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On Wed, 2004-01-21 at 10:26, Chris Gehlker wrote:
> This has not been my experience at all. The issue is cost first, ease=20
> of use as distant second. The other issues you mention are simply not a=20
> factor. The small businesses that I deal with simply don't believe that=20
> MS will ever inspect their businesses.

I think if you sell totally on cost or on ease of use you do GNU/Linux a
great disservice.  While it does great in both areas.  Sometimes better
than the competition sometimes worse, but nearly always comparable to a
degree of acceptability.  You really should be selling it on its
undeniable strengths for which the competition has no answer.  Those are
the freedoms I have listed before. Since I know you hate this word.=20
Instead substitute "preferred benefits" in its place.  Because thats
what they could be listed as in this context and should contain much
less emotional context for you.

> Honestly  Craig, half the small business people I deal with have no=20
> real concept of what an operating system is. They have been through a=20
> few upgrades of the applications, often specialized databases, that are=20
> the real reasons that they have a computer in their business. When the=20
> upgrading the application required upgrading the OS, they went to=20
> someplace like CompUSA who told them, they needed a new computer. They=20
> can't be  blamed for having the impression that Windows is built in to=20
> the computer. They probably think that office is built in as well since=20
> it's bundled.

I think they do understand "preferred benefits".  Ask them if they would
like their vendors to be able to peek at their books anytime they like
with out their permission.  Ask them if they would like their vendors to
have unlimited and unauthorized access to their customer lists without
their consent?  I suspect all of them would say HECK NO!  They may not
understand computers, but they understand what is "right". ;)

--=20
Derek Neighbors
GNU Enterprise
http://www.gnuenterprise.org
derek@gnue.org

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