Mandrake News 274
DCowern writes "Mandrake yesterday released their FY2001-2002 earnings and I'm glad to say it's looking real good for them. They've cut operating costs by 42% and increased revenues by 31%. They're still not quite in the black yet but they're expecting to break even month-to-month beginning in February. The full report is here. In other news, Mandrake announced two new programs yesterday. The first is Multi Network Firewall, which looks like an extremely nice package for running small to medium-sized networks. The second program, and my favorite, is their "OS refugee" offer."
Question. (Score:3, Interesting)
Wow.. (Score:3, Interesting)
That's impressive. Except...they're still not profitable? Wow. They must've been screwing up big time before.
It's still nice to hear some good news for once I guess.
Re:Good For Them (Score:5, Interesting)
I just installed Mandrake's MNF on a system yesterday and it was cake to set up! Especially after I almost threw my P200 box out the window because the Red Hat 8.0 (Server) Install kept crashing on it (and RH 7.2 didn't seem to be stable either). This Mandrake MNF seems to be rock solid.
Mandrake is great. I'm gonna start sending them money. I hope they make it.
Re:"os refugee" offer (Score:1, Interesting)
Give me your product for free, since I'm too lazy or stupid to return another company's product that I decided to buy.
You may have chosen to pay for Windows, but that doesn't pay the bills at Mandrake. They're hardly obligated to replace things you buy from other companies. May as well go to Circuit City and say "I don't care to take this broken TV back to where I bought it, so give me a new one for free. After all, I did pay for the other one."
Given up on Mandrake (Score:5, Interesting)
I tried to add a second IP address to my machine the other day using the GUI admin tools provided in Mandrake 9, and it was a total mess. I ended up just editing the files in
I'm gonna give Xandros a spin next. Seems like a pretty well integrated desktop distro they have.
Re:Good For Them (Score:3, Interesting)
Why should this be the main focus? I mean trying to make it user friendly-fine that's a great idea to appeal to the non-Linux user, but I don't think a lot of effort should be focused on actively trying to get users converted. Because the one thing that will start happening, and we have seen RedHat do it, is that they will start catering to these users, ex-windows users who are used to getting things their way by complaining about this or that. Users who have been using Linux for two years but still can't use lp in the CLI. This is not meant as a lash out or an insult, just a question of motive. If you bring too many of these half users on board you will ask for allot more than you have ever bargained for, and will start making a distro to make it easier for them, and focus less on the real applications.
I've given my $$ - have you? (Score:2, Interesting)
but seriously, I've been very impressed with this aspect of the distro; it's company and their fight to become profitable, while at the same time sticking to their original philosophy. I've been skeptical in the past, but they've been innovative in finding ways to get people to participate, while still keeping the distro free for those who don't wish to pay/donate.
The rewards for joining have so far been worth it, and I'm glad to have given my $$ over the years.
Re:Good News (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Good News (Score:3, Interesting)
Just exactly what do you mean by "hasn't taken off"? Linux userbase grows by leaps and bounds every year. It has gone from a hobby OS to a major player in the server market in three years. It will make similar advances in the desktop in the next three years.
Rome wasn't built in a day you know. If you are really impatient for world dominance then I am sure lots of programmers could use your help in writing documentation and testing for bugs. Roll up your sleeves world domination is but a few years away!
Where are the $*#&@!!! real financials? (Score:5, Interesting)
There are any number of ways for a company's reported revenues to increase, ranging from a genuine increase in sales to more underhanded methods like (for example) reporting certain types of expected future income as present revenues. Likewise, there are any number of ways to show a decrease in expenses on the balance sheet, ranging from honest-to-goodness cost cuts, to sneaky Enron moves like hiding expenses through the use of stock options as executive pay, or dummy subsidiaries.
Don't get me wrong, I am not accusing MandrakeSoft of any wrongdoing, what I am saying is unless we get to see detailed financials, and I mean income and cash flow statements, a balance sheet, and footnotes, MandrakeSoft's rosy financial report is just another press release.
MandrakeSoft's stock price [yahoo.com] is still off around $1.25 from its high for the year, if they want to get their price up, it would help to get better information to investors.
Re:Nothing like Enron (Score:4, Interesting)
IIRC, the Mandrake users weren't the ones complaining loudly to the new management at the helm there, it was the developers and founders that were pretty concerned about their eroding bottom line. Remember, every CEO has a board that has the right to hire and fire him based on performance or something as petty as his choice of ties.
At any rate, when a company (the workers plus the investors, remember when they went public) isn't doing well, the shareholders and the board get nervous. The board usually tries to fix problems from the top down and make the shareholders a little happier.
I'm still confused as to why they just got a new CEO. Maybe he brings some kind of financial wizardry or business ties to the table..because I read an article today saying how he's 'enjoying learning about Open Source software'. Like he's never heard of it before.
Oh well..at any rate, I'm glad Mandrake is getting healthier. It always has been my favorite distro over the last 3 or 4 years, and it seems to be growing with me.
Re:Good News (Score:4, Interesting)
You hit the nail right on the head there. We must must make every effort to ensure that everything works and is easy to setup. It's not always going to be possible to support every piece of hardware as there are companies who will not release the needed information.
However, We can improve in a number of ways. First of all, much of the documentation that comes with open source software really sucks. I'm an IT professional and I struggle with it. I don't see how a non-IT person would stand a chance with some of this crap. I understand that documenting a project is not fun. I hate documenting my own work but I also know that it is a very important part of a project.
Another thing that we should move toward is a standard set of libraries that all programmers can count on being there. And the API should not become incompatible from one release to another without a very good reason.
The developers of libraries should allow other developer's to purchase a license (at a reasonable price) that would allow them to link and still keep their code proprietary. I believe that some offer this but at a price of about $1,200.00. This would be an insignificant cost for a major software company if the Linux platform would support the kind of return that would allow justification. However, Linux, as of yet, doesn't have a large enough user base that is willing to pay for programs to make this price justifiable.
Joysticks should be better supported and fonts still have a way to go.
I use Linux at home for my desktop and home server but I think that we are a number of years away before Linux will be truly ready for the average home user.
Don't forget Mandrake PPC (Score:4, Interesting)
Anyone who's got a Mac is invited [mandrakeforum.com] to participate by testing PPC Cooker.
Heres what I dont understand.. (Score:5, Interesting)
But why the hell do they charge so much? The cost of that firewall package was 1,999 Euro. We bought a PIX firewall and it cost like 3,000 Euros. Considering the PIX is actually a hardware appliance as well, I dont think its that bad a deal.
The whole point about Linux distributions (for me at least) was that they undercut the opposition by being either free or ridiculously cheap.. but now they are releasing products that are priced so highly, there is hardly anything in it. Why the huge mark up?
I was looking at the very cool looking SuSE OpenExchange [suse.com] which is designed to compete with Exchange.. and I seriously think after looking at the web demo that it really could.. but it again is priced so damn high, its actually cheaper for us to buy MS Exchange 2000 on our educational license than it is to buy that.
Another Question. (Score:2, Interesting)
Packet shaping feature? (Score:2, Interesting)
a Windows users reviews Mandrake 9.0 (Score:3, Interesting)
What mystifies me... (Score:2, Interesting)