ral Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 (edited) Looking at Mandrake now, it looks like it is ready to make a go for mainstream users Windows. Supermount, better fonts a simplified and rational "Start" menu all creat a look and feel that shoudl be pleasing and familair enough to most Windows users. I think Mandrake Linux should seriously consider coming out with a 1 CD ISO which will have the same files (+ a few essentailslike Mozilla and KPPP) which form part of their defualt workstation/desktop install. It should be a simpler ML10 than ML10 Official: 1) The configuration screens available should be inegrated and the available options reduced. If it is not important, hide it or put it under a advance section. 2) KDE should be the only desktop environment available (or Gnome, but only one). 3) It should have 3D acceleration enable by default for Nvidia and ATI cards (I know this one is tricky). I think that it is still a bit to busy for the average user (though I like it much better now at 10 than I did in 8.2... which is why I went to RedHat and its bluecurve desktop) and the 3-5CD's it comes in are probably a bit intimidating for most. All in all a little more Xandros, Lycoris and Lindows in Mandrake =) They could even call it Mandrake XP Home Edition (just kidding). Edited May 5, 2004 by ral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 I agree. In fact they either continue wrecking the present distro for power users and keep dumbing it down for people who are not interested OR they split the two. Also they might have a better revenue stream by doing this. nvidia is tricky .... but it could be done with a simple script. Kantonnix does this you just select it from the menu and press and it shuts down X, recompiles it and everything. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonMage Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I think they can use MandrakeMove as the base for Mandrake Desktop, even. However, the problem will be drivers for "proprietary devices" such as NVIDIA, winmodems and so on. The solution is either to put the drivers on the cd themselves or to give kernel-source and development tools in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anacron Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Hasn't the split already begun with "Mandrake Discovery"? From the site: "Are you looking for an easy-to-use alternative to Windows or the Mac OS? The Discovery Pack lets you adopt Linux with the shortest learning curve. Discovery has been designed to provide all the essentials in a simplified package, thanks to an automated installation procedure and hand-picked selection of applications. You get office, multimedia and Internet software, in an attractive and intuitive environment. Just place the Installation CD in the drive and let yourself be guided." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yes, folks, Mandrake already has the product, they have once again been trounced because they do not have any viable marketing! Yikes, can they at least get a clue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzatch Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Your right. Just how much can it cost to call a few news outlets and make the same anouncment? What does it cost to have a few adds on the net on M$ centric sites? M$ has them on linux sites. A coworker came in today and asked if I was hit by sasser yet. I told him no. He then asked what anti virus software I was running because I never complain about my computer. You know what I told him. Everyone here sings the same song. He'll never switch though. He's the type who beleives that the more money you spend on something the better it is. If I told him Mandrake was 500 bucks a copy he would switch. Hes also 68 years old so he's kind of set in his ways also. But still, if I priced it right he would buy it. How many stories could we come up with for Mandrake to use in adds? I can come up with a dozen quick. Games really are the only thing holding linux back from being accepted in the main stream now. Face it all kids want the latest games. All parents want is a stable web browsing system and a net filter would be nice. All schools want is stability a nice GUI for the little kids( my 8 year old likes KDE but really doesn't care about it much) and a good net content filter. Everyone wants easy updates and thats here now. Linux has it all except the games. I know they are out there and some of the best new ones run nativly on linux, but it just doesn't say it on the boxes yet. If people read 'linux supported' on the box they would start asking about it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I think they can use MandrakeMove as the base for Mandrake Desktop, even. However, the problem will be drivers for "proprietary devices" such as NVIDIA, winmodems and so on. The solution is either to put the drivers on the cd themselves or to give kernel-source and development tools in there. I agree with Pzatch here but the other missing area is closed source drivers. I honestly dont beleive 90% of people will care if it works but I honeslty thinkthe kantonnix way is superb for non-techies. It downloads/compiles etc. all silently then says press to restart X while it continues... it gets round the fact its not Opensource and keeps everyone happy. One aspect which is difficult is stuff which is illegal in the US (i.e whgat you would find under the Debain-NON_US tree and mainly what PLF so for Mandrake) This is libdvdcss and mp3 codecs etc. Again Ix is right, how hard is it to advertise these things.... You dont actually get a link or anything to PLF with Mandrake, I used mandrake for ages without even knowing it existed. I converted a friend BACK to Mandrake and practically had to FORCE him to install the PLF sources.... becuase he didnt know about URPMI. I think Geal Duval must be a Gideon becuase they seem to hide their light under a bushel the whole time. :D everything great they do they seem to hide away ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I am concerned that their focus on "the Club" and begging before that has made them think that they have found the "solution!" there is no substitute for marketing. A bad product can sell with marketing (for a little while) and yet a good product can fail without marketing. It just seems so obvious to me! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I am concerned that their focus on "the Club" and begging before that has made them think that they have found the "solution!" there is no substitute for marketing. A bad product can sell with marketing (for a little while) and yet a good product can fail without marketing. It just seems so obvious to me! B) Yep, That strikes home...". makes them think they have found the solution...". They always seem to come up with short term stuff (like charging for 10CE) which will sooner or later annoy people and lead to another slump from which they make another short term thing.... Its all down to proper advertising and information. They seem to hit on good ideas and then sabatage it for themselves on one detail.... CE is a point in question ... I like the idea, i like the point we npow have a stable... but they way they did it left everyone confused and many will be upset later when they find they have to pay again for STABLE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ral Posted May 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yes, folks, Mandrake already has the product, they have once again been trounced because they do not have any viable marketing! They already do???? :o Okay, its a boxed version... Kind of strange that you gotta pay for the 2CD basic version and get to download the 3CD desktop/workstation/server pasckage for free. A 1CD download for basic users would really be nice and cheaper to give to your friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yes, folks, Mandrake already has the product, they have once again been trounced because they do not have any viable marketing! They already do???? :o Okay, its a boxed version... Kind of strange that you gotta pay for the 2CD basic version and get to download the 3CD desktop/workstation/server pasckage for free. A 1CD download for basic users would really be nice and cheaper to give to your friends. I know thats what I call negative marketing. Ive said the exact same thing before... DOH pay for 2CD version or FREE 3 CD version .... let me think ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ral Posted May 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 (edited) let me think ..... Dont think too long, or I will loose all the respect I have for you ...rotfl Seriously though. Been using Linux for just under two years, took a 8 month sabatical when I had prtoblems getting to work on my NForce board. Pretty impressed by what mandrake has done since I last used it, which was 8.2, altough I did use ML for a weel or so. Discovey looks like a step in the eright direction. Edited May 6, 2004 by ral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anacron Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Yes, folks, Mandrake already has the product, they have once again been trounced because they do not have any viable marketing! They already do???? :o Okay, its a boxed version... Kind of strange that you gotta pay for the 2CD basic version and get to download the 3CD desktop/workstation/server pasckage for free. A 1CD download for basic users would really be nice and cheaper to give to your friends. Not necessarily. If Discovery is truly aimed at the new Windows convert, then the Support Package is pretty much an indespensible compenent of the set. Also, Windows people are used to (and comfortable with) paying for a boxed OS, so why not stay in their comfort zone (and make a few bucks, too)? Let's face it. Anyone who's comfortable downloading and then installing an unsupported Linux distro probably isn't in the target market for Discovery. Bottom line: Great idea, great product, poor marketing (again). This thing should be on retail shelves, or at least available at Amazon.com or some other major online reseller. Maybe we could contract with Mandrake individually to pitch Discovery to local software resellers in our home markets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Bottom line: Great idea, great product, poor marketing (again). This thing should be on retail shelves, or at least available at Amazon.com or some other major online reseller. Yep, Im not arguing the problem is making me think about it. The average guy will not think like you and see 3CD's is better than 2CD 's which is better than one. Honest I'd have bought it but I had the choice of 2CD's for 29Euro or 3 for free. When I thought about that I found it hard to justify.... Many is the time Ive been next tot he linux part (small as it is) in a PC shop with people saying .. hmmm i thought linux was free. Lindows/Linspire have a good idea. They charge for their products which are genuine value. $5 for a lifetimes dvd decoding... and $0 for customers for deviant art wallpapers the licensed. Its strange that I cant bring myself to get rid of it on my laptop becuase of a few nice apps I was happy to pay for. I got the $100 lifetime membership ...btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitor Posted May 7, 2004 Report Share Posted May 7, 2004 Well, it is already some time now that I am wondering why they do not bring out a version for the big public with all free proprietary stuff, AND URPMI sources for PLF set up correctly, Flash, JAVA, Acrobat PDF, etc installed by default. Then the conversion from Winblows would almost be a nobrainer. If you add Winex, Cossover, and price it not higher then what you pay for the Winblows OS, but you get all these apps with it... I know installing everything people would want to be able to use would pose legal problems in some countries like the US for instance, but there are possibilities, come on. Like messages on first use that some of the software might go against the local laws and that it is up to the user to only install software that is legal in their country, or only selling it in countries where it is legal (I mean if it becomes such a no-brainer, it must be possible to make enough money out of it). And the thing is, everything is there! It just hase to be packaged! Well I guess if it is so easy and as MDL is FLOSS, anyone could do that, in coöperation with MandrakeSoft, or if they would not want to coöperate, without them. Anyone that feels like starting a new business?? Ciao, Sitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.