BRUCE STANLEY wrote:
Main stream = large scale usage of OS by Non-technical users as well as technical users. This includes home users as well.
Except for non-technical home users, the non-GPL issue will not prevent Linux going mainstream, then.
The WiFi Module requires you to be a technical user to install it, thus preventing non-techs from general usage.
Except if the nontech works in a large corporation or elsewhere where such issues are dealt with by support staff. If it hasn't already, I think we'll see Linux hit the corporate mainstream way before it hits the home mainstream.
I also do believe that for the IBM laptops there is problem with finding a driver for the internal modem (discussed in this thread). Yes, some of use still use modems.
Yes and yes. I'm certainly not denying the problem, I'm just saying it wasn't created by SUSE.
Bottom line, if you do not provide drivers to the users (non-techs I mean) that are at least is easy to install as on Windows XP, you will not make much inroads to that user base.
Perhaps it's worth considering that the nontechie home user probably isn't Novells primary target. There aren't many services to be sold in that market, and services are what makes open source go round. But, by Novell not properly addressing this market, it creates a decent sized niche for someone to build a nontechie home user SUSE Linux++ which does include all that non-GPL stuff. /Per -- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com