Not the normal to large corporations. They get rid of stuff in a scheduled manner. A PC reaches 3 yrs and its gone. When the warranty is up, its time to ditch it. Typically someone pulls it from commission right before its warranty is up, checks to see if any parts need replacement and then while it's still working they get rid of it. This all happens if they are organized and have a PC lifecycle plan in place. Sometimes financial concerns or manpower shortages cause these schedules to slip and then all hell breaks loose at some point. Tons of equipment failures at the same time or so many PCs to replace all at once that you must hire contractors to make the scheduled replacements. It's all about planning.
Brian Kelsay
Leo Mauler <> 04/09/05 11:53AM >>>
--- Brian Kelsay <> wrote:
Often the problem in a corporate environment, the newest version of Windows must be run (XP w/ SP1 or 2) along with virus scanning, big email clients, latest office suite and nearly all software that an employee might ever use since you want a one-size-fits-all image for the PC. There is always even more software to load for specialty jobs like program development.
Yes, the cost of replacement is far greater than the cost of the computer, when you're talking about Windows. Especially when the licenses are tied to the hardware.
So a corporation might hold onto a low productivity computer rather than engage in an expensive upgrade of which only a small part is the cost of the computer.
Brian Kelsay wrote:
Yes, the cost of replacement is far greater than the cost of the computer, when you're talking about Windows. Especially when the licenses are tied to the hardware.
So a corporation might hold onto a low productivity computer rather than engage in an expensive upgrade of which only a small part is the cost of the computer.
This situation may offer a wedge of entry for Linux. The shortest concept outline is to be catching a company before a commitment to vendor of either hardware or software has been re-approved for the next cycle. and a sub $100 hardware costing changes all the rules.
Our target being that next cycle gets made of Linux supporting hardware suppliers and Open Source software providers. Small margin huge volume? This bears a close look at-
Then again since Wal-Mart is arguably one of America's largest corporate IT spenders they may self source - A sub $500 no gimmick price laptop with Linspire and Crossover Office! What do THEY pay for it?
http://news.com.com/Wal-Mart+debuts+498+Linux+laptop/2100-1044_3-5498006.htm...
Getting from $ 498 to $100 could come very fast...
Crossover Office from what I have been told makes the data migration nearly painless for example. OR at least a lower "cost" that any other fix.
Then if one factors in the "avoided costs" of both MS and their ilk what would a new oem laptop cost? What if a few of the larger fortune 500 companies ordered one of these even for only half of their employees?
Or perhaps AOL deciding to saturate the market with cheap computers suited to their target market of new zero base users. IF the "fresh meat" has zero to unlearn Linux is more viable!
Oren
" Like- how weird- there were these stacks of aol free trial disposable laptops"
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Brian Kelsay -
Oren Beck