[maemo-users] Nokia netbook

[From: lakestevensdental]

Mark Haury wrote:
> lakestevensdental wrote:
>   
>> Mark wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> But $25 is nothing to sneeze at. I would still rather pay $25 less and
>>> install kubuntu on the entire drive than pay $25 more and end up with
>>> dual-boot. Either way, it's still Linux I'll be using, so why should I
>>> have to pay extra for something I neither want nor need?
>>>  
>>>     
>>>       
>> You appear to be ignoring the power of numbers.  Nokia's netbook, 
>> bundled with Windows will sell far more units with than without.  The 
>> larger quantity sold with Windows will allow Nokia to produce sell their 
>> netbook for less than otherwise, perhaps more than $25 less.  Besides, 
>> having to manage a smallish inventory for a Windowless version would be 
>> a hassle (expense) for Nokia and sellers.  So get over the $25 cost of 
>> Windows.  If you want an Ubuntu netbook, just install it when you get it.
>>   
>>     
>
> You're not making any sense whatsoever. It doesn't cost anything for 
> them to maintain a small inventory of OS-less machines - all they have 
> to do is skip a few steps in manufacturing - and the number of Windows 
> machines they sell just makes it that much easier for them to give a 
> discount for OS-less machines. After all, you don't actually think 
> they're making Windows available at cost, do you?
>   
  Spoken like someone who's never produced anything, nor had to manage 
inventory.

  For those making and selling netbooks, the cost of the OS is probably 
some variation of a 'loss leader'.  Bundled with Windows one may sell a 
lot more product, which allows production, development and marketing 
costs per unit to be significantly reduced, more than the cost of adding 
Windows.

It costs plenty for everyone from Nokia to the computer store to create 
and maintain a small inventory of OS-less machines that might otherwise 
be sold bundled with Windows.  For one, banks (and/or 
production/outsource folks) don't sit around waiting for months for a 
small inventory of Linux units to be sold to get paid off.  If it were a 
hassle to install Ubuntu on a Windows netbook, you might have a point, 
but such isn't the case.  If you want Linux netbook, buy a Windows 
netbook, download Ubuntu and install (perhaps 3 clicks?).  It's not 
rocket science.