Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-project (328 mails)

[Bryen <suserocks@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 2008-12-23 at 22:07 -0600, Rajko M. wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 December 2008 07:30:45 pm Carlos E. R. wrote:
> > > Would we call all such boxed releases 11.1.1 and so on?
> >
> > Yep, perhaps.
>
>
> It would take time for people to get used to idea of 11.1.1 and start using 
> benefits, but that would help a lot everyone that want to install openSUSE on 
> friends computer. 
>
> Now, you install in 20-30 minutes and then run all updates. 
> With basic broadband it can take some time after half year of bugfixes.  
> After that, you can test that all important stuff actually work, and show new 
> user perks that come in mind. This limits opportunities to present openSUSE 
> to times when you and potential new user have some half day free. It would be 
> much better to have pretty clean installation with few MB of updates, so that 
> all doesn't take more then 1 hour. 
>
> Combined with professionally printed DVD face and couple of stickers, all in 
> paper pack something like AOL, it will make better impression. 
>
> To me is much easier to present openSUSE as real goodie, when I bring DVD 
> from 
> box, or better a whole box with manual. People that know that I use something 
> called Linux, usually have no idea what is that, and make assumptions about 
> quality based on package. Home brewed stuff doesn't cut well in that case. 
>
> BTW, this can be the answer how to organize development. 
> One year cycle with release x.x.0 and then half year after x.x.1 with 
> bugfixes 
> as retail box, or simple DVD, with visit us on 
> http://www.novell.com/products/opensuse/ 
> printed on packaging, and browser that opens on that page, similar to 
> Knoppix.  
>
> -- 
> Regards, Rajko

I very much like the idea of an openSUSE boxed version with the initial
bug fixes included.  But there are several things I wonder about:

1) As the x.x.x version is specifically marketed as a perfected version,
we're selling an expectation to potential customers.  The expectation
being that this version really does work and is better than the original
version x.x.  That means we would have to go through a testing process
to ensure the validity of our claim.  Because this is specifically
designed for situations where money changes hands, we have to back up
the marketing claim of the media.

How do we do this in a way that doesn't conflict or become a drag on our
regular x.x testing process?

2)  The obvious goal here is to increase purchases of packaged openSUSE
(in whatever format is decided upon.)  If we do this, how do we market
it?  It is already determined that stocking shelves has become
cost-prohibitive.  

There's also the problem that the media may not consider it a big enough
story to write about like they do for standard releases.  So there's no
guarantee that we'll get the publicity we need to boost sales.

I do think we should adopt a model that many software companies are
adopting in which they leave most sales in the hands of resellers.
Community members can be considered as resellers.  They can purchase
packaged media in bulk at a discount rate and then resell them at
whatever venue or face-to-face they choose, and at a price they choose.

It has two benefits:  1) Potential resellers are more motivated to push
openSUSE to the masses and 2) Potential resellers understand their local
markets better than any mass global marketing effort could.  (okay, not
always)  
-- 
Bryen Yunashko
openSUSE Board Member

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