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Michael's Minute:
Lindows.com Report Card
As summer arrives, many school children are coming home with their
report cards.  I thought this would be a good time to see what kind of
grades Lindows.com received for their first 9 months in operation..
<http://lindows.com/timeline>
To view the Timeline of Lindows.com's first 9 months in business, click
here <http://lindows.com/timeline> .
Operating System:
As of last week, consumers can experience LindowsOS in one of two ways.
One way is to buy a computer running LindowsOS from Walmart.com
<http://www.lindows.com/walmart> , for as little as $299. This is a
significant milestone for us, as we've partnered with our first builder
(Microtel) and retailer (Walmart). These computers work great out of the
box and are ideal for general purpose computing tasks.
For those who already have a computer and also wish to try LindowsOS, we
offer the Insider program <http://www.lindows.com/signup> . This gives
people wanting early access to LindowsOS a chance to try out LindowsOS
as it develops. Currently, Insiders report installation success about
80%  of the time on their PCs. Therefore we have some room to grow,
consequently, this product is not yet for everyone.
Some may wonder how we can sell a computer at Walmart
<http://www.lindows.com/walmart> when the program available directly
from Lindows.com is billed as not completely ready. The difference is
the Walmart <http://www.lindows.com/walmart>  computers are certified,
ensuring that all components  work elegantly with LindowsOS. That's much
different than offering a software program that will work on any
computer in the world - that's very difficult. It's the difference
between making a single pair of shoes for a known foot size versus
opening a shoe store with every style of shoe for every size foot. The
first one is easy, the second one is a much bigger job.
While the installer is fantastically easy and fast (the entire OS
installs in under 5 minutes), we've got a lot more work to do to support
a wider range of hardware, printers and other devices. Grade:  B
_____
Software:
Our goal to give people choice means giving them choice not just on
their operating system, but access to all the programs they'll want to
add to their computer to really make it work for them in their school,
home or business.
Click-N-Run <http://www.lindows.com/clicknrun>  is the easiest way to
load software onto a computer. For the first time a Linux based system
has leapt ahead of Microsoft's operating systems in ease of use. With
1,000 plus programs already in the Click-N-Run Warehouse
<http://www.lindows.com/warehouse> , users can find quality software
titles for just about any computing task and, with a single mouse-click
download, install and run these programs. All these titles are included
in the $99. This is a fantastic consumer experience and price point.
Look for a lot more great software in the Warehouse in the future.
Grade: A-
_____
Microsoft Windows Compatibility:
We live in a Microsoft world, so there needs to be a bridge from the
legacy world to the broadband LindowsOS world. This means we need to
support some bridge programs, file types and network devices to help
people interact with the legacy Microsoft world. LindowsOS computers
come with software to view, print and copy popular Microsoft
applications like: MS Word files, MS PowerPoint files and MS Excel
documents. There's great Linux based alternatives and we'll guide people
to those alternatives (they're better than most people realize). To edit
Microsoft files, we'd highly recommend one of the office suites in our
Warehouse such as OpenOffice
<http://www.lindows.com/lindows_products_details.php?id=8966> .
Many of these programs are of very high-quality and a great value since
they're included in the Warehouse <http://www.lindows.com/warehouse> .
Sometimes there are no viable alternatives for those programs, so we're
investing necessary resources to support some Microsoft Windows based
programs. Stay tuned for more developments in this area. Our printer
support is ok, but there's lots of room for more drivers. Connecting to
MS Windows based file servers is still a challenge. We need to get
better in the above areas.  Grade: B
_____
Communication:
We've tried to be diligent in communicating where our company is going
which is why there's typically a weekly Michael's Minute
<http://www.lindows.com/mm> . While our overall goal has not deviated -
Bringing Choice To Your Computer - our implementation has become more
focused as we listened to what our Insiders and potential customers have
told us. (Keep sending me your comments.) We have been de-emphasizing
running Microsoft Windows programs because many of you told us you
detest spending hundreds of dollars on individual software programs,
forced upgrades and activation codes. It's not just the operating
system, but costly Microsoft programs you're wanting to avoid.
Consequently, we've been emphasizing Click-N-Run because it will change
the way you think about software. Having a neatly categorized library
<http://www.lindows.com/warehouse>  of 1,000+ software titles all for a
flat annual fee at your digital fingertips is an entirely new way to
think about paying for software. It's immediate, elegant and affordable.
There are lots of mischaracterizations about Lindows.com swirling around
- which happens when you have a small organization which can't address
every question or publication. We'll do a better job of addressing these
in the future. For now, I wrote up answers to the Top Myths about
Lindows.com. Check them out by visiting: www.lindows.com/myths  Grade:
B+
_____
Overall: B+
Michael Robertson
Please visit support.lindows.com <http://support.lindows.com/>  to
answer questions you may have about LindowsOS or Lindows.com.
Bringing Choice to Your Computer!
LindowsOS is presently available on LindowsOS Certified Computers being
offered from Lindows.com  <http://www.lindows.com/builder> Builder
partners.  The General Release of LindowsOS (available now for download
and preview to Lindows.com  <http://lindows.com/signup> Insider
partners) will be made available later this year for those wishing to
install and run LindowsOS on their existing computer hardware.  The
General Release version will support a wider range of computer hardware
and includes unique features such as a "Friendly-Install" alongside an
existing MicrosoftR Windows operating system, a streamlined installation
process which requires no computer knowledge, and the ability to run a
select set of "bridge" Windows-compatible programs. For more information
see  <http://www.lindows.com/products> www.lindows.com/products
LindowsOS and Lindows.com are trademarks of Lindows.com, Inc. LinuxR is
a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MicrosoftR WindowsR operating
system is a registered trademark or service mark of the Microsoft
Corporation.
mm18
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