Linux still largely invisible in the marketplace

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Fri, Dec 09, 2005 at 10:06:19AM -0500, Rick Tomaschuk wrote:
> The reason all of the list server recipients are aware of Linux is
> through years of 'community' effort. For the average newbie the concept
> of Linux or an alternative to Windows simply does not stand out. We are
> readily aware of McDonalds, Wal Mart, Canadian Tire, Dell, Windows,
> Goodyear, Molson, Saturn, CNN, CBC. Would Linux fit into the list? No.

Well I am not sure I quite understand this part.  I found out about
linux by looking at what was new in the usenet binaries section for unix
back in late 92/early 93, and found the disk images for SLS 1.03, which
was labeled as a free unix for i386 type machines.  Being an Amiga user,
and never impressed by DOS when I encountered it, and having used QNX in
the form used on Unisys Icons, I started downloading the disk images
(took a few weeks with a 2400 modem), and installed it and was impressed
(It installed, and booted, and worked.  I had to be impressed.)  I
didn't realize it came with source code at the time, since not being
much of a programmer yet at the time, I had no idea I might want to
change anything.  I did not learn about linux through friends or the
community, just through searching what was new on usenet.

> The enemies home turf is where ever they can challenge the legal system
> with enough BS, control the situation and prevail...at least on the
> rulings. Piracy is another issue.
>
> Oddly enough filthy politics traditionally aren't tolerated here. The
> reason America (and Canada) were created was to guarantee freedom to the
> 'huddled masses' from tyranny.

I don't think the founders of either country would necesarily like
everything about how it has turned out.

Len Sorensen
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://tlug.ss.org
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://tlug.ss.org/subscribe.shtml