SuSE gets Mainstream Sales Distribution 111
An anonymous reader wrote in to tell us about a new
expanded distribution
for the SuSE distribution- it will now appear in places like
CompUSA, Fry's, Microcenter, Waldenbooks, Borders, and Best
Buy. Always nice to see those shrink wrapped boxes up on the
shelves.
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Now, if we could only get them to convert their in-store computer systems...and maybe make a terminal publicly accessible so you don't have to try to track down a bored college student to do a simple do-you-have-this-in-stock search for you.
CaptainTylor (who has not yet remembered to bring his password in to work)
P.S. This is the Borders on Lovers Lane and Greenville Ave. that I'm talking about, if any Dallasites are curious.
P.P.S. Oh, and Borders is online [borders.com] already.
Who set up these distributions channels? (Score:1)
My local CompUSA (Score:2)
Anyways, the SuSE thing is probably overall okay news, but we should still remember that SuSE is quite proprietary. Unlike Red Hat, their enhancements and extra utilities (Yast, etc.) are not released as free software and remain proprietary. Inspite of any advantages it may or may not have, I'll stick with fully free distributions like Red Hat and Debian. The thought of a proprietized Linux-based OS really scares me.
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:3)
Easy: ask a clerk where the Linux software is... (Score:3)
where it is shelved. If the 100st person comes
and ask the same question, maybe they will wisen
up, and shelv it at a more prominent place.
Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Why boxed sets can be good (Score:1)
Re:Not in this case (Score:1)
Re:SuSE 6.1 *Rocks* - *NOT* (Score:1)
Re:woo hoo! (Score:1)
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Re:Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
>>Hmmm.... at the MicroCenter in Santa Clara, CA, Linux is displayed quite prominently. Slackware and FreeBSD may be near the porn. However, they're not in boxes, anyway. RedHat and SuSE have been sold in MC for a long time....
At the Best Buy near where I work the boxes for Redhat 5.2, 6.0 and Caldera distros are the first thing that you walk into when you enter the store.
I just need to find 3 friends to go in on RedHat 6.0 with me.
LK
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
I think that it can be a *GOOD* idea to put them near the porn. When I go to the local shows, or stores I always peer into the porn shelves to see what's nude er.. new. I say put a few copies of the distros there and see if they sell. If they do, keep it up, what does it hurt?
LK
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Sunday, the Borders in my neck o' the woods had:
Debian 2.0 (only one, though)
Caldera 2.2
SuSE 6.1
Slack 3.6
RH 6.0
The CompUSSR a few doors down had the standard Caldera/RH/Applix selection -
and SuSE 6.1 for $29.95. $20 less than Borders.
Re:that's a good thing, but (Score:1)
I cancelled my subscription and picked up 6.1 at CompUSA for $30, which is $5 cheaper than the subscription price.
I never did get 6.0 working. I couldn't run Sax without crashing, and using XF86Setup produced a configuration that would hang X 5 minutes into a session. This was strange, considering COL 1.3 and RH 5.2 were working with the same hardware. I gave up after about 4 hours, but then I saw 6.1 for $30 and decided to take another run at it. :-)
TedC
but multiple proprietary are another matter (Score:1)
>really scares me.
I certainly see the problems with *a* proprietized linux distribution. HOwever, I think the risks evaporate with *multiple* such distributios, especially free distribuions out there. As long as there are multiple distributions, and as long as thare is no task which *requires* proprietary software, I don't see a threat.
Re:My local CompUSA (Score:1)
If the Alan Coxs and the Dave Millers hadn't had access to the source and the freedom to modify it Linux would have become nothing.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
Re:Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
400!
Not to knock on SuSE, I'm sure they're a wonderful distro for you, but if you think 400 packages is a lot you're sadly misinformed. Debian has somewhere around 2000 packages (is it 3000 now?) and I believe RedHat has nearly as many. Of course, this being Linux, if your distributor doesn't ship a program you can compile it yourself but it's still a lot easier to be able to do an automatic installation (or compile) of a program rather than manually fetching and compiling it...
Daniel
Re:if (location==Cambridge_MA) buyers=MIT_geeks; (Score:1)
an MIT geek... The rest work for startups
spun off from some MIT project or another...
Wisp
*)
Re:My local CompUSA (Score:1)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Re:that's a good thing, but (Score:1)
I had part of an SuSE order backordered (No. Calif office) and it was left unfilled until I finally called them about it over two months later. Appeared they had the stock, just lacked follow through. It was a big suprise to me, I expected they'd be shipping asap, since it was a completed sale and their payment was awaiting fulfillment.
I ended up cancelling the remaining order (except the t-shirt, which showed up in two days after the call).
While I wasn't impressed with the failure to follow through, I have been more than satisfied with the SuSE 5.3 product itself.
Being able to upgrade from a local retailer will be a good thing.
Re:My local CompUSA (Score:1)
is (c) SuSE - Don't forget that they've
also constributed some major code in
the form of X drivers for new cards - LOTS
of em.
Further, one of the ONLY ways that a
distribution can differentiate themselves
from others is their Admin/Easy of installation.
So -from that angle - I don't fault them
either.
Steve
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Most stores reserve most of their shelf space for producers who pay for that shelf space. The rest of the stuff, consignments, sales, whatever, get put where they can.
that's nice but (Score:1)
Re:Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
--
Ian Peters
Number of Packages (Score:1)
If you really want to compare the amount of software, you better stick with the total size or the number of CDs. But after all, the only relevant benchmark is the number of programms you have to install manually either because they are not part of the distribution or because the package is miconfigured, buggy or out of date.
Re: that's an awesome idea! (Score:1)
SuSE 6.1 *Rocks* 8) (Score:2)
To say I'd been grappling with Redhat is an understatement - too many issues to list, and I spent most of my time trying to maintain a semi-stable system rather than anything fun.
YAST is a joy to use, the install procedure very easy, SaX is fantastic, it all just *worked*, first time, no tinkering or gotchas! The quality of the documentation is fabulous.
Basically, I've still got a massive grin on my face! 8)
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Oh the Agony! (Score:1)
SuSE/RedHat/OpenLinux (Score:3)
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
The ol' YaST bit rehashed (Score:2)
Of course, this means that you cannot sell _any_ media that contains the modified version. This means popular outlets that sell cheapo CD's can't produce distribution discs.
This is an example of the classic "non-commerical" clause and thus does not meet the OSD.
If Red Hat had put portions of their installer under a similar license, then we would not have Mandrake Linux, which has graduated from "Redhat + KDE" to become a testbed distribution for developing ease-of-use technologies. And Mandrake Linux has not cut into Red Hat's sales at all.
That's why people bitch about Yast so much. SuSE is a great product otherwise, and could be adapted and customized for use in markets that require specialization. But instead, we are stuck with a paranoid, monolithic company.
Get real, SuSE. People are going to buy your distro because its so well polished in the first place. There's no need to continue to stifle innovation.
Unless, of course, you are afraid that a bunch of people working together over the Internet can produce and market a product that is better than yours using your own technology as a basis. If that is the case, then not only are you grossly missing the point of free software, you are going against the very heart of the community that buys your products.
P.S.- As for the person you hired to work on X, you are to be commended. Still, it makes understanding of the Yast license even more difficult. I guess maybe you support Free Software when it's "convenient".
yeah -- (Score:1)
I was just a little pissed to see it drop to zero.
...and now it's -1.
Good god, people, I thought it was somewhat funny. What is this, some sort of attempted backlash at anything slightly resembling aryanism?
It was at least somewhat on topic... who pissed in their wheaties?
woo hoo! (Score:1)
Now all we need is Debian and Slackware up on
the shelves... Then those people can see that
there really is more than Red Hat and Caldera
in the linux world.
----------------------------------------
Re:Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
------------------------------------
Re:nice to see... (Score:1)
belbo
Re:Not in this case (Score:1)
A "berliner" still is something like a Danish.
So you could translate it right into english - "I am a Dane" versus "I am a Danish".
--
Re:no donut (Score:1)
Oh you really learned me a good lesson, oh master.
A "Berliner" is still also a pastry, btw.
--
Re:SuSE 6.1 *Rocks* 8) (Score:1)
[
Re:My local CompUSA (Score:1)
Firstly, Redhat is as much of an enemy as S.u.S.E. Secondly, S.u.S.E. has demonstrated a great willingness to support XFree86 by hiring Dirk Hohndel. That along has done more than anything Redhat has done to ensure that XFree86 remains current and supporting the display adapter chipsets most people use.
Both Red Hat and S.u.S.E. are too commercial for me. However, S.u.S.E. has a great advantange if you are a German; Red Hat has no advantages at all.
Cheers,
Joshua "I dislike Motif" Rodd
news flash.. your late (Score:1)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Jarod
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Heh, at a Hastings in College Station, they have a small display in the center of the store with Redhat 6.0 (at a whopping $88) and immediately below it, Suse 6.1 ($29). Hmm.. wonder which one I'm going to buy (well, if I was planning on buying either of them.)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
I still can't get the taste of $78 for RedHat out of my mouth.
Who do they think they are--Caldera? (another longtime MicroCenter resident...)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Re:woo hoo! (Score:1)
I've yet to see Debian *anywhere,* boxed or booked. The only way I got my hands on a copy was via a set of Linux Mall's cheap CDs.
nice to see... (Score:1)
Comp USA (Score:1)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
ciao,
rimez
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Re:woo hoo! (Score:1)
Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
I have installed it 4 times (just for practice *grin*) and I have yet to be able to get enough time to actually go through all the available packages. My most recent install, I simply choose EVERY PACKAGE which is over 400!
A great value for anyone looking to add SuSE to their distro collection.
I expect my Caldera 2.2 in the mail sometime soon and I'll get RH 6.0 at the expo this week so we'll see how they compare.
Actually it's over 900 ... my bad (Score:1)
Not in this case (Score:1)
Ich Bin Ein
I am a...
from JFK's famous speech (Even though he called himself a jelly donut).
He was mentioning that he uses SuSE. (SuSer)
Since SuSE is from germany.... Sorta fits
RB
Re:Not in this case (Score:1)
RB
if (location==Cambridge_MA) buyers=MIT_geeks; (Score:1)
Re:SuSE/RedHat/OpenLinux (Score:1)
Yes, in-store demo machines would be a great idea!
Especially as the multi-head fad is upon us
Think about the possibilities when people realize that they could buy off-the-shelf software and share computers at home without buying every Junior and Janior an expensive new box!
{Snidely) and set up an NT setup with similar functionality right next to it. Post the pricetags prominently.
Just a thought -
timothy
Re:Easy: ask a clerk where the Linux software is.. (Score:3)
by Anonymous Coward on 18/05/99 9:35 EDT
... even if you know already perfectly well where it is shelved. If the 100st person comes and ask the same question, maybe they will wisen up, and shelve it at a more prominent place.
Right on, Good call!
Many businesses seem to be managed by zombies, who don't care (much) what customers want, so long as the store generates enough custom to pay their bills. "Conservative" in the pejorative sense, rather than the positive sense. However, even smart / smarter managers don't know what you want unless asked.
In the past couple of years, I have grown increasingly bold about asking / suggesting / requesting products I'd like to see when visiting retail places (not just computer stuff), and it feels good because it puts the shoe on the other foot. Much better than whining that "They don't carry it!" even though I still do that occasionally too.
Same goes for on-line comments for any software house etc. Ask for Linux / other Free OS stuff, indicate your interest in seeing a good selection.
Ask, ask, ask! Since I not a coder, but I like the idea of free / Free software, this seems to be one thing that people like me can do. Join in!
If you make it a point each time you go into a software shop (esp. the giant national chains, where hopefully there is some central accounting) and asking for a specific piece of Linux or other Free OS software that you don't see on the shelf, filling out a request form if one is available, then soon the avalanche of software availability will grow stronger! Maybe also specifically thank the manager if you do find a piece of software you want, mention that you will refer some friends there.
Point is, the mindset that "Nobody uses / buys Free OS software" is circular
Tim
Re:Bought SuSE 2 days ago for $29.99 at CompUSA (Score:1)
BTW, It looked like Best Buy had already sold out of RH 6.0 and Caldera 2.2 by that point.
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
Shrinkwrapped Slackware with my wife's Borders employee discount would be ever so nice.
Of course, I could always go to Barnes & Noble and get the nifty book that comes with an un-named Linux distribution including the "new 1.0.2 kernel."
Best Buy carries Linux as well (Score:1)
donut though (Score:1)
Ich bin *ein* Berliner.
would really mean Im a donut. JFK should have said
Ich bin Berliner.
But since most Germans even dont know this difference
SuSE 6.1 is not without bugs! (Score:1)
... but....
I was very unhappy installing version 6.1! After upgrading from version 6.0 lots of things on my machine do not work anymore:
- Apache is not coming up after reboot.
- MySQL too
- MySQL-Perl modules vanished and I had to reinstall by hand
- ISDN is not working anymore, because they forgot to add the masquerading kernel modules
If You look at there bugfixsite http://www.suse.de/patches/61_update.html this did not wonder me anymore.
Hey guys, SuSE is good, but is it best? Do I have the time and money to download about 10Megs of bugfixes and get a not working internethost after upgrading?
I think we all should think about how fast and often an upgrade-version should be issued. I know, the development of free software lives from early publishing software and its code, but if I buy a Linux distribution, my system should stay stable after (down-) up-grading.
SuSE 6.1 is not without bugs! (Score:2)
Re:Borders and discounts (Score:1)
Even better they have all the
Episode I "the Phantom Annoyance" stuff at 20% off. I stood there and read the comic book, now I don't "have" to make to premier, I already know the ending.
(Sorry, couldn't resist)
not exactly (Score:1)
"ein Berliner" refers to a member of a group which calls themselves "Berliner", whereas "Berliner" by itself means someone from Berlin.
So JFK said he was with the Berlin people instead of simply saying he was from Berlin. It's a subtle difference, it's difficult to explaii, but he chose the right words, even though there would be this ambiguity, if you looked at it context-free.
that's a good thing, but (Score:1)
bummer...
(whiner mode = off)
Like alternative OS's? try an alternative bicycle:
http://www.recumbents.com
Problems with SuSE 6.1... (Score:1)
The supplied manual, while not bad, doesn't go into enough detail for new users about a few things. "Run FIPS or forget running Winblows" might be a good start. Also, there's at least one spot where the typesetting got mangled in the middle of a series of commands that should be typed exactly as written. *oops*
Good tech support, though, and YaST is easy to mess around with. Guess I'll have a better point of comparison when/if I ever try RedHat.
Walden Clueless (Score:1)
Re:Linux at Micro-Center (Score:1)
Re:Borders has carried SuSE for Months Already (Score:1)
They have a great selection of Linux books and all
the distros one would need.
pointy haired salesdroid type looking at my FreeBSD X Window display
Re:Berliner and Donut (Score:1)
In German a "Berliner" is person living in berlin _or_ a donut except in berlin. When you try to buy a donut in berlin you should use the word "Pfannkuchen" instead otherwise people will look a little bit confused.
Re:SuSE 6.1 *Rocks* 8) (Score:1)
i give suse 9 out of 10 possible....
Re:woo hoo! (Score:1)
Re:woo hoo! (Score:1)