Comment 1388 for bug 1

What i suggest for Ubuntu is the following:

1. A Ubuntu/Linux/Elf software store. It should be designed so that it can ship applications for many OS:es, not just Ubuntu.

2. A Ubuntu Pro commercial offering. Including boxed Ubuntu, a manual, and support. Also some commercial stuff like DVD player.

Ubuntu currently has Fluendo Windows Media and MP3 Playback Pack, Fluendo Complete Playback Pack and PowerDVD Linux in its online shop. These should either be provided trough a software store, or included in "Ubuntu Pro".
I would also see more commercial Linux applications there. For example i know there is a Ubuntu version of Majesty. I know for sure that i would buy that.

3. Both of above need a reseller plan. OEMs that preinstall a software store or Ubuntu Pro have to make money out of it. And Ubuntu pro should not be cheap.

A software store and a commercial Linux with a distribution network is what we need. I am certain that this is exactly what we need. For servers we have RHEL but for clients the only thing available is Mandriva, but they effort to build a distribution network is to weak. They focus on an online store, and I believe thats their weakness. Operating Systems is OEM products and they are usually sold with computers, so we must target the OEM builders.

While i have talked a lot about technology on this issue, technology is not a #1 bug issue. We have technology, what we need to fix bug #1 is marketing.

There is no reason why Linux should have less usage share then OS X. Linux can run on much more hardware that OS X supports, and it have a great community.

On another front, i think the idea of recycling old computers with Ubuntu and give them to those that cannot afford a brand new PC is excellent. I have done this a lot with lubuntu on really old computers. I also have a ThinLinc server that can be used to run applications that old computers are to weak to run. Its not fast enough for youtube, however they can play mpeg2. Perhaps an application like minitube can use a proxy server for transcoding to mpeg2 before a clip reach the old box?

> Martin,
>
> True. Again i agree with that and i think we are in agreement again. So the
> various points people have made are valid except where we talk about noobs
> installing.
>
>
> Surely a shop that installs to perhaps tens of machines has time to play around
> with even just 1 and has probably noticed all the quirkiness of installing
> Windows onto a wide range of very different machines and might realise that
> lack of knowledge might be the main barrier to a smoother install of Ubuntu (or
> other distro). Perhaps it is those people that we should target rather than
> normal users or people that do the odd one or two. Continuing to approach both
> is probably still best.
>
> Regards from
> Tom :)