Linux.com

We don't sell Linux in a retail box and nor do we actually charge for the operating system, instead we charge to install it, the customer may or may not know that Linux is free, if they do then they realise they're paying for it to be installed and if they don't then they probably assume the software is whats costing the money. Either way it's all explained on the invoice but customers don't seem to care. Once you explain to them that they can have an operating system that isn't Microsoft you grab their attention, then you explain that the majority of the software available for Linux is free (As in beer) you've really got their attention and if they know they can always call us up for help in the future they're more than happy to go with it. A quick demo using an Ubuntu (Although usually Kubuntu tbh) usually persuades them they'll be capable of using it and simply set up Konversation to go straight to the Kubuntu IRC room, set them up with bookmarks to the Ubuntu forums etc and they're more than happy.

I like the idea of selling it in a box on a shelf but even Windows doesn't sell that many retail copies each year, mostly because most users out there are petrified of performing such a task as installing their own operating system. I definitely like the idea of it being there though.

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