How To 'Sell' Open Source Software

An anonymous reader writes "Have we missed the boat in terms of selling Linux to the average Joe? The writer of this article at NewsForge certainly thinks so. He points out that most people don't yet get the idea of a free operating system, and that the best way to start winning them over is to provide free software for Windows, such as OpenOffice.org." This sentiment isn't new, but unlike a lot of commentators, the writer in this case is in a good place (as a retailer who's tried selling Linux-equipped systems) to observe the man-on-the-street reaction to Free operating systems as of 2003.

Comments

I have a question

[gfody]

for anybody out there making a living writing free software.

how do you pay your bills? or do you all live in your parent's basement?

Re:I have a question

[gfody]

so is that what this free software is all about.. a bunch of people who are not professional software developers but like to dabble in code on their spare time?

I can see it now.. why pay $40k for a BMW when you can get a carnix for free?! oh sure, the carnix is designed and manufactured by mcdonald's workers on their spare time but it has four wheels and drives!

Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe make Linux something that most people have a purpose to run.

Clue #1: Gramma doesn't need to run a server in her knitting room.

Clue #2: Until you get games (I'm talking about *real* games, not Tux Racer) running reliably and well on Linux, you're cutting out a huge section there.

Clue #3: When Linux gets to the point of ease of use, bells and whistles, and an interface mimicking Windows so an idiot can use it intuitively without having to memorize command line strings, you'll get it.

You've created an operating system that's unfriendly, designed for elitist computer techno fantasies that the "lusers" can't understand, and you wonder why the damn OS isn't taking off.

Here's a clue. People like to use their computers, not be a slave to them. If it takes you all fucking day to set up your damn webcam, or get your video card to work, you have 3 games that support Linux, and gramma doesn't have time to read the Man pages because she just wants to check her damn email, there's something wrong with your operating system.

Re:Jesus

[JessLeah]

And even then, they're very likely to whine, "This is hard!" until said friend or relative puts Windoze BrainNumber Pro 2005 (or whatever's the 'latest and greatest' edition of Windows) back on...

Re:Sell to average Joe? How bout college students?

[Steeltoe]

Quote the poster:

"
In order to increase market share, these are the people who need to be sold on open-source. Currently there are not very many college students in CS or CompE that use open-source development products. In order to stay competitive, open-source must go out of its way to recruit these youngsters and give them the opportunity to try out open-source. This should happen at both the college and high school level.

This can be a real advantage to open-source as there are so many projects that these students can contribute on. It's a win-win situation. They get real-world hands on experience and open-source gets more coders and people dedicated to open-source philosophies.
"

Spoken like a true marketer. The buzzwords alone will stamp down all competition from Microsoft and get them running back to Mom. Nice ;-)