The Linux Business Model

[gmac]

"I think you miss a fundamental point there. Unless the business you are talking about is computing then what matters is what the computer does for them not how it does it."

 

"So, the os is not where the money is. That is the Microduffy way. It is made on the way to offering a complete product:service, deployment, customization."

 

Just for once ix you and I are in complete agreement.

 

I keep hearing computer consultants talking about what they do rather than what they can do for the people listening. Thin client server what's that? Is fat a computer issue or does it mean you only deal with thin clients.

[Gowator]

Thin client server what's that? Is fat a computer issue or does it mean you only deal with thin clients.

I'll take you at your word here :D

 

Thin clients are what Larry Ellison (oracle CEO) has been hammering about for a decade.

 

Basically you use an application remotely across a low bandwidth (thin) line.

 

Take the WP for instance ... you are editing a doc from an email to send back to your customer (remember customers is what its all about :D)

they email it to ya and you download it, edit it and then upload it and send it back.

 

OR

 

Your customer creates it online, you edit it online and then save it and your customer is notified you finished editing.

 

Take the translator example.

a document is placed ont he web, its a scan so you use the ASP's GOCR optical char recognition and then type a translation using the ASP's openoffice. You save it and the customer is notified.

 

the document never leaves the server, be it on the WWW or in your customers office. I do this everyday!

 

Im using some very expensive software ($12000 per year rental per user) 700 miles away in another office right now on a 16 processor cluster. My company save $$$$ by not needing an installation at my site and I get to run it on a nice fast cluster.

 

The speed is indistinguishable from running it over a LAN becuase of the heavy compression of the images and I dont need to load the 100+TB of data which this application is currently using again.

 

The software costs a lot (I cant really say but 10,s of thousands).... relatively though it is very cheap. It saves 1000x this every year in licensing, loading of data, storage of data etc.

 

(p.s. If I sound like im selling this cos its my baby in my company :D)

 

Even better the per user cost is LESS than EXCEED which runs on a PC as an Xserver allowing remote login to *NIX machines and its FASTER... even than running Exceed locally.

[gmac]

Thanks gowater I was half fun wholly serious. In my own business that type of thing is beccoming increasingly relevant. I will shortly have to look at backing up crucial data in a seperate location from my main computer. It is actually a legal requirement that I do so. As it happens I know a computer consultant that can set up a system for me. While it would be nice to do it myself I do have other priorities-like making a living. But that kind of thing is very relevant. things like 3g phones and mobile internet are also going to be essential rather than toys to play with. I will also be needing remote access to my computer when that technology becomes cheap enough. I'm no techno freak these are tools I need and can see a purpose in having.

 

I was at a business network meeting and I know for a fact that at least two other people at the table are looking at the same kind of thing out of necessity. That guy was losing business because nobody knew what he was talking about. Admittedly I had a vague notion.

 

"It is correct to understand that the end result, what the cuastomer sees, is what they will pay for." Who can see a thin client, I notice IBM are advertising in the same vein, who are they aiming at?

[Darkelve]

Mandrake technically deserve to make money its only their negative marketing that stops them.

That and they seem to lack focus.

 

Red Hat and SuSe have a whole product line. Linspire has not (not really), but they are busy building this.

 

Just on a side note, wording can be as important as anything else. They have to make sense and directly indicate what they do, e.g.

 

- "Mandrake Corporate Firewall";

I know what it is and what it is supposed to do the moment I see the title.

 

Score: GOOD

 

- "Mandrake Discovery";

a way to "discover" Mandrake, clearly aimed at beginning users, but it is not THAT good a name, since it implies there are things lacking. When I want to start to *use* it and not just 'discover it', what do I buy? Name is a bit confusing since I can perfectly use Mandrake 10.0 (Official) Discovery as a day-to-day personal OS.

 

But still,

score: GOOD

 

- "Mandrake PowerPack";

Power-what? The only thing this tells me is: it is more advanced. But more advanced for what? I cannot tell for sure for the life of me...

Score: BAD

 

- SuSe 9.1 Personal/Professional

Can this be any clearer?

 

Score: GOOD

 

- Red Hat Advanced Server

No confusion possible. Tells you 'all' in one look at the title.

 

Score: GOOD

 

- Linspire

 

Uh? What do I have to think of this?? It doesn't tell me anything more. Why not 'Linspire Desktop', or a version for internet cafés, 'Linspire Cybercafé'?

 

Now, "Linspire for laptops" is a lot better already. But it still doesn't tell me what purpose the operating system serves. A hobbyist OS to build a supercomputer?? I can't really tell by the title.

 

By the way, while most users are happy, Linspire does a REAL great job of confusing their customers or raise false expectations. I think it is just ignorance, but it still isn't good.

 

Score: BAD

 

 

THEN, there is the product description itself. How do you want to position your product? What are the advantages and thisadvantages? What to look out for? What questions do your users have?

 

Just compare these product pages and you will notice the difference:

 

1. http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/concept.php3

 

2. http://www.linspire.com/sales_intro.php

 

3. http://www.xandros.com/products/home/deskt...top_deluxe.html

 

4. http://www.suse.com/en/private/products/su...prof/index.html

 

 

Both Mandrake and Linspire start from the distro's own strong points, but fail (in my humble opinion) to really 'address' their target group. They say basically "our products are great and they are great for everyone".

 

Xandros does a real good job too. But the last one is even better:

 

On SuSe's page you will see that the target group is people wanting to migrate from Windows. Which is understandable since Windows holds >90% of the home users market. Which is smart since they can address exactly the doubts and questions this category has. And they are so COMPLETE! I tried hard, but I could not find a lot of answers not addressed in their product pages. And this page (a comparison between SuSe personal and SuSe professional) makes it complete: http://www.suse.com/en/private/products/su.../pers_prof.html.

 

Now I'm not saying they have a superior product (I still have to get my box :P) but from a marketing point of view, it rocks.

 

Oh, and look at these two links:

https://suse.asknet.de/cgi-bin/show

https://shop.opera.com/cgi-bin/show/opera7?...PX=suse&SUBID=1

 

Notice something? That's called pro-active marketing. Both products have a lot to gain from each other and this collaboration, may it seem ever so insignificant, well this is just smart thinking.

 

I haven't seen anything like this from Mandrake yet. On the other hand, they went through a rough period and perphaps just did not have the opportunity for this yet. But it's about time they do something about this! 'cause I like Mandrake (let that be clear) ;)

Edited May 6, 2004 by Darkelve

[gmac]

I can't help thinking mandrake being french is like french cars. Great product, innovative, brilliant engineering but the wheels fall off and other uninteresting but important bits as well that they don't think matter.

[Gowator]

ahh gmac you need to really understand the French....

 

All French cars are incredible. The French LOVE to design from the bottom up and reengineer .... its actually quite an anglo saxon thing to do the test/improve/test/improve cycle... the french much prefer

design, perfect, make

 

unfortunately they also have beurocracy... or invented it.

So every perfect car is wrecked by beurocracy.

Take Peugeot....

At any one point in time they have 1 exceptional car. A loss maker,

I have a 6 speed 306... and its nicely finished and every part in it is the choice of the designers. Every other 306 is the comprimise of someone saying... cant we reuse this part from xxx

 

Then they stopped making the 306 and replaced it with the 307... replaced is not a good word, they dont actually make a 307 with a real engine, I think the best is the 150bhp one which frankly I wouldnt bother to even start it.. its a heavier car 1.2 tons and only 150bhp compared to the 240bhp in my present modded 306. Must go like .. mud off wellies.... :D

 

at the same time the 406 coupe became THE car .. and everything else got comprimised.

 

All of the cars actually start out perfect. Its just they are then wrecked by comprimise and beurocracy. For instance all 306's share the same chassis which was designed to have passive Rear stearing but ionly the XSi and GTi6 have it.

Then some of the cars have tiny wheels .. a near perfect chassis and skinny little wheels.

 

So spare a thought for the poor guy who designed it. The only cars they cant wreck are those they pay outside consultants to design.

So if your buying second hand always look for a Pinnafiora designed one becuase he wont let them use his name if they put on bits which fall off. (306-Cabriolet, 406 Coupe)

[sitor]

What is against French cars? I've been driving French cars from the moment I have a license. They're the best!

Edited May 7, 2004 by sitor

[Gowator]

I like em too but they are full of comprimses and plastic bits that come off.... but brilliantly designed underneath.

 

If you ever try a Gti-6 or the 406 Coupe you get to see what they are meant to be like.

[gmac]

I like them too three citroen and eight renault. That's why I feel I can criticise them with some authority. My last car a diesel clio I had to replace the whole front suspension. You know why? because when they put in a heavier engine they didn't put in higher spec shock absorbers. The result hundreds of fed up drivers and lost customers like me. I know two other owners that had the same problem, most people buying diesels do a high mileage. Same with Citroen I had a BX Great engine great suspension system but every 30,000 miles new suspension links and brake discs. Every 60,000 a new clutch Since I was doing more than that in a year it made it very expensive to run and removed any inclination I might have to buy another. I sold it with 140,000 on the clock so you con't say it didn't have a good chance. They also had an endemic problem with warping cylinder heads that they never sorted. Now I wouldn't touch a peugeot citroen because I would always be waiting for bits to fail.