"Matthew R. Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
[...]
> > 1. We has to put out this version due to very tight time schedule: WalMart
> > doesn't want any new products on the shelves from 1st of november,
> > until mid january.
> Is this really that important to MandrakeSoft? Don't get caught up in
> allowing Walmart to dictate the terms. What is more important stable release
> or Nov 1st target. If Walmart won't take it past a given date, politely
> remind them about how well the product is selling at Staples. (Yes lie, make
> up imaginary sales figures, whatever).
Lies? Blah.
Anyway, both are important, stability and retail channel. You know that we
could not live without sell some boxes!! People who download our version
for free does not bring me my end-of-the-month salary..
This was a good decision since the walmart/mcmillan version IS stable and
IS a good distro.
> As the end buyer of your product, I don't want to see the crap that is being
> sold as Mandrake. I have installed Mandrake for 4 friends and would like to
> have them purchase the boxed set and send some money back to MandrakeSoft. I
> can not do this in good faith knowing what crap comes in that Macmillian box.
That's not true. Have you only performed a FAIR comparison between the
Macmillan boxed version and the Download Edition? They are very close
distro, basically only kde has changed a little, and as I always say, 1.99
and 2.0 are very close.
Also, if this is an important enough reason to not buy our products and
support us, that's not really a good solution since we worked (a lot) for
both versions including the download edition. Please also consider that we
support free software very closely (all GPL development, refusal to
include binary drivers in install program, etc) and listen our
customers/users desires between each release.
[...]
> > 2. You had bad experience with it because you apparently purchased the
> > "beginner" version that prices $25. We have removed plenty of "expert"
> > things in it and that's what pissed you off, that's normal. Wasn't
> > there the "PowerPack Deluxe" also available on sales?
> How about another pricing plan here? Direct sale from MandrakeSoft on new
> versions. I want to start installing Mandrake on computer's for friends and
> family but I have no need of the limitations of the "beginners" boxed set,
> nor the price tag of "deluxe". I would rather make my own ISO and work out a
> direct payment plan to MandrakeSoft. Yes believe it or not, some of us want
> to send some money your way, but that Macmillian crap doesn't cut it.
It's very difficult to make everyone content. We already have designed two
lines of products, actually they are a bit different in the USA and in
Europe since we can provide phone support in the Europ for the "beginners"
version, so the price are overally the same (around 50$).
If you want to send a donation, please do ;-)), but anyway we also sell a
big box as the Delux version with many comm apps (that cost us money) and
documentation (id), so we can not cut the price much lower..
--
Guillaume Cottenceau -- Distribution Developer for MandrakeSoft
http://us.mandrakesoft.com/~gc/
