Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (2407 mails)

[tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Timothy R. Butler)]

  That stock deal is all well and good - if you have enough money that you can
afford to loose. I'd love to buy a bunch of RedHat and be able to afford to loose
$4,000 - but I just can't feasibly do that. While it's good to support companies
you like (personally I don't have anything against MS), it's hard for the little
guy to take such a loss just to avoid better buys like Microsoft. Perhaps after we
see some profits and such...
  I think the way Linux companies are going to make a profit is off of additional
support and training services, personally. I don't see a future in boxed set
profits as broadband and CDRW are becoming much more popular - which also means
Linux stocks will continue to plummet, at least until they find their true
specialty (consulting services).
  -Tim

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Timothy R. Butler                              Universal Networks
Information Tech. Consultant    Christian Web Services Since 1996
ICQ #12495932 AIM: Uninettm       An Authorized IPSwitch Reseller
tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        http://www.uninetsolutions.com
===================== "Solutions that Work" =====================

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Purple Shirt [mailto:purpleshirt@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 8:42 AM
> To: sienix@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; suse-linux-e@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [SLE] SuSE 7 Deluxe now vmware talk
>
>
> I take your point and all the others. Yes, everybody tries to cut cost as we
> are all not rich but you have to give SuSE some credit.
>
> It's a tough business to beat Microsoft and get a Linux version on a PC. And
> now where we(all Linux distros) are in the open market we are free bait. I
> must say if Linux doesn't make positive earnings within 2 years something
> terrible could happen. The whole model of free software could get flushed
> down the drain.
>
> You must understand that a company like RedHat can only stay on the stock
> market for a certain amount of time and make a loss. SuSE announced they
> will go IPO soon and this means if they don't make money eventually the
> company goes out of business.
>
> Why is that a threat? Because nobody would buy SuSE. Why would you buy SuSE
> if you could buy Corel??? Corel at least got WordPerfect. Why buy SuSE if
> you could buy Caldera? Caldera at least now seems to get Unix trademark from
> SCO.
>
> Hence if Linux companies keep crawling on the floor IBM, Gateway, AOL will
> sooner or later lose interest and we might all go back to Windows because
> free software model has failed.
>
> What is the solution? Gain as many users as possible and that quickly. Now
> SuSE can handle a short term loss of revenue if you don't buy the next
> version but they must gain an additional user instead to make up the loss.
> They are trying to do this now. I hope they succeed. How can you help free
> software win? Bring Linux close to all your friends. The more people use it
> the lower the cost will be soon.
>
> Honestly I believe there is too few business people among the techie crowd.
> Everybody here bitches about 20 bucks. I lost 4,000 dollars on RedHat stock
> over the last 6 months. I still haven't sold the stock. I don't even use
> RedHat and never seen their products. I am though commited to Linux and I
> can take this short term loss if over long term I make a bit off money and I
> can handle taking this hit now if it helps sustain price stability among the
> stock.
>
> I am real curious about how many Linux users own Linux stock. I bet it
> doesn't approach 20%. I hope you don't take this to the heart but I think
> every Linux user who doesn't have an interest in a rising stock price of
> Linux companies is killing Linux. The market is evil and so far Linux stocks
> have been raised and lowered by daytraders. I read the business news and no
> analyst likes to touch Linux stocks. They are scared shitless to buy a
> single share because they fear it will drop to 0 any minute. The only way
> these stocks gain respect from the analysts again is if Linux users
> sequentially buy more and more shares  of the Linux stocks to give it a long
> term slow-rising upwards trend. Once this trend shows analysts gain respect
> in a stock and will put their clients money into it. The effect will be slow
> growth in stock price, respect for a Linux company and healthy look on the
> charts =) and a better outlook for the future.
>
> So please don't tell me 25 bucks more for SuSE is a big loss for you when
> there is Linux users out there who lost thousands of dollars on Linux stock
> and still hold onto their shares because they feel they have a commitment
> with Linux and free software.
>
> Maybe it is time to ask the real question. How much Linux is enough for you?
> On your desktop only or also in your portfolio?
>
> Disclaimer: I own RedHat and Corel but don't use or never used their
> products. I simply own them because I believe in the long term strength of
> free software and Linux and I rather lose a few hundred on Linux than gain a
> dime on MSFT.
>
> mk
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "Guy Van Sanden" <sienix@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Reply-To: sienix@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >To: suse-linux-e@xxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: [SLE] SuSE 7 Deluxe now vmware talk
> >Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 06:10:36 -0700
> >
> >I don't think anyone wants SuSE to stand still.  But many
> >home-users are what made SuSE great.  (I introduced SuSE in my
> >company because it's the distro of my choice).
> >
> >Including reiserfs and other stuff is great.  Offering a
> >seperate version of SuSE with vmware license is also great,
> >provided offcourse that we can still choose the vmware-less
> >version.
> >
> >But splitting the distro up into two parts and almost dubbling
> >the price, also for home-power-users is , I think a very bad
> >move for an Open Source company, selling an GPL based OS.
> >
> >The last thing I would want is for any Linux company to begin
> >acting like M$...
> >
> >-----------------------------------------------------------
> >Once again you seem not to understand what the goal was. People
> >on the list
> >suddenly had this HUGE interest in VMware as soon as Michael
> >said,
> >"Professional comes with VMware license". There is also many
> >users on here
> >who buy every single release of SuSE. Add 1 and 1 together and
> >get 2.
> >
> >SuSE users may want a bundled deal. SuSE users still want every
> >SuSE release
> >and stay up to date. They also want VMware. Combine the two and
> >you have
> >what I described as SuSE Expert. Hence, this is why SuSE may
> >want to look
> >into this. Maybe this is a potential product scheme.
> >
> >Is it complicating things? Yes, but I am sure IBM has way more
> >complicated
> >contracts =) And yes you have to keep track but maybe it is
> >worth it. You
> >certainely will raise a lot of eye brows and gain users. I said
> >twice that
> >details have to be worked out to make this financially probable.
> >Maybe the
> >100 dollar target is way off.
> >
> >Then you made a comment that VMware can just easily sell their
> >licenses
> >themselves. Oh if business was so easy. If that were true we
> >wouldn't have a
> >thread of 200 emails about how SuSE creates now two versions.
> >Apparently
> >software doesn't sell itself so easy. Also I may like to point
> >out that
> >Microsoft didn't get to where they are by selling Windows on the
> >shelves all
> >by itself. They bundled it with everything they could possibly
> >bundle it
> >with. When I explained the SuSE Expert version and put the price
> >target to
> >100 dollars and said there was a SuSE+VMware deal I meant that
> >SuSE bundles
> >their product and then channels some of the profits back to
> >VMware. Of
> >course they can't sell a VMware license and not pay VMware. I am
> >pretty
> >certain this will sell more licenses of VMware than VMware could
> >possibly
> >ever sell by themselves for the price of 299. America is the
> >land of bundles
> >it seems. You can't walk a block without seeing some bundled
> >deal. McDonalds
> >and Britney Spears, George Foreman and grills, get a hub and two
> >nics, SuSE
> >and VMware, Linux und Musik (remember that one? =), ....
> >
> >And people buy this bundled stuff. Time seems to have proven
> >that.
> >
> >I think the essential question is: Do you want SuSE to remain
> >forever where
> >they are, selling a single Linux product, or go out there
> >enthusiastically
> >and make some serious business with people offering all kinds of
> >product
> >ranges? If it was me I would want to evolve into some strong
> >business
> >machine.
> >
> >I guess I have another fact to prove my theory. SuSE now comes
> >with
> >Reiserfs. There seems to be no money involved?! But people seem
> >to love the
> >opportunity to use this file system and I bet simply by
> >including it it is
> >an advantage point to keep a SuSE user a SuSE user and not have
> >him go to
> >some other distro. hence there is money involved. Every single
> >reason which
> >keep a user a SuSe user means money for SuSE. VMware may be such
> >a reason.
> >
> >Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with VMware in any way and have
> >never used
> >VMware.
> >
> >mk
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