Re: About PowerPC board production run
On Tue, Aug 03, 1999 at 04:26:49PM -0500, Jeramy B Smith wrote:
> This is all well and great but bad from a business standpoint.First, sell
> iMacs preloaded with Linux to raise capital. Market them for Linux hobbyists
> interested in alternative architectures. Same for Powerbooks. Call them iMax
> and PenguinBooks. Order units as you get orders. Buy direct and sell direct.
> Then use your profits to get a production run of your motherboards.
Okay, I have to address this now that I've addressed the quickies. Especially
since I'm willing to bet I'm the only one here who's actually *LOOKED* at this
from a business standpoint, thankyouverymuch.
Selling iMacs is stupid. iMacs are a zero-margin machine. You can't raise
capital when you're not paying the bills. Furthermore, you would only serve to
damage your reputation, or give you a bad one, due to the fact that Linux is
still young as far as unixes go, and not ready for primetime like that. Starting
a company on Linux is only sane if that's all the company will do. If you make
no profit but gain customers by selling your precious little 'iHax' and
'PukingBooks,' what good does it do you long term, when you have no financing or
profit to speak of, and can't get the bills paid?
To be successful, one has to start big, and work towards the other things, like
Linux. You can't make Linux a first-year priority; it has to go to second year,
unless that's all you intend to sell. To really make it, you have to start with
what's tried and true; not what's the current media darling. When the media
dumps Linux, your sales will drop, and you'll end up with nothing left except
a small niche market.
--
-Phillip R. Jaenke, Rabid Systems Administrator and BOFH
AIX/BSDI/DG-UX/HP-UX/Linux(Debian)/SCO/Xenix/Xenix286
"Unix is so much more than a way of life. It's a way of.. er..
it's a way of SOMETHING! I just don't know what yet!"
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