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Using Open Source to Make Money on Generic PCs

Say you’re in the business of making PCs. And, you want to make money at this business. It’s not easy. There was a time in the 90s when you could slap some cards into a motherboard, put a generic gray case around the electronics, stick an ad in Computer Shopper, and start cashing the checks. […]

Jun 8, 2006
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Say you’re in the business of making PCs. And, you want to make money at this business.

It’s not easy. There was a time in the 90s when you could slap some cards into a motherboard, put a generic gray case around the electronics, stick an ad in Computer Shopper, and start cashing the checks.

That was a long time ago.

Today, margins on “white boxes”—generic PCs from non-brand-name vendors—are razor-thin.

When everyone in the world bundles Windows XP with their PCs, why not try something different so you can stand out from the crowd? Do these companies want their PCs to be just another pink flamingo in a flock of flamingos?

Besides, with XP Home Edition OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version running around $80 per copy, Windows alone makes up a big part of the price of any PC. When customers take only ten seconds on the Web to find the best-price for a computer, every dime matters.

Now, the well-known Australian open-source business, Cybersource Pty., has an idea on how to stand out and increase reseller margins: the Cybersource Systembuilder Margin Doubler Toolkit.

Read the full story on Linux-Watch: Using Open Source to Make Money on Generic PCs

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