Re: [seul-edu] Revisiting: Asking Commercial Companies for ports from MAC/WIN to

["Jay Sun" <js9s@lycos.com>]

Well, that is well-founded fear, since people use LINUX on desktop so far are probably not the type willing to pay for that kind of software.  However, those users/developers are probably not interested in writing that kind of software for free either. So they probably don't have "free" alternative to compete with even in LINUX space.  When LINUX become more popular on desktop, there will be more next door Joe and Jane willing to license the stuff on LINUX, my wife included.  

As to how much revenue they can get, that is called market research, and they have to pay you big bucks to get that anwsered.

J.

--

On Thu, 03 May 2001 10:00:54  
 Steelhead wrote:
>I was cruising through the thrift store yesterday with my wife.  She
>found a handy piece of software called Teachers Toolbox.  I loaded it
>onto this Windows partition and looked at it.  It is a nice and handy
>product that she likes.
>
>I checked the company out, and made a call to HQ.  They do not see Linux
>as a platform large enough to port to directly, but are planning a Java
>version that is intneded to be x-platform.  
>
>I furthur inquired as to the possibility of porting it's look and feel
>to Linux independently of thier effort.
>
>Two questions came up very quickly.  Would we License it from them. 
>What kind of revenue would they be able to expect.  
>
>The notion of "giving away" the product was a terrible fear, how would
>they produce revenue if we gave away a competing product.  As I recall
>from the CUE conference last fall, there were thoughts by several
>companies to port to Linux, but there was no commitment.  A problem is
>seen in the business model they follow: they see Linux as destroying all
>potential profits.
>
>What should we say?  Should we ask cool companies to port, should we
>"borrow" the look and feel, should we just ignore what the teachers
>using the product like?
>
>Just food for discussion.
>
>Bill
>
>
>
>http://ablesoft-inc.com/index1.htm
>


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