First brick & mortar retail Linux store in the U.S. opens

Welcome to Linux Information Technology - http://www.linuxit.com.au/ - selling Linux and FOSS retail for several years.

While Anthony Rumble's store EverythingLinux - http://www.elx.com.au/ - isn't entirely dependent on Linux and FOSS, and does most of their business over the net rather than storefront, it does qualify as a "bricks and mortar Linux store".

Well I have read of another store that sells white box Linux machines, but on technical grounds many might not consider it "first". My memory (which is NOT to be trusted!) makes me think the store was in Canada. I read of it several months ago approximately late 2004. Hence, it might hot be the first to have opened. Next technicality is that the store resides within an existing business: a car wash. (Again I do not fully trust my memory on this).

Well I guess my memory was better than I thought: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/16/toronto_linux_store/

The claim is that this is the first store in the U.S., not in the world.

Yeah, it was about America -- and I do wonder if there wasn't someone else who did this first but went under or simply didn't do a press release.

But Aussies still have some seriously good beer.

I am NOT going to check this out, however, it is possible (I just might be) related to the owners by marriage. The irony here is that we had a short discussion about the business at their wedding where he told me how he felt MS treated him right by their licensing fees (discounted for Windows only on EVERY box). Microsoft has this habit of screwing its outside developers and vendors, but usually they are kept in line with the implicit belief that no one fights MS and wins.

The locale makes my musings in the realm of possibility, I wonder what was heaped upon this vendor to make up their minds to compete directly with MS?

Well, I am just not interested enough nor do I have the time to pursue the truth. However, it is a fair probability this group had previous experience producing white boxes with Windows slapped on. They are probably a Linux only shop now, because MS gave them no option. For example, charging too high a price per license to compete with other low margin sellers, while killing their advantage on the Linux boxes.

to set the record straight we are the first in the USA, their are 3 others that came first Germany , Canada and grand ol' Australia.

ther was rumor to of been one in Atlanta but i was unable to confirm weather or not they were exclusivly linux .

thanks Mary Hill , the open store

ps. we are having a logo design contest , license is under the GPL. please feel free to submit.

theopenstore.net

912-234-6433

Website says: I may need an extra tech, send your resume to us.

Wow.. with two, they're ready to take on the whole enterprise marketplace!

I think they need to imagine a beowulf cluster of extra techs.

we're hireing again .

so we need someone who is Linux exsperianced with decent hardware and clean building skills . we have very clean wireing in cases .

see website . : http://theopenstore.net

phone 912-234-6433

ask for matthew .

hours EST: 10am-8pm