BRLUGers, Thought you might be interested in what is happening with Lindows lately. You can subscribe to this mailing list at www.lindows.com.
John Hebert --- Michael Robertson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From pop_server."john"@mail.eatel.net Tue Apr 23 > 07:14:42 2002 > From: "Michael Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Lindows.com Friends" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Lindows.com Michael's Minutes: A Million > Windows? > Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 16:01:58 -0700 > > Lindows.com Michael's Minutes: A Million Windows? > > The next two weeks promise to be interesting ones as > Microsoft ponies up > people to testify in their court battles that a > monopoly is a good thing > for consumers, and by extension, that competition is > a bad thing. The > only thing more preposterous than that is their > position that having > multiple versions of an operating system is either > technically > impossible or economically impractical. Ironically, > our small company, > Lindows.com is doing what Microsoft says it cannot > or will not do. Since > those signed up for our Insiders program at > http://www.lindows.com/signup receive early versions > (as well as the > final version when released later this year), they > have witnessed this > technology first hand. Let me explain. > > At Lindows.com, we see a trend of cheaper computers > leading to > specialized computer usage. According to NPD > Techworld, the average > price of a PC late last year was $814. Between 1996 > and 2001 Gartner > Dataquest reported that PCs experienced an average > annual drop in price > of $211. This suggests that by the end of 2002, we > should expect the > average a consumer pays for desktop machine at $603. > And remember, > that's the AVERAGE. With every computer manufacturer > already offering a > sub-$600 package, many buyers will pay considerably > less than the $603 > average. > > At these prices, homes with broadband can buy > multiple machines - say > one for each member of the family or one for > different rooms of the > house. Businesses can afford multiple computers for > their employees. > Each of these computers will have a much more narrow > list of duties than > the all-in-one PCs of the past. A computer someone > buys for their 10 > year old may only need a collection of chat and > email programs similar > to AOL. (Over half of U.S. homes today use AOL and > many of them use AOL > almost exclusively when they turn their computer > on.) If I buy a > computer for the security guard in my company, it > only needs a couple of > business type programs. I don't want the expense or > added complexity of > unnecessary technology like 3D virtual reality > software. Instead the > consumer should be able to pay only for what the > will actually need and > want. Anything else adds unnecessary complexity and > cost, opens up more > potential security vulnerabilities, and can slow > down the machine. > > With this trend in mind, LindowsOS comes with a > minimal configuration, > but can be easily supplemented with additional > software to suit specific > duties. Missing are many of the non-essential > software programs - what > the Department of Justice calls 'middleware.' Many > of these are the same > elements Microsoft claims they cannot remove from > their OS. Of course, > these programs are still available to LindowsOS > users via the > Click-N-Run Warehouse at > http://www.lindows.com/warehouse some are free > and some there will be a charge for. Each is > downloaded, installed and > ready to use with just a single mouse click. Instead > of promoting our > own software preferences on buyers, the Click-N-Run > Warehouse will offer > thousands of products and let the buyers decide > which suit them. > (Today, if you try out LindowsOS SP2 at > http://www.lindows.com/signup, > you'll be able to see the Click-N-Run technology in > action. See > screenshots at > http://www.lindows.com/clicknrunshots) > > The goal is to allow people to customize their > operating system so that > it suits the needs and pocketbook. They pay for only > what they need. > They install only what they use. The goal is to > create many versions of > our OS - the same thing Microsoft claims is > untenable and will destroy > the personal computer business. We imagine homework > windows which > students would customize for their needs. A teenager > windows with > programs suited for them. A preschool windows for > little tykes. A > receptionist windows with tools they might use. Yes, > a world with a > million versions of windows. That's what Lindows.com > is bringing to the > marketplace and exactly what is needed to energize > the next wave of > computing. > > Special Note: I've received some information from > some of you since our > court case that Microsoft is sending cease and > desist letters to > products, companies and domain names which use any > variation of the word > "windows". I refer you to our legal papers at > http://www.lindows.com/opposition for what we think > of their legal > position and encourage you to let others know > publicly of Microsoft's > tactics. > > > Michael Robertson, > CEO Lindows.com, Inc. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Bringing choice to your computer! > > Lindows.com has just released a Sneak Preview 2 of > LindowsOS. The Sneak > Preview is not a fully completed product but > showcases many of the > unique features such as a "Friendly-Install" > alongside an existing > Microsoft Windows operating system, a streamlined > installation process > which requires no computer knowledge and the ability > to run popular > Windows-based programs. For more information go to > http://www.lindows.com/signup > > > LindowsOS and Lindows.com are trademarks of > Lindows.com, Inc. Linux R is > a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MicrosoftR > WindowsR operating > system is a registered trademark or service mark of > the Microsoft > Corporation. > > MM11 > > To unsubscribe from our mailing list please go to > www.lindows.com/unsubscribe > > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games.yahoo.com/
