Linspire will replace Windows with crippled Linux - cheap

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-11-04 05:49am

If Microsoft makes good on its self-destructive threat to pull Windows from the South Korean market rather than accede to local damands to un-bundle its proprietary media and IM apps, there's a safe harbour waiting in the form of blanket, country-wide licenses for the OS formerly known as Lindows.

Noting that South Korea blows $100m per year on Microsoft bugware, Linspire honcho Kevin Carmony has made a formal offer to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to license every computer in the realm for the bargain price of $5m.
Click Here

"South Korea could save around a quarter of a billion dollars. More importantly, however, it would break South Korea loose from the monopolistic grasp of Microsoft, which the country currently finds itself under," Carmony explains.

We'll forget that one is more likely to be found in a grasp than under it. We'll forget as well that President Roh has, since assuming office, been chucked from the Blue House by an angry National Assembly, and later returned to it, politically crippled, by an even angrier Constitutional Court, and likely has little time to fret about the software loaded on Korean computers. Ministry of Information and Communication Director Hyung Tae-gun would have been a more realistic and productive target of the letter, but no matter. We're delighted to see former Lindows/Linspire CEO Michael Robertson's variety of strenuous Yankee hucksterism and publicity bird-dogging passing so smoothly to his successor.

But we've got to wonder, where will it end? South Korea's population, just shy of 50 million (48.4m to be more precise), gets Linspire for about $10 per head. So Australia gets it for $2m? Ireland for 400k? Liechtenstein for $3k? Support burdens would run Linspire into the ground in a heartbeat, if this were anything approaching a serious offer.

Admittedly, by reporting this blatant publicity stunt, we're fueling it to some extent, and that makes us a tad uncomfortable. But as one clear-thinking Reg hack noted, "Microsoft gets tons of media for doing very mediocre things. I don't see why Linspire can't."

So there it is. And at least Louisiana hasn't been mentioned. Yet

Interesting, I was wondering why Korea hadn't tried this before being suggested.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2005-11-04 01:08pm

I hear PC gaming is big in South Korea.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-11-04 01:09pm

Uraniun235 wrote:I hear PC gaming is big in South Korea.

Did you read? its For the goverment.

Jew · Post by **Jew** » 2005-11-04 01:21pm

Ace Pace wrote:
Uraniun235 wrote:I hear PC gaming is big in South Korea.
Did you read? its For the goverment.

It's actually for the entire nation of South Korea. Microsoft recently threatened to stop selling Windows in South Korea due to an investigation by the Korean Fair Trade Commission. If Microsoft pulls out it would mean nobody in South Korea could legally purchase Windows.

Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony offered to license Linspire for every single computer in the entire nation of South Korea, for only $5 million. I'm not sure what that means, since most of Linspire is open source software. I think it means he'll give them access to the Linspire Click-n-Run warehouse, which is their premiere package manager/software installation tool. Normally they charge $20/year/computer for that access, I think.

To read what CEO Kevin Carmony said you can check out his November 3 Linspire Letter.

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2005-11-04 03:24pm

So will this mean that Gunbound will be ported to Linux?

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2005-11-04 03:43pm

I'd call this a good thing for gamers who resent being forced to use Windows to play their games. South Korea is a huge gaming market IIRC. Money farming is big business there. Software companies won't want to lose that market and will be forced to make their games less OS specific.

Jew · Post by **Jew** » 2005-11-04 05:03pm

Microsoft can't go around and confiscate all copies of Windows that are already installed in South Korea. The worst-case scenario is that Microsoft might be unable to sell Windows Vista in South Korea until either a) South Korea backs down and the Korean Fair Trade Commission lifts the fair trade restrictions on Microsoft, or b) Microsoft backs down and complies with South Korean fair trade laws.

More likely, the Korean Fair Trade Commission will slap Microsoft with a fine and require some minor changes in how Microsoft does business in South Korea. Microsoft will pay the fine, make the adjustments, and business in South Korea will continue as usual.

If the unthinkable happens and Windows Vista remains unavailable in South Korea, a black market will spring up in short order. The game money farms you speak of will still run Windows, they may just have to buy copies under the table from less-than-reputable dealers.