Re: CS 1.1 Ratings


Subject: Re: CS 1.1 Ratings
From: Jason Haas (jhaas@madison-web.com)
Date: Fri Oct 08 1999 - 13:03:55 MDT


Dan Burcaw wrote:
>
> > No, you're not missing anything. If you compare 'RPMS' directory from
> > the Developer Reference Release, LinuxPPC 1999, and YDL CS 1.1 you'll
> > find nearly 100% overlap, right down to the broken esound RPMS.

We're on our second major revision of our 5.0 release, and a lot of new
stuff's been added. Q3 brought in the new RAGE 128 drivers (an
incremental improvement over no drivers!), improved XLI, and Bochs, the
x86 emulator. Great value for you money, or your download time.
Comparatively, you have less features, less software, and a more
difficult installation with other distros.

> For now that's the major difference. We've put in significant effort
> into the Red Hat installer and associated tools (i.e. Xconfigurator).
> The installation is probably the most important part of Linux.. without it
> you don't have a Linux system.

Right. The LinuxPPC X installer is getting faster, more feature-rich,
and more consistent with every revision, and the next is just around the
corner.
The next XLI will continue to improve, fixing problems and adding some
very significant new features. And look at what's happening now --
RedHat, Caldera, and Corel are adopting the GUI installer model.

XLI has brought more people into Linux than would have been possible
before, especially those who were scared by the installation process.
You can use it after you've installed to install new software from CD or
over the net. Its value extends beyond making installation easier --
which many people have praised it for.
 
> Yes, YDL is actually cheaper then LinuxPPC at $24.95.

Which will soon be an irrelevant point. It is anyway, as ultimately,
they're both free. We've been making free Linux for almost four years
now. It's always available for download.

> If you want the support you can pay more.. this gets you a 24 hour maximum
> response time through a threaded web-based system. No lost support
> questions. If you don't want support, that's okay .. all of our engineers
> are on our mailing lists so if you have a question it gets answered. (By
> us or by other users)

Likewise. Just call Linuxcare. Or hop on our lists.

A great deal of our money to donate machines to developers. All of the
major developers have gotten machines, and we're branching out to new,
non-PPC developers. That's where a lot of the money goes. Buy
LinuxPPC, and you're sponsoring more than just a company. Is it worth it
to pay an extra $8 if it means we'll have machines working more quickly?
I think so. Because of our developer donation and sponsorship program,
we had working USB on the iMac almost instantly. That has payed off
immensely, as every machine Apple's released since then has had USB on
board.

Earlier this year we worked with IBM on the PowerPC Open Platform
design. We made sure Linux ran on the new boards, so as soon as they
hit the market, you can be running right away. Again, community value.
We're sponsoring Tom Rini's critical development work, and sending out
the new Apple machines to key people who can make them work.

Greater value to the user, greater value to the community. High-end
support available. 'nuff said.

Cheers,

Jason Haas, jhaas@linuxppc.com
LinuxPPC Inc, www.linuxppc.com



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