OT ... PC upgrade

[John Williamson]

By definition, you obviously can't make money selling free software. You can, however, make a very nice living installing and supporting it. There's more than one way to skin a customer.

[dennis]

So you can take it with you.. no need to use windows/office even if its someone else's computer.

[dennis]

That goes against all the advantages the linux advocates use. ;-)

RH actually make additions to the linux distribution and sell that as well as selling support. It isn't free software.

Yes. Demanding cash with threats appears to be a popular one.

[John Rumm]

You are right, my most humble apologies - that was an unwarranted accusation!

[dennis]

8<

Most people download it and then forget it. Home and student is cheap, the free office that most PCs come with does what most people want.

Most people know nothing of computers.

If they want friends and family to help they buy windows.

Almost nobody knows anyone knowledgeable enough about linux to get help. there just aren't many linux experts out there.

[dennis]

Its not free. Care to point to the link where you can download all of RH enterprise for free, legally that is.

[Adrian C]

Back peddling again Menace!

So there IS money in linux (as in something not Windows)? You said there isn't.

I can see the subtle swing in the last few exchanges, and so can others. You are quite greasy. How do you keep your trousers up?

[Rick Hughes]

That is irrevlant ... that is production cost .... what you are paying for is development & right to use intellectual property

[Rick Hughes]

Since applying SP2 Vista has been stable, no BSD (unlike my XP laptop)

[whisky-dave]

ae4$7vj$ [e-mail]...

Not forgetting there are ways for most people, (especaily those that know what they are doing) to obtain most software virtually free (a pint or two might be involved).

As you say one of the most important things is nowing were to get help and as most people have used word adn windows to some extent that's the one to go for given the chance/choice.

I think that is only true of those above 60 nowadays. I dont; think you'll find many people that no nothing about computers.

It;s an OS for a younger gen. for those that like hacking and messing with an OS. Those types spend more time getting things working and tingering with them than they do using a computer for 'real' work.

[John Rumm]

I know what you said, and as Red Hat's business model demonstrates, what you said can't be true. There is plenty of money "in" free software.

[John Rumm]

Not at all. In fact you get pretty much all of the advantages of free software, along with the level of support (including real time patching and updating) that one would expect from commercial software.

and for the rest of us, providing a valued service seems to work nicely as well.

[Andy Burns]

Plenty of grey-beards like it too ...

[Man at B&Q]

Not if it's Ubuntu 11.10.

MBQ

[Mark]

messagenews:j8rae4$7vj$ [e-mail]...

There's plenty of people who can turn on a computer, write a document in a wordprocessor and check their email etc, but would have no idea how to fix anything when things don't go to plan.

IME few youngsters want to mess with an OS at all. They just want to use facebook, play games etc. For them a computer is nothing special since they have existed all their lives.

[Bob Eager]

Just my configuration choices. I hate 'Start'...!

[Tim Streater]

Thick eh? Must be why my nephew Stephen uses Macs. You can look him up in WinkyPedia.

[Tim Streater]

Since I chose a Mac, it hasn't looked like Windows at all! Kollossal!

[Steve Firth]

course 'free'

Richard Stallman would disagree with you. RedHat is not free in any sense of the word. Some of it is "open", but by no means all. RedHat run a very successful business selling open source software and there is no bar on anyone selling open source software provided they observe the licence conditions.

You do seem to be on a mission to loudly declaim your ignorance.

[ARWadsworth]

Well thats everyone then.