[ubuntu-uk] buying a laptop?

[alan c]

On 17/01/11 14:32, Alan Pope wrote:
> I have often pondered setting up a cottage business buying naked
> laptops and ubuntifying them, but can't see there's a huge margin in
> it, but there's the potential to get sucked into very long protracted
> support conversations, negating any profit made.

I talked at some length (about Ubuntu etc) to a Day Manager at Currys 
Digital locally a while back, and the  harsh and brutal climate 
existing in a typical retail environment became pretty apparent.

To those who are still finding Linux Emporium prices indigestible, I 
point out that LE give a retail experience, with expert support. And 
they are part of our community, family, if you like. Compare that with 
buying a naked  unit and doing a diy install, hopefully first veriying 
full compatibility, or with effort and risk if not. Or buying a low 
competitive priced Windows item and cleaning it out. No Ubuntu 
support, often quite poor warranty support, probably with a lot of 
hassle and grief if warranty was invoked I would think, after all, a 
low price means low markup, and then no resources to take to your 
warranty seriously?

Viewed in this light I thought that LE prices were not at all bad, 
particularly when they really did perform!

Personally, I would be ok with a naked units and diy Ubuntu, as long 
as I had information about compatibility.

A cottage industry would face the two markets - the existing LE 'full 
retail required' market, and such as me, who wants a naked unit *with 
known compatibility*.

Now that Broadcom are finding love for GNU/Linux, I remain hopeful.....
-- 
alan cocks
Ubuntu user