The Linux Desktop and ISVs/OEMs

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday September 11, 2012 @07:56AM from the mixing-freedom-and-business dept.

olau writes "Michael Meeks, who's worked on GNOME and LibreOffice integration for many years, now for SuSE, has some really interesting thoughts on the recent Linux desktop debate and suggestions for possible strategies. He points out that regarding independent software vendors (ISVs), the real issue isn't actually the quality of the tools but the size and attractiveness of the market, and perhaps that a solution could be lower barriers for paying or donating. Regarding OEMs selling hardware with software preinstalled, he points out that while a free OS + software sounds good for consumers, it's actually a problem for OEMs on razor-thin margins, since they lose the cut they get from the preinstallations. A possible countermove could be nailing robustness and hardware diagnostics for good, lowering OEM support costs."

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Fall in line by pellik · 2012-09-11 08:04 · Score: 5, Insightful

At the end of the day, it's a lot easier if Grandma has an OS that other family members can help her with.

No matter how much I like my Linux Desktop, I don't want to be responsible for bringing non-tech-savvy people along. The rest of the family is fully capable of troubleshooting basic windows problems, more or less.
1. Re:Fall in line by vurian · 2012-09-11 08:05 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It was one, good, reason for moving to Linux. The perfect excuse to decline helping people with their Windows problems.
2. Re:Fall in line by Urza9814 · 2012-09-11 09:06 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  On the other hand...
  My mother has a Linux netbook. Other than getting her email set up with Thunderbird when she got it (she couldn't do that herself in Outlook Express either,) I haven't ever touched the thing. It's just never had an issue.
  Her Windows desktop, on the other hand, seems to need some kind of repair every time I visit.....