He's pretty much spot on about one thing...
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| caitlyn Mar 11, 2009 4:51 PM EDT |
First, the original article is at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/10/linux_netbooks_zemli... Zemlin is spot on about one thing: most netbook vendors are treating Linux like Windows which is truly stupid. They are buying a commercial distro and doing as little as they can with it. Why not take a free distro that is known to work well and enter a support agreement with the distributor? Additional services, as Zemlin points out, may also be the right answer. Paying for a Linux distro isn't. |
| Sander_Marechal Mar 11, 2009 5:13 PM EDT |
Quoting:Why not take a free distro that is known to work well and enter a support agreement with the distributor? That still changes nothing. Only instead of paying for the license they now pay for support. The point is that they shouldn't simply pick a distro (Free or otherwise) but that they need to customise it especially for their device or for a type of use. |
| ColonelPanik Mar 11, 2009 5:22 PM EDT |
http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2009/03/analyst-arm-to-... |
| caitlyn Mar 11, 2009 5:54 PM EDT |
@Sander: You're right, of course, with one quibble. Many netbook manufacturers aren't setup to do OS support or any other type of support. Rather they hire staff they farm it out. That makes sense because it keeps costs down. My little company, hypothetically, could support any number of Linux distros and netbook manufacturers. I would gladly hire support people because support and consulting services are the core of my business. A manufacturer may not have support as a core competency. There are plenty of distros already customized for netbooks without any tinkering. Look at what Intel is doing with Moblin for an example. Customization shouldn't be necessary. |
| tuxchick Mar 11, 2009 5:57 PM EDT |
OMG I agree with Caitlyn. The notebook vendors already do their own customized linuxes, and they are no good at it. They create these weird little "simplified" interfaces and use their own custom repos, both of which seem to me to be wastes of effort. Then they lard them up with proprietary gunk, again uselessly. If you're going to reinvent the wheel, make it better, which they can't do. |
| caitlyn Mar 11, 2009 6:04 PM EDT |
tc: I think we agree more often than you care to admit :) Your comment about proprietary gunk is spot-on and it goes straight back to what both Mr. Zemlin is saying and what I am agreeing with. The netbook vendors have a Windows mindset so they treat Linux like Windows which is wrong in more ways than I care to list. Customizing a distro for a small screen is fine as is creating a user-friendly interface. Again, it exists off the shelf in Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Mandriva Mini, Foresight Linux Mobile, etc... I understand a company wants to have their own unique style and their own unique value adds. The problem is that Linpus Lite or the customized Asus version of Xandros Desktop or the hideously mangled gOS on the Everex, Mitac, and Sylvania systems don't add value. They take away value and leave a crippled system. gOS is the worst of the lot. They ship systems without drivers for the hardware! You're absolutely right that these manufacturers don't make anything better. They should stop trying and leave Linux OS development to the experts. They are anything but expert in what they've done. |
| Sander_Marechal Mar 11, 2009 6:22 PM EDT |
I see a great money maker here for Canonical: Building branded versions of EeeBuntu or Ubuntu Netbook for a fee. |
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