Re: Debian retail kit?
On 12/08/2004 08:00 PM, Paul Johnson wrote:
I'm looking for suggestions on what people would expect in a retail kit
for Debian, as I've been put in charge of pushing Debian in the shop I
work at.
Right now, since we're concerned only with i386, I'm thinking a Sarge CD
set and a printed copy of the installation manual, all in a single
binder. Sarge RC2 net-inst CDs have been selling with lukewarm
reception at $9.50 for the CD by itself in an envelope, but I think I
can do better than that. I haven't found anybody who sells boxed
Debian sets, and haven't seen any discussion in the archives this
decade about the topic.
Target audience are more experienced Windows users looking for a way
out.
So if anybody has any suggestions for what a small shop can put
together, or a distributor that sells Debian boxed sets, I'm looking to
hear from you.
Paul, the key part is to be sure your company is /asking the right
questions/ about what it wants to accomplish.
Looking for new customers? Looking to convert customers to Linux?
Looking for new h/w and systems integration revenue? Support contracts?
Trying to reduce support costs to existing customers? Your approach
will be different depending on the situation.
If your business is selling boxes to retail users, you'd position your
support contracts very differently from a firm selling small business
computer solutions.
You say your target market is experienced windows users, how will your
business profit by introducing Debian?
How does this fit with your existing business?
How will your "kit" be more effective for your company than a free
Ubuntu CD, PC magazine shrink-wrapped linux CD, or RH or Suse intro kit?
If your firm supplies systems to small businesses, for example, the last
thing you'd want to do is to sell a "Debian retail kit" for $10 that
creates unrealistic demands and expectations for support. Why create
the disappointment and headaches?
Alternatively, maybe you'd want to just give away a full on-site Debian
installation on one desktop in an existing customer's pool of desktops
just to demonstrate what the customer could achieve. You'll never get
that impact, for example, with a $10 retail kit.
But that's jumping to solutions, just to give an illustration. Let's
get back to the questions.
What do you want these experienced windows users to eventually buy from
your firm?
The questions will lead to important clues to what you could offer, how
you might package it, and what you could charge.
Hope I've stretched your thinking a bit on this.
Good luck!
Ralph
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