but what's wrong with using tech support as a business model for Linux distros?
Because tech support universally sucks. To say that it's hard to find someone who is qualified to support a linux distro, pay them well enough so that they won't leave in a few months(weeks?) and then expect to pay their salaries with people who are willing to purchase this support is a gross understatement.
Furthermore, the customer base for support is very limited. On one hand, you have corporate support contracts, who are going to be paying enough so that they can usually just afford a consultant or a full time employee, so they'll try to squeeze as much as possible out of the deal or end user support who will end any sort of support incident with "forget it! this is too difficult-I'm going back to Windows!", leaving a frustrated tech with a smoking gun and mural of brainy goo on his cube. Anyone in the middle ground either won't need support or will ask for support on things they just shouldn't be conducting over email or phone calls. ("Can you help me recompile my kernel?")
While I don't have suggestions on what would make linux easier to sell, support can only be sold to end users once the desktop interface is ready for prime-time, and corporate support can only be sold via a system of consultants, since the liability issues and configurability make a hairy mess when put together.
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but what's wrong with using tech support as a business model for Linux distros? Because tech support universally sucks. To say that it's hard to find someone who is qualified to support a linux distro, pay them well enough so that they won't leave in a few months(weeks?) and then expect to pay their salaries with people who are willing to purchase this support is a gross understatement. Furthermore, the customer base for support is very limited. On one hand, you have corporate support contracts, who are going to be paying enough so that they can usually just afford a consultant or a full time employee, so they'll try to squeeze as much as possible out of the deal or end user support who will end any sort of support incident with "forget it! this is too difficult-I'm going back to Windows!", leaving a frustrated tech with a smoking gun and mural of brainy goo on his cube. Anyone in the middle ground either won't need support or will ask for support on things they just shouldn't be conducting over email or phone calls. ("Can you help me recompile my kernel?") While I don't have suggestions on what would make linux easier to sell, support can only be sold to end users once the desktop interface is ready for prime-time, and corporate support can only be sold via a system of consultants, since the liability issues and configurability make a hairy mess when put together.