price
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| salparadise Nov 22, 2004 8:13 AM EDT |
$30????? That's a bit steep for 2 free programs on a cd! |
| sbergman27 Nov 22, 2004 8:32 AM EDT |
Maybe. But consider the target market: People who don't know about these programs or that they can download both for free. If they charged less, these people might well assume that the programs are not very good. These people are used to *buying* software and gauging its value by how much it costs. While I'm commenting, I'll mention that although I have always seen a place for Lindows/Linsprire in the ecosystem, I've never really been a Linspire fan. This is changing. I'm starting to see Linspire really do some good. The Mozilla guys are just learning how to market their product. The OOo guys are thinking about it, but still seem to have this idea that all you have to do is make great software and the users will follow. That means it's up to 3rd parties, like Linspire, and yes, us, to do the marketing for them. I highly encourage people to join the FF web button program. OOo doesn't have an official program, but I highly encourage people to include an OOo button on their sites and an OOo link in their email sigs anyway. One last thought. Although I haven't used Windows in years, I am beginning to realize that promoting Open Source Win32 software is the way to spread Linux. It's hard to get someone to change their whole OS, applications and all. But it's not as hard to get them to switch applications, one by one. Once that's done, the move to Linux can be quite painless. So hurrah for Linspire! |
| a_hippie Nov 22, 2004 8:34 AM EDT |
I don't agree w/salparadise. If it includes all those tutorials and flash presentations, then I think it must might be what the good doctor ordered! I have problems with the main site though. I looked for a system requirements page and it doesn't seem to exist. Hopefully they will get that page up and a contact page for people with questions. Still, this is fine idea and one that I hope will get some folks into the paradigm of free(dom) software. Ha, speaking of free software, one of my classes involves a group final project. I suggested that they consider using OOo since we are all using different kinds of OS's--one of them looked at me and told me she wouldn't use stolen software!! I had to explain that the software is legal and free and she really couldn't understand what I was saying! Man, these people have really been hammered by M$ licensing/PR FUD! Wishing you well. |
| devnet Nov 22, 2004 9:32 AM EDT |
Definately...it's a perfect price...it makes people think they are actually purchasing something that has monetary value. If it were 5 bucks people would think it's a big pile o crap. |
| salparadise Nov 22, 2004 10:02 PM EDT |
And then there's the people who will stumble across that site with their ideas that OpenOffice and Firefox are free and will be stopped in their tracks.
"Oh, I was lied to, it's not free. Might as well stick where I am then." I really don't know how you can stomach this sort of profiteering. |
| TxtEdMacs Nov 23, 2004 4:46 AM EDT |
salaradise: '... that OpenOffice and Firefox are free ... "Oh, I was lied to, it's not free. ..." It's a case where you have to decide that perhaps those so easily deceived might not be good people to use Free or Open Source option. It reminds me of an interview of the "undecided" voters after the last election: many that had specific interests but were unaware of the positions of the candidates. Individuals with studied ignorance make bad decisions - it is impossible to protect everyone. We can only hope education might help - perhaps that this group will be the late joiners. "I really don't know how you can stomach this sort of profiteering." Another thing, GPL is about freedom not no cost. If the seller provides a needed service I cannot begrudge their gain. Selling "Free" software does not bother RMS, so what's the real problem? [However, none of my code is being used.] Nonetheless, regarding Linux distributions, I even paid for copies I did not use. |
| kcarr Nov 23, 2004 7:47 AM EDT |
My name is Scott Carr, I am the Documentation Maintainer for OpenOffice.org. (Have been for a little over 3 years now.) We get asked this all the time. Could I sell your program for $x? Could I sell it for $y? My response is always the same, sell it for whatever you can get from the customer. If there was a company selling OpenOffice.org for $1500 or $1600, I wouldn't care. Sales is all about selling something to a customer for the highest amount they will pay. One of the biggest battles that Open Source has been fighting is "You get what you pay for." So in the minds of those that believe this moniker, then OpenOffice.org for $1500 MUST be light years ahead of OOo for $0. The only person that a company would have to deal with in this sale is the customer. Now, we have also had customers contact the lists asking for support that for which they PAID x. These emails are handled decently, and usually end up with someone saying that they could download OOo for free, and it includes the fix for the problem they have, usually. As a community, we don't care where you get OOo, we'll help. In the defense of the sales force out there, most of the companies do provide their own support, and that is what the bulk of the cost comes from. But, even if they don't offer support the company is still providing a service. They are getting the name out. That is one more OOo being used, because they marketed properly to that customer. Mind Share is the name of the game. I personally don't care how it increases. ;-) Have fun, all... |
| salparadise Nov 23, 2004 10:52 AM EDT |
I am influenced, I guess, by the sector I currently work in. The voluntary sector. Where money is sometimes not just in short supply, it's entirely absent. With a little personal idealism thrown in besides. I have no problem with costs being covered and a living earned. I have problems with bandwagon jumping for profits sake. Perhaps I'm too cynical! |
| babyfishmouth Nov 24, 2004 9:37 AM EDT |
I suspect that Linspire will not actually make any material profit on this product, particularly given the number of middlemen involved in putting such a product on retail shelves. At best they probably net less than $5/unit after costs, not accounting for their own overhead. On another forum, they stated that their intention is to simply make Firefox and OOo available at retail order to get people to see these products as peers to commercial offerings, which in turn lowers the barrier to switching to Linux as a desktop. Downloading large packages such as these, even for free, is a huge barrier to adoption by the average consumer - just ask Netscape. |
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