[TriLUG] official Linux on a laptop for under $500?

[Shane O'Donnell]

Ummm...did anyone happen to take a peek at the BIG PICTURE?!?!?!

Linspire, a LINUX company that ships/sells a Linux distribution, has
partnered with arguably the largest retailer in the world (and certainly the
retailer with the greatest reach in the U.S.) to deliver a Linux-based
laptop to the masses at a price point that has, until now, been untouchable.


Do you get it?  VERY aggressive price points?  MAMMOTH distribution?  This
is LINUX we're talking about.  The SOHO market "desktop" wars have just been
ratcheted up a notch.

The Linux community always wants to talk about World Domination, but when a
major coup is in the offing, they want to debate the heat generated by the
processor in a cheap laptop.

And think what you will, Michael Robertson has already done more (in getting
this deal inked with Wal-Mart) than ESR EVER HAS OR WILL in support of
gaining wide-spread adoption of Linux.  Don't like his business practices?
Sue him.  Don't like his haircut?  Send him an email.  But don't focus your
energies on tearing down what just might be the commercial foray that will
take Linux to the next level.  

Have you ever tried to take a product back to Wal-Mart?  Guess what -- you
can.  Almost anywhere in the US, as a matter of fact.  This means that
purchases at Wal-Mart are safe purchases to make for almost anyone.  And if
SOHO users start turning to low-end Wal-Mart machines to accomplish their
business tasks (which they can, despite the laptop configuration dispute of
earlier), they are going to need someone to support them.  Someone like
Linspire--or Red Hat--or Ceriant--or their local computer guy.

Wake up, folks!  If you want Linux to be widely accepted, installed,
distributed, understood, respected, et al--get on board.  The open source
world's inability to successfully market itself and continually turn on
itself over geek "religions" (e.g., Linux vs. BSD, GPL vs BSD license, ESR
vs Stallman, whatever) is stunning, and stunning on an ongoing basis.

Descending my soap box,

Shane O.