> To most people, you could hang
> laptops from the ceiling in a haunted house, and it would be creepier
> than a guy with a chainsaw and a hockey mask. From there, if you take
> away what people percieve to be secure and familiar--the OS--they will
> really freak out. I've been shocked at how many people say to me, "I
> don't even know what Linux is." On SFD, giving away live and install
> cd's was brilliant. I have to tip my hat to every one that was involved
> with that. If you have handed them a cd and told them that it won't
> affect their computer, they will take it. Hey, free software, good
> deal, right? When they get it home, they will try it. Sooner or later,
> the curiousity will catch up with them.
> Even so, I don't believe that an entity like Linux will ever take a
> foothold in the mainstream. For one, it is not a unified entity that
> can have a marketing department, or support centers, or any of the
> things that make people feel like it's okay. (Some of you will probably
> argue with me on this.) Yes, if I purchase a copy of Redhat or
> Mandriva, it will come with support. But most Linux support comes like
> the Slug list for the obvious reason that the GPL causes diversity in
> programming. The average user would not consider replacing their
> precious OS with something that a handful of people wrote in their free
> time, and most people have a hard time thinking of something free as
> useful. That, in a nutshell, is my take on the double-edged nature of
> free software. I like it (although I'm not really well versed on the
> command line yet.)
One thing will change this. Supported preinstalls by a major hardware
vendor. Apple has shown us that people will use something vastly
different than Windows with no complaint.
Maybe, as a psychological benefit, we should charge 1.5x as much for
it, so people feel like they're getting a superior product...
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