Hey, no problem. It's going to be fun. The small vendor situation is exciting, but it's mostly potential right now. Free software is at the rumbling stage in Baton Rouge and my company's use of free software is very limited. Most vendors I talk to have heard about Knoppix and many use it for diagnostics. Several have expressed an interest "making Knoppix stick" and I've told them about Mepis. Still, their primary job is fixing broken windoze. Bits Technical uses and will install Open Office but is focused on hardware not software.
It's easy to sell free software to the vendors, but they have yet to connect it to the real of "practical" things. I keep a copy of Knoppix and Mepis handy for people who like to try it. They like having a independent test of hardware and networks. Every one of them has been impressed and told me good things. All of them are pissed at all the problems they have to deal with in the Microsoft world and know that all of them are rooted in greed and abuse instead of technical merit. The problem is in their focus and the massive propaganda blitz that Microsoft keeps up. The situation is as easy to change as putting the tools into the vendor's hands. I've only talked to one person who would consider Linux for his clients, and the poor man felt guilty! He was fretting about reducing costs on "low end" systems. I suggested he try "free software" he was taken aback and asked me what I meant. Everything but his emotions lined up. He knew about Knoppix and was could see the benefits of Mepis. At the price level he was having to compete at, the $90 for windoze is twice what the state and city get out of the sale and it makes a difference. He knows that $90 won't even buy him a spell checker where Mepis comes with two browsers, two office suites, net working software and the rest. He knows about free software's superior reliability, remote administration capabilities and system control. If pressed, he would admit that free software is an obvious choice for the type of system he was trying to build. Still, he felt like a traitor. He told me that Microsoft was bombarding him with stuff to keep him from going that way and teaching him how to pooh-pooh those who might. It was an encouraging chat because he was willing to entertain the idea. He's going to check Mepis out and them more he sees the more he's going to like it. When the choice comes between choosing in Microsoft's best interest and his own, I'm sure the first law of nature will win out. They all see it coming, and they've all been let down by Microsoft. Their customers have been promised better performance but have been met with an ever increasing wave of malware, spyware and costs while software quality has declined. In the Microsoft world, they are being squeezed hard by Walmart, Dell and others who can "give" away great software bundles while they have to pay close to retail. Broken software has made bad faith between them and their customers. Their reputations and incomes are suffering and they are not happy. They think free software is the future, but are a little scared of the change. I'm starting to think that free software is the only way these guys are going to survive. Their whole business model is service backed up with acceptable hardware. Most bemoan the low margins they get from "hauling hardware" and they make even less on software sales. Now their services are getting pinched because they are not able to fix broken stuff from Microsoft, and they are having to work ever harder just to maintain their customer's current systems. Free software offers them the chance to be knowlegable professionals who can deliver results again. If you want the real story, you will have to visit some of the vendors and see what Microsoft is feeding them. My little brother spends all day fixing broken windows for one of them. The hoops they consider normal leave me aghast, but I only get 30 minutes or so of it a day. There's great potential there and it's lots of fun. Free software has the tools to take care of people's needs. It's going to be there until laws are made against it. The recent commercial drive from IBM, the continued adoption of free software by large organizations and the availability of free software give it great credibility. Each one of these vendors deals with hundreds of clients and oversees thousands of installations. If so much as two or three jumped to free software the effect would be profound and would quickly spread to others. Non-free software is based on a lie. That lie is that you are powerless, owe something to the software vendor and should do as they say despite your own best interests. Each time people demonstrate the utility of free software that lie is exposed. It's great fun to show people where free software does the job. On my list for Bits is: 1. Replace Norton Ghost with Knoppix and partimage. 2. Compile their ancient inventory program with GCC. 3. Replace their own desktop software. 4. Integrate their inventory program with their website. 5. Bring the mail server in house on the fractional T1 they own. 6. Apply these to other branches in Texas. 7. VPN the branches together and improve inter and extra company communications. It would save them plenty over a 2003/XP upgrade and work much better than what they have. The first person I need to convince is my boss. Then: 8. Push this out to the vendors. 9. Bring the vendor's clients into the greater network. Can you have more fun than that? On Thursday 11 March 2004 07:40, you wrote: > Will, > > Thanks again for offering to help out with the Mepis > install demonstration. > > You mentioned something that piqued my interest; that > your company is using Linux in real work such as > diagnostics, etc. > > I'm thinking of writing an article about Linux use in > the real business world, and small PC vendors and PC > shops would be a good place to take its pulse. > > Anybody else have stories about how small PC or IT > related companies are using Linux and/or free software > to make themselves more competitive? If you don't want > to post on the list, contact me at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Thanks, > John Hebert > .... > > > > Mepis Rocks. I've been turning people onto it at > > work, MSCEs and Microsoft > > Partners. Microsoft floods them with "information" > > on how to push their > > software over Linux and other free software, but the > > quality of Knoppix, > > Mepis and other free software is earning a place in > > their arsenal of > > solutions for customers. They already like Knoppix > > as diagnostic software, > > the easy install of Mepis is just what many were > > looking for. It's going to > > give them a something to push back against Dell and > > their difficult to beat > > sofware bundles. In the end, these guys are working > > for their customers and > > themselves, not Microsoft. The buzz is out there. > > I hope our little class > > pushes it further on. > > > > On Wednesday 10 March 2004 13:33, you wrote: > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: John Hebert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 12:03 PM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: RE: [brlug-general] Need someone to fill > > > > in for me at > > > > > nextNewbiesmeeting; broken leg > > > > > > Early and smoke tests are my motto when I am the > > > > dude that has to be in > > > > > front of everyone. I'll run through it over the > > > > weekend as well. When you > > > > > know who that other person is going to be, I would > > > > suggest that he/she and > > > > > I get together over the weekend and let him/her > > > > take my machine just to > > > > > guarantee that it gets there even if I don't. The > > > > construction schedule for > > > > > this substation calls for testing of all of the > > > > protective relays starting > > > > > on Monday, so I may get tagged. Yes, my test > > > > machine is well suited for > > > > > these kinds of things and it can be made available > > > > at anytime for such. > > > > > Since I installed a drive bay in my main machine > > > > too, I seldom turn the > > > > > test machine on anymore unless I am also doing > > > > something on the main box > > > > > and don't want to shut it down. Is the plan to > > > > have everyone bring in their > > > > > machines and actually do an "InstallFest" on the > > > > users machines using > > > > > Mepis, or were you planning on just showing how to > > > > do it? Do you have any > > > > > kind of a lesson plan for the meeti! ng? Were you > > > > planning on showing how > > > > > to use the second Mepis CD and using apt-get, > > > > Synaptic, and/or Kpackage? > > > > > If you can't get someone to back me up, I should > > > > be 100% available the > > > > > following Monday. We are scheduled to bring this > > > > substation on line on > > > > > Thursday, March 18th and bring the plant back up > > > > the same day so, baring > > > > > any unforeseen problems, I should be back to my > > > > regular schedule the > > > > > following week. > > > > > > Ed Richards > > > > _______________________________________________ > > General mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > ===== > John Hebert > Official BRLUG Linux Curmudgeon > Open Source Ankle Biter > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Search - Find what you?re looking for faster > http://search.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
