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Netbook Return Rates Much Higher For Linux Than Windows

Posted by Soulskill on from the old-dogs-new-tricks-etc. dept.

ivoras writes "An interview with MSI's director of US Sales, Andy Tung, contains this interesting snippet: "We have done a lot of studies on the return rates and haven't really talked about it much until now. Our internal research has shown that the return of netbooks is higher than regular notebooks, but the main cause of that is Linux. People would love to pay $299 or $399 but they don't know what they get until they open the box. They start playing around with Linux and start realizing that it's not what they are used to. They don't want to spend time to learn it so they bring it back to the store. The return rate is at least four times higher for Linux netbooks than Windows XP netbooks.'"

4 of 663 comments (clear)

  1. Of course! by Scutter · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Of course the return rate is higher! Linux is NOT READY FOR THE DESKTOP! You can't buy off-the-shelf software for it at Best Buy and it's hard to use. People buy things based on the price tag without doing their research first. Most of the time, they can't even get their microwave oven to stop flashing 12:00. What makes you think they're going to want to read an extremely lengthy linux user manual?

    --

    "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    1. Re:Of course! by DaveV1.0 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Oh, look, the fanboi speaks.

      Pay close attention. Linux will not be ready for the desktop until those "dumbshit" "meatsacks" find it as easy or easier to use than Windowsd

      The real problem is assholes like you think that because you love to tinker with computers, everyone else should be willing to do so as well. The fact is that most people don't want to spend ANY re-learning to use their computer. And, they sure as hell don't want to have to use the command line.

      It is not that "printer icon doesn't look quite like the one I'm used to". It is that "Text to Columns" is completely missing. It is that Joe Homeuser wants certain features that aren't available, one of which is to go to the store, go to the software isle, to the financial software section, compare some boxes, and then buy "Quicken".

      What you fail miserably to realize is that they don't need to learn how to work a new thing. You want them to do so, but they neither want nor need to do so.

      Your snide, arrogant, dismissive remarks shows your distain for anyone who doesn't have your interests and skills.

      --
      There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
  2. 1 in 25 users unhappy enough to return it by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    If 1 in 25 is angry or dissatisfied enough to return the device, and assuming that only 1 in 10 dissatisfied ever go through with the return, then you are looking at almost half the Linux version customers having a bad experience with their netbook.

    Same calculation only yields about 10 in 100 users as truly dissatisfied.

  3. Re:An MSI problem, rather than a Linux one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Caveat emptor. Just because Windows programs will not install on the machine, that does not mean it is a valid reason to return the machine. If they are stupid enough to buy the machine on the cheap without doing their research properly then they should live with the consequences.

    If the distribution is poorly configured so that it does not work properly then that is a legitimate reason to return the machine. The difference between the two can be easily found with a few questions.