewsWorld for two years now and this is the first time an editorial has upset me. The kind of authorship expressed here is what I would expect from a Microsoft propagandist, not from an impartial news author. The fear induced in the common user market about a Linux switch is: a) familiarity and ease of use; b) available support (this includes documentation); and c) cost of the product. These are in no particular order but they cover the main scope. I've taken these main points from talking with every-day users who've never been exposed to Linux in their life. Dell would have a great deal to gain if they provided a built system pre-installed with Linux for $100, the same price as Windows, and did what Microsoft doesn't do with their OEM packages: offer the same documentation in the form of the books that come with the full retail version of distros like SuSE. The documentation is more complete than anything that comes with the full retail Windows boxes and is written more clearly. The docs you get with SuSE are provided in an electronic copy on the discs but are offered in print form for ease of use. Support is something else you get with full retail versions and would be very easy to integrate with Dell's existing support. Have a hardware problem? Call Dell direct. Having a problem with the OS? Call SuSE or RedHat or whoever, depending on your particular OS. It's a very feasible, very economical and very easily integrated idea and Dell would be foolish not to take up the Linux flag after taking these things in to consideration. Also, as far as cost to implement the solutions, it would be far cheaper in the long term consideration. The ridiculous disc that comes with most, if not all, Windows boxes is the rescue disc. All the rescue disc does is roll back to factory, rather than performing a full re-install of the system. Any viruses will be left in place. Fully re-installing either Windows or Linux formats the hard drive, at least in part, erasing everything. You're going to lose it anyway, why not just do like you should and start from scratch? Why try to separate the cake batter to its components when it's better and easier to throw away the bad batch and start from the beginning? These are all concerns that have to be accounted for when rolling out a project like this and they're all easily answered.
"Given this was a female teacher, it isn't hard to imagine that her story is true -- even though it seems far-fetched to those of us who are more tech-oriented." hmmmm.... What are you trying to imply here? And then here: "For Linux in the same $500 PC, let's say Linux is priced at $50. The buyer wants Linux to be free and gets a steep discount -- most of which Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) or Red Had may eat. This leaves little or no money for support or marketing of the product." Was there any reason you choose to focus on 2 "Enterprise" distro's? While it's true that Novel (SuSE) only offers eval version for free, Red Hat is still available for free - you only pay if you want discs & paper docs, and premium support from Red hat of course. More importantly, you were talking about the Desktop environment - but only refer to Enterprise solutions. So, if Dell were to install a truly free, desktop focused Linux: $450 - PC $0 - - Linux (how about Ubuntu?) $550 - Cost to customer -------------------------- $100 - profit
Loading ...
Microsoft’s Unix, Dell’s Linux, and a Virus Warning: Get Infected, Get Fired
Posted by: Rob Enderle March 19, 2007 04:00 AMI’m spending some time thinking about missed and anticipated opportunities this week. In looking at Windows Server, I’ve become convinced that it is the wrong product for the Unix displacement market. In fact, in my head, it really always has been — I just don’t talk about servers much, so it doesn’t come up. On the desktop side, Dell is considering Linux, and there is a lot of speculation that Microsoft is pressuring Dell not to do it or that “Get the Facts” is making Linux look unattractive to Dell.
The fear induced in the common user market about a Linux switch is: a) familiarity and ease of use; b) available support (this includes documentation); and c) cost of the product. These are in no particular order but they cover the main scope. I've taken these main points from talking with every-day users who've never been exposed to Linux in their life.
Dell would have a great deal to gain if they provided a built system pre-installed with Linux for $100, the same price as Windows, and did what Microsoft doesn't do with their OEM packages: offer the same documentation in the form of the books that come with the full retail version of distros like SuSE. The documentation is more complete than anything that comes with the full retail Windows boxes and is written more clearly. The docs you get with SuSE are provided in an electronic copy on the discs but are offered in print form for ease of use.
Support is something else you get with full retail versions and would be very easy to integrate with Dell's existing support. Have a hardware problem? Call Dell direct. Having a problem with the OS? Call SuSE or RedHat or whoever, depending on your particular OS. It's a very feasible, very economical and very easily integrated idea and Dell would be foolish not to take up the Linux flag after taking these things in to consideration.
Also, as far as cost to implement the solutions, it would be far cheaper in the long term consideration. The ridiculous disc that comes with most, if not all, Windows boxes is the rescue disc. All the rescue disc does is roll back to factory, rather than performing a full re-install of the system. Any viruses will be left in place. Fully re-installing either Windows or Linux formats the hard drive, at least in part, erasing everything. You're going to lose it anyway, why not just do like you should and start from scratch? Why try to separate the cake batter to its components when it's better and easier to throw away the bad batch and start from the beginning?
These are all concerns that have to be accounted for when rolling out a project like this and they're all easily answered.
hmmmm.... What are you trying to imply here?
And then here:
"For Linux in the same $500 PC, let's say Linux is priced at $50. The buyer wants Linux to be free and gets a steep discount -- most of which Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) or Red Had may eat. This leaves little or no money for support or marketing of the product."
Was there any reason you choose to focus on 2 "Enterprise" distro's? While it's true that Novel (SuSE) only offers eval version for free, Red Hat is still available for free - you only pay if you want discs & paper docs, and premium support from Red hat of course. More importantly, you were talking about the Desktop environment - but only refer to Enterprise solutions.
So, if Dell were to install a truly free, desktop focused Linux:
$450 - PC
$0 - - Linux (how about Ubuntu?)
$550 - Cost to customer
--------------------------
$100 - profit
http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/
http://lxer.com/module/db/index.php?dbn=14