crouse
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 Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2024 4:06 pm Post subject: Cheryl Schwarzman of Lindows |
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Cheryl Schwarzman of Lindows
Interviewed by Munky.
USALUG: I guess the first question is Who is the target audience for Lindows?
Cheryl Schwarzman: Anyone that uses a computer but primarily those that are not savvy in the latest technology. You know like the mom and pop, you know the average computer user, or less than average computer user.
USALUG: So you mean the end-user.
Cheryl Schwarzman: Yeah.
USALUG: Why that specific audience?
Cheryl Schwarzman: Well, because they are the guys missing out on everything that is cool with Linux they don't have the technological know-how like a Linux guru to get in there to run a different operating system, because frankly there hasn't been a easy to use operating system within their reach until Lindows OS was available.
USALUG: You don't think such distros as Red Hat or Mandrake have the same qualifications?
Cheryl Schwarzman: I think that there's a certain, I think you have to have a certain level of confidence in computing to get around the powerfulness of Red Hat and I think, don't get me wrong those are phenomenal products. But for an average user, for a ten year old kid who's trying to get his homework done, or for a new computer user it might me a little bit intimidating. So we found the system of point-n-click, like you download your software, it takes one click and the icon lands on your desktop. It kinda smooths over the Microsoft Windows experience. Because you are not asked what directory does it go to? It really takes computing and slaps training wheels on it.
USALUG: In describing that, do you think your method lacks the same performance and power of another distribution?
Cheryl Schwarzman: No I wouldn't say that it lacks anything what I think we have done is put a nice exterior on something very complex and powerful, and I think the end-user doesn't necessarily have to know what powers it all they have to know is how to use it in a very efficient way.
USALUG: Okay, if you could pick a feature of Lindows that truly defines it what would it be?
Cheryl Schwarzman: It would have to be the click-n-run warehouse the install of applications thats the number one thing that people hands down say this is what i had problems with, and a complete library of software applications at my fingertips.
USALUG: Alright, I've read a little bit about it click-n-run its seems that you either have a subscription or pay for each specific program, is that correct?
Cheryl Schwarzman: Yeah you are correct partially, click-n-run is more than 1800 software application programs, some of which are proprietary such as Sun micro systems star office that retails for $79. A person who would want to take advantage of all the applications in the warehouse can pay a membership fee, I believe it is $49. It allows you to have access to that software for the rest of your life even though the membership last for one annual year. That doesn't mean that the year is up and the software disappears or goes away. So essentially you are paying for a lifetime of software.
USALUG: I believe that Lindows was one of the first distros to be installed and sold on computers, the big example being Wal-Mart. How did you come up with this idea?
Cheryl Schwarzman: I believe we were approached by a white-box manufacturer who was selling computers without Operating Systems. It seemed like a perfect marriage to add value to this white-box by installing this Operating System on it. The beautiful part is that this did not change the price point. Unlike Microsoft Windows products, the moment you add them on to the computer you've also added on an addition hundred dollars to support the software. Well, that wasn't the case here as we weren't charging to bundle the software and hardware and therefore were named one of Wal-Mart's number one best sellers last year.
USALUG: That's wonderful news. Now do you think what has kept the end-user from using GNU/Linux for so long is the fact that they had to install it? And the fact that Microsoft Windows normally comes on most systems.
Cheryl Schwarzman: Sure, I don't know about you but, a lot of people that I know in my family and in my circle aren't very technological savvy. A pretty good majority of middle America are very smart people, but they are so busy that they don't want to spend their time messing around with technology they just want it to work, they just want to file their report and get it done. They don't want to go out and install an Operating System on a computer that already has an Operating System.
USALUG: Right, Now you do you think that this method is the wave of the future. Meaning do you think that this is how GNU/Linux will prevail?
Cheryl Schwarzman: That's where Microsoft is going to get a little competition. It is when computers are sold with an Operating System as the complete package. While sales are good for us, as we sell our software on boxes and shelves and elsewhere we will get the real value, and they will get the real value when they purchase a computer with LindowsOS.
USALUG: Speaking of value, I looked around your site and checked out the prices. For the deluxe bundle of Lindows, which is priced at what I thought to be a rather high price of $159. It included what I guess to be a lot of software; the OS, the plus, office, virus safe, and surf safe. Do you really think that price is appropriate for that software?
Cheryl Schwarzman: I could tell you that if you could parse out everything that you saw from LindowsOS. You took your Operating System and did a side by side comparison, you would be paying easily double if not triple that price for a competitive Operating System. I am of course talking about Microsoft and their product-line. So when you are talking about this complete lineup I think it is a pretty good value.
USALUG: Now of course Lindows is based off of GNU/Linux which is licensed under the GPL. The GPL permits the software to be sold and used at any means. As Richard Stallman says x{201C}free as in beerx{201D}. It is rather obvious that Lindows has taken such root. The question comes to mind as why not provide a free download-able copy?
Cheryl Schwarzman: Have you not seen the news? We are on every P2P system out there. We give it away. Do you belong to KDE or Debian?
USALUG: Nah, I'm a Gentoo user.
Cheryl Schwarzman: Okay, well we give it out. I would encourage you to goto Lindows.com/opensource. You would see where Lindows.com has funded tons of Open Source to give back to the community. Furthermore, if you are developing Open Source code we actually give the Operating System away.
USALUG: If I were to purchase Lindows with just the Lindows OS would I be happy with the amount of software I get?
Cheryl Schwarzman: 1800 titles, that's pretty phenomenal.
USALUG: No, just the initial software without the click-n-run.
Cheryl Schwarzman: Lindows the Operating System?
USALUG: What the OS comes with.
Cheryl Schwarzman: Yeah I think you would.
USALUG: What are some of the long range plans for Lindows?
Cheryl Schwarzman: I think that down the road we are looking at enterprise. We don't really like talking about stuff that doesn't exist yet so I won't bore you with that, but you can expect that in the fall.
USALUG: There has been spread out word of IBM's new distro, code-name x{201C}Blue Linuxx{201D}. If a great giant like IBM were to back an OS like this, do you think this could be great competition to Lindows?
Cheryl Schwarzman: I don't want to guess, either way in that area. Anytime anyone is embracing the power of Linux, its sharing to a world that has been dominated by Microsoft Windows thats got to be a good thing.
USALUG: Agreed, probably thousands of people will read this interview. Is there anything that has been left unsaid?
Cheryl Schwarzman: Yeah, I think that Lindows OS is terrific for anyone that wants to save money, that doesn't want to deal with Microsoft Windows. Now I imagine that most of your readership consists of Linux users, am I correct?
USALUG: Of course.
Cheryl Schwarzman: They probably use various distributions and would probably never use Lindows OS.
USALUG: That was a thing I wanted to discuss Why do you think that is the case? I guess we can say that Lindows is considered to be a turning point, or a conversion distro.
Cheryl Schwarzman: I would hope that your readership would want to use Lindows OS, but my sense is that there is a certain pride intellect of really knowing how to get around Linux without the training wheels on it. So I really think that your readership might pride themselves on that because they are a super smart group of people.
USALUG: We try.
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