Re: Talk to your frTalk your friend into switching to Linux(Re:)

[r.e.ballard@usa.net]

In article <35636069.87813361@198.0.0.100>,
  nhughes@sunflower.com (nate) wrote:
> On Thu, 21 May 1998 03:31:48 GMT, sinan@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> >In article <6jsg1j$5e2$2@gte2.gte.net>,
> >  roger@. (Roger ) wrote:

> >[....]

> >First one person , and then another, before you know
> >it is is a real movement.... Go for it....
>
> Went for it.  Liked NT better, plus, Linux application availability is
> horrendous.   Keep working on Linux and maybe in a few years it will
> be better.  You can have it till then.

I've been "going for it" for the last 4 years.  I have dozens of successs
stories.  If the Linux vendors had some kind of MLM program like Amway,
I'd be a millionaire by now.

I have two approaches.  I have several old legacy copies of Linux.  I talk
to people about it, give them the CD-ROM, and give them 2 weeks to get
the entire system installed and return the disk.  About 20% don't even
open the case.  About 10% make a half-hearted attempt, stop with the
"text only" version (don't get X11 configured) and decide that UNIX
is "worse than DOS".  40% start using Linux and Windows in a "dual boot
configuration".  The remaining 30% turn into rabid Linux fanatics.

I advised a mailing list of publishers from 1993 to 1997 on how to publish
on the internet.  I would reccomend that they start with a "recycled" PC
(A 386 or 486 that was too "wimpy" to run Windows with Office), and install
Linux on one of these "boat anchors".  Eventually, the list grew from
40 publishers to nearly 7000 publishers.  Nearly all of them started with
Linux (many quickly upgraded to SparcServers and SunOS or Solaris).  Steve
Outings still runs the list.  Most of the NT publishers, especially those
with Linux experience, have nothing nice to say about NT and have restricted
NT to a handful of very limited "special uses" such as ActiveX controls
and ASPs.  The bulk of the work is still done on Linux.

Linux has really only been a good "Workstation" since 1997 (Red Hat 4.0)
but it has been rapidly evolving into a very sophisticated workstation.
When equipped with Red Hat 5.0 or Caldera 1.2 and Communicator 4.0 and
an Office Suite from Corel, Applix, or StarOffice, you end up with a very
sweet machine for a very reasonable price.

Lately I have been "loaning" PCs equipped with Linux to first time users.
I can sell them the machines at cost if they like the machines (about $400).
When they encounter someone who wants them to use "office", I tell them that
that will cost an extra $1000 (I charge retail).  I also tell them that if
they allow anyone to install Microsoft products on that machine without
proper licencing that it will be a $25,000 fine.  I also tell them that
if they settle with Microsoft for less than 20% of gross revenue, I want
half as much as whatever Microsoft gets.

It's amazing how quickly they develop a very STRONG preference for Linux.

> Nathan A. Hughes
> MFA Candidate
> The University Theatre, KU
> http://scenedesign.home.ml.org

Rex Ballard - http://www.access.digex.net/~rballard


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