proprietary drivers and secretive hardware [was: Supporting Ubuntu growth]

[Andrey Vul]

microsoft should officially support xbox/360 linux a la Novell (pay for support)
they'll get filthy rich off of "boxed editions" - install hd/dvd with
a huge instruction manual and fancy packaging and tech support

btw xbox is easier to mod(-chip: 6 soldering points on xbox 1.6, 0 for
1.0-1.5, ps2 has 20-something pins)

On 8/2/06, Hubert Figuiere <hub at figuiere.net> wrote:
> On Wednesday 02 August 2006 14:00, Gareth Evans wrote:
> > I'd imagine the reason that vendors do not make software for ubuntu/linux
> > in general is because it does not make money (which vendors have been known
> > to like).  While of course it is cheaper to make the software, there can't
> > really be any meaningful return on it if it's going to be free (as in
> > beer).  Of course, there are some vendors such as Novell, etc that have
> > caught on that you can make a lot of money on supporting the free product -
> > which I hope will be the case for many more vendors.
>
> Not. It is more about conservatism. They want to keep the same business model,
> and the problem is that Linux by itself does not allow technically that
> business model: proprietary software with a pay per use[1].
>
> Think about that whole music industry that now require DRM because they still
> want to control who play what now that duplicating CD with hifi quality is
> easy and cheap, and that exchanging music is easy too with the advent of
> broadband. So instead of trying to find new ways to make business, they try
> to find new way to protect their business.
>
> Imagine, what would have happened if in the early 20th century, the candle
> sticks manufacturers would have outlawed lightbulbs because it was killing
> their business?
>
> Markets evolve, and business has to evolve. The only fact that Microsoft
> spread FUD about free software and linux is because they pose a threat to
> Microsoft. The day Microsoft won't be able to make excessive revenue on
> Microsoft Office (90% profit) or on Windows licenses (55%), they will have to
> shutdown unprofitable businesses: MSN, XBox, etc. that are actually losing
> money.
>
>
> Hub
>
> [1] yes, software you buy us pay per use, as you don't own it. It is a
> service, not a good, beside the eventual documentation and physical media,
> but even these are less and less provided.
>
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>


-- 
-AV-