Major retail outlets that have 10.1?

[Ixthusdan]

"Here in the US, creating one's own marketing structure complete with trucks for shipping is unnecessary. Partnering in business can find anyone marketing a new product."

 

Well, um, exactly. See above. The new books are distributed in partnership with O'Reilly.

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Yet, the software is still limited in distribution by Mandrake themselves. They prefer the club rather than retail. This is really unexplainable. More people are going to go retail with a Mandrake purchase. To refuse a retail marketing plan for the software is simply lame. Why would I need a book if I don't own the software? Why would I get the software if I don't see it anywhere but on second hand close-out shelves at the local retailer?

 

The software distribution is the driving force. The club could actually handle selling the book as long as the software were available to the average consumer! The marketing plan is bankrupt of any thoughtful mechanism. It needs revamping. (You do not want to hear my Mandrake experience!)

[adamw]

You get the software with the book. I wasn't in on the planning but presumably the idea is that people will be more likely to buy it if they get a nice book telling them how to use it as well. (Of course, I'm a fuzzy greybeard who remembers the 1980-90s, when you *always* got a nice big book telling you how to use the software when you bought it, and you didn't even have to pay for it! What was it we called it? Oh, yes, that's right...the "manual". Erm, excuse my cynicism. :>) The 'for dummies' book includes a full copy of Discovery. The 'for less dummy' book includes a full copy of Powerpack. I don't know what the prices are, but if they're low enough, I guess this is basically intended to replace distribution of the boxes alone through retail, for now.

 

There's quite a few reasons to prefer the Club to retail, the main one being the concept of 'margins'. However, I don't know what the future retail plans are at all. Maybe there's big things in the works. (No, that's not a subtle, hint, I really don't know. :>)

[Ixthusdan]

Well, I appreciate your candor. I can't help but think that stuff is really different here in the US. The average consumer really doesn't read! :lol: What people see on the store shelves will motivate their interest much more than any book. There are still a bunch of people who feel very computer savvy who do not know the first thing about a computer! That is because of the Micrososft marketing, which has so dominated the entire tech industry. The thing is to utilize the dupe campaign to Mandrake's advantage. The club won't do it. It is a short term solution at best. Long term in the US is retail, or atleast some retail concept. The chioice is to accept a higher margin with much less potential than a lower mergin with far greater potential.

 

And the club concept has a damaging affect on the Mandrake image which is non-existent to begin with!! Oh, well, such is life.