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Michael�s Minutes: The Desk Theory
Remember when every house had just
one television? Today, it�s not uncommon for families to have
multiple televisions. The personal computer is poised to
experience the same phenomenon. The tipping point will be when
a personal computer is cheaper than the desk it sits on. Then
we�ll see PCs appearing in every room of every house and
employees will have more than one computer on their desk.
As prices fall, PCs are moving from
one per person (or per family) big-ticket items to common
appliances. They're becoming commodities that can be dedicated
to a task or a location. Tomorrow's teenager will be asking
for a "chat computer" to do instant messaging in their
bedroom, just as the generation before them pled for a
telephone. Every major electronic manufacturer sells a capable
$500 computer and there's no indication that the low-end price
will stop there. This downward price trend will trigger an
explosion of computer ownership and ultimately close the
digital divide.
Artificially high-prices for
software is the one obstacle preventing this trend from truly
exploding. While Microsoft contends that no consumers (or
companies for that matter) have been hurt by their illegal
practices over the last decade, that's simply not true. With
no competitors keeping Microsoft's prices in check, they have
consistently raised prices of their software and instituted
onerous licensing terms. Billions of dollars are being
transferred from consumer's wallets to Microsoft�s coffers.
More importantly, these tactics have prevented computing from
reaching the digitally disadvantaged as well as slowed the
growth of the multi-computer family and
business.
Fortunately, LindowsOS addresses
this issue by offering an affordable product, which is
well-suited for a cost-conscious business environment or a
13-year-old's bedroom. We've spent a considerable amount of
time with our upcoming version of LindowsOS making sure that
it will handle many of the computing tasks and file types that
people have grown accustomed to using. Users of our Sneak
Preview 2 (SP2) will be greeted with a pleasing interface
which will handle browsing and email. More impressively, it
will handle common file formats - even those proprietary to
Microsoft. It's now commonplace for Microsoft Word �.doc�
files, Microsoft Excel �.xls� and Microsoft PowerPoint �.ppt�
files to be sent as attachments or posted on public web sites.
LindowsOS users can view and print these files without buying
any additional software. On the web, Macromedia Flash �,
Adobe� PDF files, graphics and audio formats, like MP3s, are
now common-fare and accordingly, LindowsOS opens or plays them
all with a single mouse click. You can test a list of file
formats LindowsOS handles by visiting: http://www.lindows.com/filetypes.
This level of seamless
compatibility with common computing formats has never been
achieved before with any out-of-the box non-Microsoft
installation. We think it's an essential step in the process
to bring more people to the possibility of an affordable
choice.
SP2 will be released next week.
With a speedy five-minute installation process either
alongside an existing Microsoft Windows 98, or as the only
operating system on a computer, consumers can experience an
affordable computing solution.
Microsoft has waged a war against
all computer manufacturers who ship computers with Linux or no
operating system in an attempt to keep prices high. The day
has come when consumers should stand up and demand an
alternative and OEMs should stop kowtowing to Microsoft
pressure. Next week, Lindows.com takes a big step towards
offering a viable alternative. It's not the finished product,
but with the help of our Insiders (www.lindows.com/signup),
we'll meet our goal of a final product later this year.
Michael
Robertson
CEO of Lindows.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bringing choice to your computer!
Lindows.com has
released a Sneak Preview of LindowsOS to a select group of
Insiders. 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. This will be followed by Version 1.0
which will go on sale later this year. For more information
see www.lindows.com/products
Become a Lindows.com
Insider
To read previous
Michael's Minutes, click
here.
LindowsOS and
Lindows.com are trademarks of Lindows.com, Inc. Linux� is a registered
trademark of Linus Torvalds. Microsoft� Windows� operating system is a
registered trademark or service mark of the Microsoft
Corporation.
MM8 | 
