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Simple. These users that are ditching Ubuntu in droves pay $0. Ubuntu may get some ad revenue from users browsing in firefox/chrome and some money from the Ubuntu store, but I really doubt it ads up to anything substantial.
I really doubt Mint makes much money. And the fact is that many distributions are so focused on building desktop/laptop features that really don't matter to the mainstream consumer market anymore. What average person gives a shit about an even-lighter-weight music player which doesn't connect to any music stores, doesn't play video, etc. Companies that focus solely on the desktop features are going to go out of business. Redhat is excluded because they're an enterprise business service provider.
Canonical is at least trying to spread to the largest sector of the consumer market, although I don't think they have much of a business plan.
What Mint made in Januari 2012:
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1925
Steve Balmer earns more during the time he throws a chair, but I wouldn't sneeze at give or take $ 14,000 in a month.




Member since:
2006-05-19
How is this a good business decision? People are fleeing Ubuntu in droves. Unity may be good some day, but not today. They will never convert KDE users who have already moved to another distro to come back and try the next version of Ubuntu. Mint is killing Ubuntu at Distrowatch. Other distros will be getting a boost in users also as the exodus continues. I used Ubuntu for a while but there are too many other good distros out there to stay with a sinking ship.