Rick wrote: > I'm tired of hostile "help lists" that love nothing more than to flame > anyone who dares to have a contradictory opinion.
In an open list there are always ppl who would be better off to a newsgroup. But most times only thos ppl get flamed who just state "this or that sucks!" and don't elaborate why. Or ppl who don't give any useful information about their problem but "insist on getting help fast!" > I'm tired of the "partially finished" software, and having to argue over > the value of a much needed function, just because the DOD (Developer of > the Day) doesn't want to include it. As this is Open Source and the developer can do what he wants to do you have to live with that. OTOH, did you ever try to argue with M$ or some other large company about "needed features" in Windows-Software? > I'm tired of seeing an application with possibilities dissapear because > the developer graduated, and got a job. That's one of the downsides of Open Source. And companies like MandrakeSoft and SuSE try to minimize this negative aspect by sponsoring and even employ developers of important Open Source projects so they can keep working on their projects instead of getting jobs to make a living. > But mostly, I'm tired of paying more, and more for it all. And having > the distributors constantly stick their hand out for more. Point is: Nobody forces you to pay. Nobody forces you to upgrade a Linux system. You can keep versions of Linux distros longer than versions of the other OS. On the other side of the fence you are forced to pay when a new version of a software is used by all your business partbners and your old documents can't be imported into the new version. > It used to be that Linux was openly free. It was meant to be that way. > But then the companies came in, and saw a way to make money from Linus' > child, and built distributions. Ok, distributions were a good thing. > Rolling your own was a bear! You can still d'l a distro. What you can not do is get commercial Software for free. And I don't know any part of the GPL or in Linux philosophy where you read that it's forbidden to make money with Linux. > They still are in a way. But now Mandrake is taking it upon themselves > to make you feel guilty for that, and even worse, making you a second > class citizen. Where did you read this? Mandrake asks for money from ppl who 1. can afford to pay. 2. want to support MandrakeSoft If you don't belong to those 2 groups you don't need to feel guilty. > You can't get the same distributino from download, as you can by buying > a boxed set. You can't get StarOffice 6.0 without "Belonging to the > Club". Can't get this, can't get that. BAH! Wrong. 1. I think ist's the most natural thing that there has to be a difference between the cost-free download edition and the boxed set. 2. StarOffice 6.0 is part of the boxed set. So, to get StarOffice you have to be *either* a member of the club *or* buy the box. > Seems to me that Linus' little "free" operating system is now costing as > much as windows, without the benefit of the off the shelf software. > > Don't believe me? Add it up. > Average charge per new releass: > $69.00 per release. x 2 realeases per year. $138.00 > Shipping: $15.00 per boxed set 30.00 > "The Club" > $10 per month x 12 > (Remember, you need to belong to the > $10 per month club to get Staroffice 6.0) 120.00 > --------- > Cost of Mandrake, per year: $288.00 OK, here is my calculation: New release $70 Shipping $15 ---------------------------------------- Total $85 1. You don't have to buy *every* new release. Only every second or third release. Most times you only have to upgrade a few tools or apps which you can get on the net. 2. As already said: you don't have to be a clubmember to get SO6 if you buy the box. > Congratulations. For the home user, the cost of ownership of Mandrake > has exceeded the cost of Win2k. And you can't even go down to the local > software store and buy a game for it. Or a business accounting package, > or a decent CD Label Printing Package. or.... OK, here's another calc: Win2K $100 (oh, you want networking? then it's $199, Oh you want a Office Suite? Then it's a coup�le of $$ more. An account managing programm? SOme more $$. A image manipulating programm? A mountain of $$$$ more.) See which programs you use in Linux. Then find their brothers in the Windows world and add the prices to your basic price of W2K. > If you all want to turn on the jets, and flame me for it, fine. I just > felt the need to share a few points that just fry me from time to time. > Thanks for listening. Sorry, did not listen, I had to read it all! But nobody gets flamed for an opinion in a discussion (this is not the newsgroup!). I just think you forgot some thoughts while letting off steam-pressure. -- wobo ---------------------------------------------- Computers are user friendly if you can use them without thinking. (Norbert Bolz)
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