No, Microsoft doesn't have much like launchpad, only thing Microsoft has is send error report, which of course people barely ever click send error. Me I don't have a problem, only that when I build something I like to test it my self, not Alpha test but I mean run the full gamut. This would include both software and hardware. Now I am going to be honest I don't contribute to the Open Source community as far as making software cause frankly it's not my speciality as I am a electrical engineer. But case and point is, developers and contributors should test there own product before fully distributing it to the world. You need to think of it like this, many consumers don't really know to much about development of software or hardware. So with this in mind, when you have your consumer use a beta product or for instance a "new updated" product and it crashes or has little failures here and there, first thing they are going to think is it's crap. Only cause they don't know that they the consumer are the beta testers. Some software companies and developers are nice enough to advertise "beta" which is helpful for those consumers. Now with ubuntu and hect all open source operating systems, I do notice yes advertised as a beta launch ect. However I did get some people to switch to ubuntu, and out of the bunch yea issues evolved with there situation. It might not be in control of canonical however, because of that situation they switched back to there proprietary operating system even though i would tell them hey, it's going to have a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Now having a product that is beta tested fully by the developer would help prevent having a person switch back to what ever other operating system or software they were using before. This is the whole point, to have the developer test there product before distributing it, because if you have your consumer even at times they know it's beta tested by them, they still will disagree with the product, and what will happen is it may tarnish that reputation of the company or group. Best example would be windows vista, I don't use windows anymore I use strictly Linux. And have for about 1-3 years now, I forget. I can say that from reading the numbers that microsoft was pulling and from user reviews, that it sucked. And it had made many people, switch to mac. Now, there you go. But problem with vista was microsoft trying to make a operating system more macish, by that the menus and the all of a sudden outbreak of media softwares. Now thing with Linux based operating systems is it works out the box. you install thats it, software is simple. It does have it's up's and down's like anything sure. But thing with vista was, it was developed in less then 2 quarters. And it's only alpha test that was included was to see it startup, run a few applications, run some cpu tests, memory test, just to make sure it didn't have memory dumps. The rest was all consumer, and consumers tried the operating system and bam crashes here crashes there, security wholes from all directions. There was the problem making a product to fast, making like another operating system, and most of all above all having this product tested at the very minimum by the developers. That hurt microsoft, and it especially shows since apple corp is now larger then microsoft. Now to make Linux have a market would be based not on the operating system. The OS is free no problem right. But there is free software for it and all yippee all fine and dandy however the software has it's limitations, if canonical and other holders of linux based operating systems would have contracts drawn up with software corporations and begin to develop software for linux based operating systems and charge this would bring profit to the linux community. That is how microsoft and apple make money. They don't make it off there operating system they make it off there software they sell for that operating system, and by the contracts drawn up by the software corporations who make software for those operating systems. And within those contracts are agreements that a certain percentage of sales should go to apple or microsoft. This is the point behind how to make linux have a market share. And a large one indeed. Thing with Linux based operating systems, example ubuntu, you can install it and you can do alot right from the install alone. By default, open office, firefox, and so many more. You can't really do that with a microsoft install. You need to spend money for the software for it. Think you spend 200 for windows right, but you spend 1000 for photo shop, out of that 1000 dollars microsoft might get 5-50% of that sale depends on contract I don't know what it is cause im not within there sector. This is the point. On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 8:48 PM, tristan8276