[KLUG Members] SuSE 10.0.

[Bruce Smith]

> >With the cost of CD's, it's still a lame excuse.  I can purchase (3)
> >CDR's for under a buck.  I'm sure SuSE can get pressed CD's cheaper 
> >than that in a large quantity.
> >
> >I'd much rather pay $61 for the full 8+ CD set!  
> >(or even $100, hell it's my corporate master-card! :)
> >
> So would I, but if it's mostly development stuff, sourcecode, and 64 bit 
> binaries, you're looking at a pretty small percentage of customers who 
> care.  

I don't care about the source and the 64 bit stuff.  For the rest, in my
small control group, the percentage is fairly high.  With 9.3 at least,
it seems like most of the people I sold a copy of the CD set at KLUG
seem to email me later asking about a missing i586 package or two.  

Personally I needed a server to run a CRM package.  The package requires
PHP5.  On OpenSuSE 10.0RC, only PHP4 is on the CD set.  PHP5 is on the
DVD9 DVD.  Except there was no DVD9 for RC, so I had to get it from FTP
(and I think their FTP server is on a dialup line).  That's a pain.

> The cost of stamped CDs is trivial, but it would add up, and 
> their margin is by definition pretty small.  I think what's more likely 
> to raise the cost is shipping.  Twice as many CDs will mean a slightly 
> bigger box, meaning fewer boxes per truck, meaning more trucks, etc, 
> etc.  That will add up pretty quickly for a smallish operation.

I think it'd be in their best interest to charge a couple extra bucks
and make things consistent.

Even if they didn't increase the price, I bet they'd come out ahead.
They must be wasting a ton of man hours answering questions about why
the package list differs.

 - BS