On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:50:50 -0500, Stan Hoeppner wrote: >>> One of the tenets of FOSS is a free or low cost alternative to >>> commercial software. >> >> Free Software has *never* been about cost. > > Not for the developers, but it certainly has been for many users of it.
I really hope "cost" is not the only thing users take as their own scale for going FLOSS. I would also expect "quality" word appears as one one of the most valuated items FLOSS software can provide. > My comments related to the reasons users choose FOSS. One of them > certainly is cost. My analogy was that of "Why pay Microsoft $495 for > Office when Open Office is just as good for most users and is free". By > that logic, why pay $75 for a Lexmark toner cartridge when you can get a > "compatible" cartridge for $28 that functions identically? That's a very wrong approach, IMO. Here in Spain, MS is reaching agreements with schools and public institutions in order to provide almost at free of cost (just a symbolic fee) their products (Windows, MS Office...). And the agreement also includes staff training and tech support on their side. Turn-key solution. All included. No FLOSS company can compete nor provide that conditions. Kids will learn how to use MS products and so all government workers. Do you still think in this case MS products are better becasue they cost "nothing"? I don't think so, unless you understimate your freedom :-( Greetings, -- Camaleón -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/pan.2010.10.29.10.29...@gmail.com
