Disk on Key slowly getting smaller

[Dotan Cohen]

On 09/03/2008, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>
>  > While I do agree that it seems sensible that many Linux users do not
>  > pay for software, declaring that _most_ Linux users do not pay for
>  > software is "slashdot comments" research: an educated guess. It sounds
>  > good, but have you checked? Companies like Google, NASA and Disney pay
>  > quite a lot for Linux software.
>
>
> But, they are not "most users".  It's entirely possible that many users in a
>  few companies are paying a great deal of money for Linux software, but the
>  largest _number_ of users are people like us (the subscribers to this
>  list) - and we don't buy software in significant quantities.

I think it's time to head over to "ask /.". :)

>  > Is the reason that people use Linux because the software is free, or
>  > because they like a secure, stable OS that just so happens is easy to
>
>
> I think very much that the reason most individual users get Linux is because
>  it's free.  They might stay because it's secure, stable or Free, but they
>  wouldn't try it in the first place if they hadn't got it for nothing.

That is a good point. The initial exposure must be free.

>  I hesitate to suggest that any of us use it because it's stable.  Certainly
>  not me.  If I can't push my OS to the breaking point, it isn't any fun :-)

I actually find Debian to be the most stable OS I've tried since the
Commodore 128. I currently use Ubuntu because it's not that much less
stable than Debian (debian based), but is far easier to maintain with
newer software. There are other reasons, but stability is a big part
of it.

>  > I'm certain that were Ubuntu the same price as Windows, most
>  > of the people who enjoy it today would happily pay for it.
>
>
> Sure, those of us "who enjoy it today" - but we wouldn't have tried it if
>  we'd had to buy it the first time.  After all, I didn't buy Windows the
>  first time I tried it either (no, it wasn't _quite_ pirated - I found a
>  copy in the garbage at work - license and disk intact - too bad I hadn't
>  left it there!)

Point well understood. I agree that I might not have tried Linux
should I have had to pay for it in the beginning.

Dotan Cohen

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