Dear Larry:
I basically agree with your point about the economics involved. I do
understand the need for limited free tech support.
You bring up a good point when you mention that Macmillan/Mandrake would
have to charge $100-$150 per box in order to provide adequate free tech
support to newbies.
So, why not offer LM 7.1 at the current price (around $50) and add the
option of a package deal on free email support for a certain period of
time beyond that, i.e. $50 to $75 for 30 or 60 days of serious tech
support, at least as it concerns installation issues and helping the
newbie get started.
No matter how good and detailed the Linux manual or book is (or isn't),
there are always imponderables, things that the manual writer knows by
heart and has long since forgotten and expects the newbie to understand.
Newbies, whether coming from Windows or not, do NOT a certain amount of
hand-holding, especially in view of the formidable and for the most part
incomprehensible help and man pages (which I, to this day, avoid like
the plague, substituting Linux books for them that speak English, not
computerese.
Still, when all is said and done, it is the great help of the Linux
masters who so generously give of their free time that is the key to
helping the newbie orient himself/herself in Linux and that helps the
newbie to survive the trials and tribulations of the first month or two.
Of course, it's a lot, lot easier these days than it was when I started
with RH 5.2 and it will only get easier thanks to Linux, KDE, Gnome,
etc.
Yours,
Benjamin
--
Benjamin and Anna Sher
Sher's Russian Web
http://www.websher.net
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
