On Tuesday 21 August 2007 21:59, Eliot Blennerhassett wrote: > Graeme Kiyoto-Ward wrote: > > The library is another place to look if you don't want to spend any > > money and don't mind an older distro. Choices are linux magazines or > > look in the OS section of the computer books. > > But who has all the recent copies of LXF (Linux Format Mag)? Is it > members of this list? > > I.e. latest issue is 96, one copy on latest issues shelf at central, > other 2 copies on loan. > > 95,94,93, 90, 89, 88, 87 all copies on loan > 92,91 one copy on shelf at South (ooh better get down there...)
No one is going to have a sign "Linux Distros for Sale" in lights at a city mall. The competition is too fierce to allow a commercially acceptable profit margin for Linux discs. The entry barriers into the Linux vendor business are so low that every member of this list could become a vendor. This means that Linux discs are available only on the little known edges of normal commerce. Libraries, eCafes, magazine give-aways, outdated discs in computer retail outlets et al. To date it seems that online vendor is the most successful business model, but here there are serious problems. Competition has forced prices down to the level where an online vendor can only supply discs as a sideline to their main business, or are prepared to run their enterprise as a hobby business like I run Copyleft. A stranger in town is going to find it difficult to pick up a disc, and I would suspect this would apply to any town. Not that I am complaining about competition and low prices of Linux installation media, I consider this to be one of the glories of floss. But we need to recognise there is a downside as well. Phil. -- Philip Charles; 39a Paterson Street, Abbotsford, Dunedin, New Zealand +64 3 488 2818 Fax +64 3 488 2875 Mobile 027 663 4453 [EMAIL PROTECTED] - personal. [EMAIL PROTECTED] - business I sell GNU/Linux & GNU/Hurd CDs & DVDs. See http://www.copyleft.co.nz
