I'll refrain from talking about System76 and others. I have a lot of negative
thoughts about what they and others are doing which I'd prefer to refrain
from. I don't believe the little guys are a threat in any way. Not to
ThinkPenguin and not to free software. Distributions which bundle non-free
software and major corporations on the other hand do pose a major threat.
Despite the appearances I don't think System76 and other GNU/Linux
competitors have any significant effect on the market. In comparison we are
making a huge dent behind the scenes. That will eventually lead to more
direct and obvious growth. We will dwarf the competition in terms of sales in
years to come.
Part of this is because we aren't targeting the same markets that System76
is. There approach is completely different. They aren't going to be front and
center when things start heating up.
As far as any threat to free software. It comes from the likes of Microsoft,
Apple, Adobe, and major hardware “manufacturers” like Dell. These are the
companies which are acting hostile towards free software. They implement
digital restrictions and attempt to hinder growth through anti-competitive
means.
There are many aspects that we have to improve on. In many places our
competitors have done a better job even. There is no question about it. Just
remember good things are right around the corner!
