idea: a managed linux distribution, for weak users

[Geoffrion, Ron P [IT]]

That idea is so 2003... PeoplePC, AOL, others tried it and failed.

You'd really have to fine tune your business plan to get the cost outs. Plus, make it extremely hard (or impossible)  for people to call in for service/questions - call centers are expensive.

Thanks,

Ron Geoffrion
913.488.7664



________________________________
From: kclug-bounces at kclug.org [mailto:kclug-bounces at kclug.org] On Behalf Of Monty J. Harder
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 7:27 PM
To: billycrook at gmail.com
Cc: kclug at kclug.org
Subject: Re: idea: a managed linux distribution, for weak users

On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 3:46 PM, <billycrook at gmail.com<mailto:billycrook at gmail.com>> wrote:

There are a number of lightweight, cheap computers that fit on the
back of a monitor and netboot for this sort of thing.  Cheap enough to
rent out to people at a $5 a month, upcharge from the regular
connection package.

Actually, it wouldn't have to be an "upcharge".  If you can get TW to sell the Internet access at "wholesale" rates, in exchange for the volume and offloading of support and billing, you could offer a "free computer"; pricing the combined package at the same as standard RR rates.  The question is whether the centralized management would make the support economical enough to be profitable.

In which case, TW would do it themselves.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kclug.org/pipermail/kclug/attachments/20080821/959fb961/attachment.htm>