Microsoft continues to proclaim that GNU/Linux system sell through proves that GNU/Linux is a failure. Because the pay off companies like HP and Dell, they continue to incent companies to obfuscate the truth.
The real number of systems running GNU/Linux is higher than sell-through statistics show, partly because of actions and activity such as that illustrated in this story.
Saturday morning we bought an ACER Aspire One 10.1" netbook with Windows 7 preloaded because it was on sale for $299, and the Linux version would have to be special ordered at a higher price.
So, when she got home, my wife (whose deskop computer is a Dell running Linux Mint 8 - I know, because I am the IT guy in our house, and we have NOTHING running any Microsoft software at all) gave me the netbook to load up with Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Last week I purchased a 2 GByte USB memory device onto which I loaded UNR from the UNR CD I downloaded and burned on my System 76 Serval Pro 2 -- the ACER Aspire One had no CD drive, and we didn't need one BECAUSE UNR can be loaded from a USB memory device (I don't know ... can that be done with Windows 7?)
After installation (I used the installer's partitioner to format the drive for EXT4 with a / partition and a /home partition, and a swap partition - the entire installation took about 15 minutes) I rebooted into UNR, opened Synaptics, and installed UBUNTU-RESTRICTED-EXTRAS and all was ready for her to take this neat little netbook to class for note taking (she's a graduate student, returning to school at 56 years of age) because she types better and faster than she can hand write.
Next, I stripped off the Windows 7 sticker, applied a "powered by ubuntu linux" sticker, and applied an Ubuntu logo dot over the Windows key -- so now my wife has a 100% Ubuntu Linyx netbook with only the Windows 7 license sticker on the bottom of the netbook.
My point is that this netbook sale is registering in the statistics as another sale of Windows 7, but it is not true that this is a sale of Windows 7 for use. In reality, this is an Ubuntu Netbook sale.
So how do we register this so that the world can see?
Maybe we need to ask the Linux Foundation to establish a registration web site where we can register our hardware, and our software (by Distro), and what operating system we installed over for all new computer sales.
Then, the Linux Foundation can send the database (with personal information obfuscated or deleted) to the hardware vendors, and to Microsoft, so that they can correct their sales through figures. This databse can also be made available to the various organizations that report sales through and use so that we can correct the misconception that Microsoft creates when they use their money to pay off manufacturers and distributors.
Had this laptop come with a separate license and CD (and not just a sticker on the bottom of the laptop which cannot be removed without damaging it and without risking scratching the computer) I would have gladly shipped them back to Microsoft for a refund as my wife and I have never agreed to ANY Windows 7 license agreement on any computer anywhere.
By the way, my Linksys Cable Gateway uses Linux, my personal media player uses Linux, my Tivo is powered by Linux, and soon I will have an Android Smartphone, too.
It's Ubuntu Bug #1 all over again
Microsoft continues to proclaim that GNU/Linux system sell through proves that GNU/Linux is a failure. Because the pay off companies like HP and Dell, they continue to incent companies to obfuscate the truth.
The real number of systems running GNU/Linux is higher than sell-through statistics show, partly because of actions and activity such as that illustrated in this story.
Saturday morning we bought an ACER Aspire One 10.1" netbook with Windows 7 preloaded because it was on sale for $299, and the Linux version would have to be special ordered at a higher price.
So, when she got home, my wife (whose deskop computer is a Dell running Linux Mint 8 - I know, because I am the IT guy in our house, and we have NOTHING running any Microsoft software at all) gave me the netbook to load up with Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Last week I purchased a 2 GByte USB memory device onto which I loaded UNR from the UNR CD I downloaded and burned on my System 76 Serval Pro 2 -- the ACER Aspire One had no CD drive, and we didn't need one BECAUSE UNR can be loaded from a USB memory device (I don't know ... can that be done with Windows 7?)
After installation (I used the installer's partitioner to format the drive for EXT4 with a / partition and a /home partition, and a swap partition - the entire installation took about 15 minutes) I rebooted into UNR, opened Synaptics, and installed UBUNTU-RESTRICTED-EXTRAS and all was ready for her to take this neat little netbook to class for note taking (she's a graduate student, returning to school at 56 years of age) because she types better and faster than she can hand write.
Next, I stripped off the Windows 7 sticker, applied a "powered by ubuntu linux" sticker, and applied an Ubuntu logo dot over the Windows key -- so now my wife has a 100% Ubuntu Linyx netbook with only the Windows 7 license sticker on the bottom of the netbook.
My point is that this netbook sale is registering in the statistics as another sale of Windows 7, but it is not true that this is a sale of Windows 7 for use. In reality, this is an Ubuntu Netbook sale.
So how do we register this so that the world can see?
Maybe we need to ask the Linux Foundation to establish a registration web site where we can register our hardware, and our software (by Distro), and what operating system we installed over for all new computer sales.
Then, the Linux Foundation can send the database (with personal information obfuscated or deleted) to the hardware vendors, and to Microsoft, so that they can correct their sales through figures. This databse can also be made available to the various organizations that report sales through and use so that we can correct the misconception that Microsoft creates when they use their money to pay off manufacturers and distributors.
Had this laptop come with a separate license and CD (and not just a sticker on the bottom of the laptop which cannot be removed without damaging it and without risking scratching the computer) I would have gladly shipped them back to Microsoft for a refund as my wife and I have never agreed to ANY Windows 7 license agreement on any computer anywhere.
By the way, my Linksys Cable Gateway uses Linux, my personal media player uses Linux, my Tivo is powered by Linux, and soon I will have an Android Smartphone, too.