The turkey below wants to stock stores, where people pay good money for MS
Office, with $10 CDs of free software such as OpenOffice. Even at a 1%
markup on cost, a retailer is way out in front selling MSO than with a 300%
markup on a $10 CD. Linux makes you fucking stupid. Really, it does.

From: "pragmatist" <compendiary@yahoo.com>
Subject: Selling free software
Date: Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:46 PM

Greetings,

Could people share stories/facts about shops or markets that sell
"home-made" CDs of Linux and other open source software? That is, not
boxed sets from distributors, but software just burnt on to cds and
sold cheaply to people who have a slow internet connection, no
internet connection, or just couldn't be bothered finding and
downloading the software themselves.

I only know of one very limited example where I live (maybe just
because it's not a very big city), but it seems like this would be a
pretty easy market to extend into if you're already a
software/hardware retailer (low entry cost into the market, immediate
exposure to an existing customer base, improved reputation among local
oss users), as well as an effective method of increasing people's
awareness about open source software, in such a way that it encourages
them to try it out.

Even a Windows user could come in and get a CD full of office
packages, internet apps and media players/encoders/decoders; for, say,
$10 (or less since 90% of that would be markup if the store was
mass-producing the disks). If they're in the store buying a new
computer, or a new copy of windows; the availability of this
cheap-alternative might make them think twice about adding ms-office
to their list of items to purchase. A Linux user could pick from a
wide variety of distributions for a similar price, or maybe you want
to buy 700mb of database tools, or a set of popular IDEs for various
languages/gui toolkits. The possibilities, obviously are without
natural limit.

You could maybe select from a catalogue of software and have a custom
cd burnt; even do this over the net so its ready when you go to pick
it up, or have it mailed to you or whatever. And of course it would be
a great way to keep reminding corporate IT people about oss when they
drop in to pick up some software and notice all the cheap CDs while
they see themselves forking out several hundred dollars for a big
colourful box with some brand-name on it. It might at least spark
their interest "why is that stuff so cheap?".

While a nice add-on market for hardware vendors, some software
retailers may believe that encouraging the use of GPL stuff will
ultimately encourage people to stay at home and download their
software; but presumably the idea has been tried in at least a few
places. If you've seen it, is the idea as useful as it seems, and is
it very common/popular where you live?

Thank you.

"Kadaitcha Man" <nospam@rainx.cjb.net> wrote in message news:<MEHQWnolMKWT0250AADBOGijQv1HKYnm@www.21stcen turyhandicab.com>...
There are places that already do this, so increasingly if someone
wants OpenOffice and you don't have it then you're talking 0% markup
as the customer has gone elsewhere. Likewise if someone wants a full
office suite, but it's not absolutely vital, and they won't use it
often enough to justify the extortionate MS price tag. Some people
would rather buy a CD with OpenOffice on it than download it,
(especially if they've only got dial-up); but would rather download it
than buy MS-Office. Copies of open source software can be restocked
more quickly and take up less space so a wider variety can be offered,
and small hardware retailers can offer software at the counter without
taking up shelf and floor space for their hardware.

Per-unit-markup is not the only factor.

"Kadaitcha Man" <nospam@rainx.cjb.net> wrote in message news:<MEHQWnolMKWT0250AADBOGijQv1HKYnm@www.21stcen turyhandicab.com>...
There are places that already do this, so increasingly if someone
wants OpenOffice and you don't have it then you're talking 0% markup
as the customer has gone elsewhere. Likewise if someone wants a full
office suite, but it's not absolutely vital, and they won't use it
often enough to justify the extortionate MS price tag. Some people
would rather buy a CD with OpenOffice on it than download it,
(especially if they've only got dial-up); but would rather download it
than buy MS-Office. Copies of open source software can be restocked
more quickly and take up less space so a wider variety can be offered,
and small hardware retailers can offer software at the counter without
taking up shelf and floor space for their hardware.

Per-unit-markup is not the only factor.

"Kadaitcha Man" <nospam@rainx.cjb.net> wrote in message news:<MEHQWnolMKWT0250AADBOGijQv1HKYnm@www.21stcen turyhandicab.com>...
There are places that already do this, so increasingly if someone
wants OpenOffice and you don't have it then you're talking 0% markup
as the customer has gone elsewhere. Likewise if someone wants a full
office suite, but it's not absolutely vital, and they won't use it
often enough to justify the extortionate MS price tag. Some people
would rather buy a CD with OpenOffice on it than download it,
(especially if they've only got dial-up); but would rather download it
than buy MS-Office. Copies of open source software can be restocked
more quickly and take up less space so a wider variety can be offered,
and small hardware retailers can offer software at the counter without
taking up shelf and floor space for their hardware.

Per-unit-markup is not the only factor.

pragmatist wrote:
And why are you telling me that, you fuckwitted oaf?


--
Your Free Insult: Thou cantoning, impinging, drudging waitress bucking hedge-pig.

pragmatist wrote:
Linux makes you stupid.


--
Your Free Insult: Thou discrowning, drumming, microcephalic wart minimisimg jack-a-nape.

"Kadaitcha Man" <nospam@rainx.cjb.net> wrote in message news:<0FM6xmnv3Z2iC702E79CNmPZmquWBndW@bbs.hrstv.c om>...
For reasons you may have found out had you been able to read an entire
sentence before slinging another insult.

pragmatist wrote:
OK, here it comes... now pay attention pragmatist: linux makes you stupid.

--
Diogenes Laertius

pragmatist wrote:
Real meaning: He has no idea why he did it so he'll just put on his rubber
suit and hope for the best.


--
Your Free Insult: Thou depainting, stooking, tailing minnow apprehending elephant.