An Open letter to Steve Ballmer

Not from me - from Mandriva..

François wrote:

So we closed the deal, we got the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. In other word, we did our job. I understand the machine are being delivered right now.

And then, today, we hear from the customer a totally different story: “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.”

This would've been interesting if it was an actual serious complaint, but using lines like "Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?" puts it in the Drama Queen category, for me.

Too bad, it could've been a good point.

Welcome to the real world, Mandriva.

Isn't it more that they realised Mandriva Linux was a pile of crap in comparison?

You know how it goes, those that haven't a clue do the order, then consult- only to be told they did bad..

Same old..

François wrote:

We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government...

Now, did François have to send some money to a Nigerian bank to seal this deal? I'm just saying...

Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business....

Cybermagellan wrote:

Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business....

How do you compete with free? It wouldn't be the first time that someone had a Linux vendor in just to get a cheaper deal from Microsoft.

Rossj wrote:



Cybermagellan wrote: Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business....

How do you compete with free? It wouldn't be the first time that someone had a Linux vendor in just to get a cheaper deal from Microsoft.

Royalties, partnerships, how do you compete with free? You give money away. Look at it this way, if the XPEmbedded or whatever they'll put on those machines has Live Search that is tagged with a progid that can be tracked, then perhaps Microsoft agreed to give portions of the profits to Nigeria's Ministry of Education....which coincidently the Minister was killed and offered to send me $20 Million dollars....

the letter seems to implys that Microsoft made a questionable deal with the client? but does not say what that deal was. just that ms product will then be installed on the machines once deliverd.

This company should probably have sweetend the deal with the client. or gotten it in writing some how that the soft ware would remain on the deliverd hardware.

the writer does sound up set. I think i might have been as well in this situation. imagine working really hard for something and then having something out of your controle come swooping in, only to take your prize. i guess its life, but doesnt always make accepting it easy. granted, if that is what happend.

Cybermagellan wrote:

Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business....

Yep.  He didn't go into details, but since they are going to be paid for the software, then the only thing they lost was the maintenance contract.  If MSFT undercut them, then as you said, boo-frikkin-hoo.  It's obvious that he doesn't want to mention the actual financials (or can't) and so we're stuck not knowing why Nigeria decided to do this.

This is hardly a case of MSFT strong arming anyone, and if they are really short on money, I've got a few nigerian friends who seem to have come into some vast fortunes recently

Edit:  do -> of

Rossj wrote:



Cybermagellan wrote: Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business....

How do you compete with free?

Doesn't Microsoft competes with 'free' all the time?

Ray6 wrote:



Rossj wrote:  Cybermagellan wrote: Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business.... How do you compete with free?

Doesn't Microsoft competes with 'free' all the time?

"Microsoft FREE" !== "OpenSource Free" to the common-people. If you offer me a program called "shutbutton" for free, and I've never heard of it, I may be less inclined to use it when Microsoft offers me "CloseSwitch 2.0" (A common program that I've heard of before) for free...I will probably accept the well-known corporate alternative to your lesser-if-even-known garage application.

I think that is probably what happened here.

jsampsonPC wrote:



Ray6 wrote:  Rossj wrote:  Cybermagellan wrote: Boo, we weren't able to compete in a business.... How do you compete with free? Doesn't Microsoft competes with 'free' all the time?

"Microsoft FREE" !== "OpenSource Free" to the common-people. If you offer me a program called "shutbutton" for free, and I've never heard of it, I may be less inclined to use it when Microsoft offers me "CloseSwitch 2.0" (A common program that I've heard of before) for free...I will probably accept the well-known corporate alternative to your lesser-if-even-known garage application.

I think that is probably what happened here.

But the fact that the Nigerians don't share Mandriva's idealist view of what 'free' means, isn't really their fault is it?

Ray6 wrote:

But the fact that the Nigerians don't share Mandriva's idealist view of what 'free' means, isn't really their fault is it?

If I were nigeria, I would have probably made the same decision. Going with a free well-known option as opposed to a free non-known option seems more realistic for a country's education system.

jsampsonPC wrote:



Ray6 wrote: But the fact that the Nigerians don't share Mandriva's idealist view of what 'free' means, isn't really their fault is it?

If I were nigeria, I would have probably made the same decision. Going with a free well-known option as opposed to a free non-known option seems more realistic for a country's education system.

Indeed ...

business isn't thanksgiving dinner at your mother in law's. If I worked for a large company that said "awww, look at that little guy trying to get business... he's so  cute let's not use our resources to get it" I would be extemely concerned about how long that company would last.

If you want the power of a large company, be better. Have integrity, provide a better product that solves a problem at better prices and don't feel sorry for yourself. While large companies do have power and money and resources they aren't nearly as agile or accessable....

(I'm opining twice since there are two threads )