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OEMs, software distribution, P2P (was Xandros --...)




On Wednesday, March 10, 2004, at 01:23  AM, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> Microsoft controls the distribution.  First it was just the PC OEM, and
> that was huge.  Now they are taking the retail outlet to capture the
> last 10-20%.  The majority of consumers are all eager to spend their
> money.  If I'm Micrsooft

Care to elaborate on Microsoft's distribution channel?  BTW, I agree 
with you whole-heartedly.  However, I also feel that that distribution 
method is MS's weakest point, especially with the ubiquity of the 
Internet, OpenSource software, and Peer-to-Peer file-sharing.  
Microsoft is and should be terrified of OpenSource and P2P like Kazaa, 
Grokster, Gnutella, and BitTorrent.  Why?  Because P2P radically 
changes how software is distributed.

The whole point of a distribution channel is to get products from 
manufacturer/producer to consumer as quickly, reliably, and 
inexpensively as possible.  Traditional models include a hierarchy of 
middlemen like wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and OEMs.  And 
there are deals, and contractual agreements, and economies of scale, 
and all that stuff.  MS has spent an enormous amount of time, money, 
and resources to gain control over its distribution system, and has 
succeeded enormously.  However, ...

P2P makes all that go away.  P2P can deliver software from producer to 
consumer faster, more reliably, and for less expense than traditional 
distribution channels.  How?  By turning everyone who downloads the 
software into middlemen.  People no longer have to go to a single, 
controlled point in the chain.  In fact, the distribution model is no 
longer a chain but rather a mesh.  High-speed (broadband) internet 
makes the distribution system fast.  MD5SUMs and GPG make it reliable.  
OpenSource makes it legal and inexpensive.  Lastly, because of the 
diffuse nature of P2P, it is almost impossible for MS or anyone else to 
pull the plug on it.  There is no central point's plug to pull (which 
is what happened to Napster).  With P2P there is no longer a need for 
the traditional, hierarchical, tightly-controlled distribution chains.  
And that probably scares the bijeezes out of MS.

So, do you have P2P software on your machine?  Are you helping to 
distribute OpenSource Software?  Are you willing to show others how to 
install and use it?

Some P2P software: Gnutella, Kazaa, BitTorrent, Grokster.  Any others?  
Some P2Ps are Windows-only.  If so and you have a Windows box, share 
Windows versions of FOSS, e.g. Mozilla, OpenOffice, Apache, MySQL, 
GIMP, OpenCD, gaim, coLinux.

Regards,
- Robert


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