Re: [SLUG] considering open sourcing my app

From: R.G. Mayhue (r.g.mayhue@verizon.net)
Date: Sun May 18 2003 - 21:08:54 EDT


On Sunday 18 May 2003 03:14 pm, patrick grantham wrote:
>
> IMH(unsolicited)O:
> I belive $39 is a fair price for the SUSE distro, considering all that
> you get with it. I have bought and used the SUSE distro for over three
> years and with only a few exceptions, every install has been smooth.
> Though I don't consider myself a newbie anymore, I am not a hacker. It
> will take commericial backing, making the insttalls idiot-proof to unseat
> M$. I think Linux is well on it's way to do just that too. Besides, it's
> nice to get printed manuals to make notes in. I haven't really checked
> lately, but SUSE was the only distro that supplied them in addition to the
> free Technical support for 90 days after registration. Not bad for $39
> ($79 for the "professional" version.
>

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't knocking SuSE here. In the past I have purchased
SuSE 7.1 Pro for $79 as well as Mandrake 7.0 & 7.2 Delux editions. I even
purchased FreeBSD 4.0 for... umm...I forgot how much now, but the point is
that I've spread some money around backing Linux distros and I feel as
passionate about it as you do. Over the coarse of the last five or so years I
have tried and/or used many Linux distros both the download and shrink
wrapped versions.

What I discribed was an attempt at doing an FTP install of SuSE. Shortly after
I bought the 7.1 pro edition (within a month) the 7.2 edition was released. I
emailed SuSE and asked about an upgrade since I just registered it and was
basically told "sorry". I was a little upset but I chalked it up to bad
timing and attemped the FTP install.

A similar thing happened after I purchased Mandrake 7.2 but because I
registered 7.2 just before the new release they sent me 4 CD's in the mail to
upgrade the 7.2 install. I never asked for it either. Mandrake kinda
impressed me with that one.

IMHO just using and supporting Linux in any flavor, be it download or shrink
wrapped, is sending M$ and potential Linux supporters/venders a message.

SuSE is a fine distro, it just wasn't my cup of tea. After all, choice is what
I think most of us want, well at least the freedom to choose. You choose SuSE
and I choose Gentoo. We all win!

SuSE 7.1 didn't go to waste though, I installed that on my sisters machine up
north :)

-- 
R.G. Mayhue
r.g.mayhue@verizon.net



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