Re: [ossig] Need to know where to get RedHat legal copy in Kl.

[Tze-Meng Tan <tmtan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 9, 2004, at 7:54 PM, Colin Charles wrote:
>
> The picture is misinformation in your mind
>
> You can pick up a copy of RHEL 3 from Imbi/Low Yat, its not a problem,
> as long as it isn't called RHEL 3 - it can be called White Box
> Enterprise Linux, Pink Tie Linux 10, or anything for that matter, its
> fine - this was a naming issue (with Red Hat legal) back even during 
> the
> Red Hat 8 days. Yes, downloading it from the Net is free too

All versions ? ok, thanks for clearing that up, I thot I read something 
about not being able to download the ISO images any more?
I still think the words "legal copy" and "open source" being used to 
describe the same thing sounds ironic :)
sort of goes against the "freely redistributable" aspect perhaps the 
term "supported copy" might be more suitable in this case

>
> You are just not entitled to support. If you want support, you buy a
> "legal" copy, from RH, and you get onto a support contract, for *five*
> (5) years

Ah, so premium means, premium support, is that on-site ? hmm, 10k for 5 
years is 2K per year, probably not on-site
how much to get on site support from a local supplier ?

>
> Now contrast that to OS X server which you have been so graciously
> pushing hard - hardware that isn't popular, OS that support can
> disappear quite quickly (look at the 10.2 line for instance - no more
> updates, not even security), and cost thats pretty high, for quality
> that isn't all that hip either (yes, I own Macs)

ah, you mistake a geek's "wow this is cool, I got to tell my fellow 
geeks" with "sales hard sell".
I don't make anything off Apple products, I'm not a reseller.....just 
support em
My entire revenue stream is deployment services and support/maintenance
Whether a customer goes with FreeBSD or Apple I charge the same prices

>
> Pushing FreeBSD as an alternative to RHEL and saving RM3k is a novel
> idea - FreeBSD rocks as a server. But its also filled with hardware 
> woes
> to support newer (possibly, higher performance) stuff (and even people
> deeply involved in FreeBSD find it difficult to get around - ask a
> certain Greg Lehey, for instance).

Customer needs a file server for 20 PCs..... an even if it goes to 100 
or a thousand PCs FreeBSD is more than good enuff if the
infra is designed right. No reason to pay Red Hat for support when the 
money is better paid to me, a local company, keeping the money in 
country.
One of the key reasons for the open source push in Malaysia.
Besides, customers want on-site support, so paying the 3K to red hat is 
wasted anyway because they will call me instead of red hat when 
something
goes wrong. Even Apple's support is wasted, no one calls the toll free 
number, they always call the reseller who sold them the Mac.

>
> Stop the FUD - how can the open source business survive when everyone 
> is
> pushing people in different directions and stabbing each other?

I fail to see how what I've said can be called FUD
Calling Red Hat support packages expensive is FUD ? yes they have a 
right to make some money, but I don't have to like their prices and 
some of their business practices, red hat has done some questionable 
things in the past.
The Open Source business in Malaysia is not going to grow based on 
selling Red Hat or any other products or support services for a margin. 
The Open Source business will grow based on service revenues to local 
companies which comes from supporting customers. If you run a business 
won't you do better off *giving* your customer a red hat CD which you 
burned and then selling that customer services for installation 
configuration and support and maintenance ?

> I thought FUD pushing was for a certain Redmond-based company to do

yeah, thats right



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