"Former Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony was pretty gung-ho about the company's upcoming release back in June. He said it would 'fill some key holes in our current offering'. Unfortunately Linspire 6, released last week, lacks the refinements you'd expect in a distro you pay USD 50 to download. It drops some key distinguishing features, and in return gains only some Microsoft technology as spelled out in the Microsoft patent covenants Linspire agreed to. This release seems to be about deferring to Microsoft."
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Member since:2006-07-16
That guy is an attention whore if ever I saw one. I agree with others comments that suggest that he hopped on the Linux bandwagon hoping to hit it big. While Linux just may be the "next big thing" yet, it's hardly a viable route to get rich quick. Nevertheless, I'm glad Mr. Cormony has found a home at Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical seems to know how to leverage marketing to its advantage. Personally, I don't care how or who as long as Linux eventually gets its dues.
Member since:2005-07-08
Carmony is probably more of a natural at marketing than Shuttleworth, but the conventional rules don't apply to Linux. Shuttleworth understands that the Linux market isn't simply a matter of providing a quality product. It's driven by a vocal cadre of lead users who base their loyalties as much on philosophy as they do on quality.
Success in this space is predicated on clearly articulating a vision that resonates with the core of the community. Carmony set out to cultivate demand for an unabashedly "mixed-source" Linux distribution. I'm certain that this demand exists, but that's a pitch to reserve for business and OEM clients. The community-facing marketing effort has to be a crowd-pleaser.
Member since:
2006-01-25
I thought this was rather interesting relating to Former Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=577927