Freespire's Google ads: "What is Ubuntu Missing?"

[Conrad Knauer]

I note that in Gmail one of my Sounder messages had a targeted ad on the side:

---
What is Ubuntu Missing?
Need your desktop Linux to legally play mp3, Windows Media, DVD, etc.?
freespire.org
---

With the first question linked to
http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/The_Perfect_Desktop_Linux_OS

(seems to be down at the moment, but you can always read the Google
cache; the gist of it is that in order to "create the perfect destkop
OS" with other distros you'd need to (heaven forbid!) follow a set of
DIY instructions (for Ubuntu they point to
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats) while in
Freespire they're preinstalled)

Now, AFAIK, the Fluendo decoder (gstreamer0.10-fluendo-mp3) in
universe *does* allow us to legally play MP3s, but just not 'out of
the box' and DVDs aren't a problem in countries without dopey software
patents and such ;) so I detect a bit of false advertising there.

Also, proprietary software makes Linux "perfect"?
Oh Lindows/Linspire/Freespire, you scamps! ;)
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060424164142296

CK