Almost Impossible To Sell A Pre_loaded Linux Desktop Computer 10847

philo

(First of all, the OP was obviously a troll (Google, African proxy, etc.) But your response is interesting.)

If something works, people stick to it. And Windows *does* work. You can browse the web, send emails, listen to music, watch DVDs, edit photos and documents, play video games, etc. (That you can do these things in Linux too is not the point here, mind you.) Its hardware support is the best out there. Why should people start using Linux if they see no problem with Windows? Because of computer viruses? They are called *computer* viruses, not *Windows* viruses (which would be correct term, and I suggest you use that term whenever possible), so most people think they attack the computer, not the operating system. They have no idea what an OS is anyway, and what the relationship between hardware and OS is. This is one of Microsoft's biggest weapons: do not, under any circumstances, explain to customers that a "Microsoft operating system" is just a piece of software that runs on top of their hardware. Let them believe that MS OSes are *tied* to PCs, that they can't do anything without them, like you can't live without water, food and air.

It's a mistake to use phrases like "works better than Windows" when trying to sell Linux boxes, because people might get disappointed when they first try it out ("it's different than Windows, therefore it sucks.") Linux advocates should try to explain to potential customers the benefits of Free software. Also, they should try to explain to them, that what they (the customers) believe to be "common sense", actually isn't. "Common sense" tells them that you have to pay for your software (which is not a bad thing), *but* you are not allowed to copy it or download it for free. Someone has to make it clear to them, that this kind of "common sense" is nothing more than the result of using restrictive commercial software for years and years and years. A EULA seems so natural to them, that they click on the "I Accept" button without even thinking about the moral implications.

Linux is *not* better as a product to the average user. It is just different. It *is* better from a moral point of view. EULAs, patents and copyrights have been hardcoded into people's minds, so they tend to believe that there is no alternative.

Well, we have news for them: Linux.