__/ [ arachnid ] on Saturday 08 July 2006 21:09 \__
> Talk about making money off Linux...
Reminds me of this blog/site I discovered yesterday.
http://openbusiness.cc/
Seems rather lame though. Lmoast lamer than Google.com in 1998.
> I was just snooping around the web
> and happened across this site:
>
> http://www.emacinc.com/operating_systems/linux_embedded.htm
>
> They sell various single-board computers. You can buy
> embedded Linux to install for $100. However, that's apparently just the
> kernel. If you want sendmail, that'll cost you $50 extra. If you want X,
> that's another $75.00. Add $50.00 for Netscape 4.7, another $50 for Perl,
> $50 more for dosemu, $75 for Python... and so on for about 35 different
> major pieces.
>
> It's almost enough to make me want to go back into tech. I used to be a
> hardware guy specializing in microcontrollers so a SBC would be right down
> my line. Then I could download Linux for free, tweak it a little, and
> undercut these guys by giving away the kernel and then charging "only" $25
> for every little piece!
The beauty of Linux is characterised by projects like CentOS and forks of
OpenSuSE. The OpenSuSE Wiki goes as far as instructing people to encourage
the creation of special-purpose SUSE's, with nothing but the required RPM's
included. Custom-made kernels are another issue that was recently outlined
in a major Linux magazine. All in all, no-one can overcharge because there
will always be some punter fedding on others' work. So quality and
competence of /support/ (on-/off-site, setup/code) counts at the end of the
day. No lockins. No extortion. Look at all the clients that bounce back and
forth from/to Red Hat to/from Novell.
> This brings to mind a Dennis-the-Menace cartoon. He and Joey have a
> lemonade stand going. The sign above the stand says "Lemonade $10 a
> glass". Dennis is telling Joy, "yeah, but we only have to sell one
> glass..."
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