In article <1992Aug11.152247.5160@cs.wisc.edu> djansa@aphrodite.cs.wisc.edu (Dean Jansa) writes:
quoted text
> Being a student, I know money is not that easy to come up with.  I would
> hate to see a student not be able to get linux because they can't come
> up with 60 bucks.

If I'd dial from home to the next site that carries Linux (probably my
system at work) and download the equivalent of 19 1.44 MB floppies at
2400 bps, that'd cost more than $200 (probably closer to 300, at the
current exchange rates). Too bad the PTT won't listen if I tell them
that Linux is supposed to be free ...

As long as a distributor makes it clear that they're only charging for
the copying service and not for any kind of licensing and if they
don't give their customers the impression that there are no other ways
to get Linux, I can't see anything wrong with it.

If you have cheaper means to get at the files, fine. But there are
people who find it exceedingly difficult to "ftp some megabytes from
foo.bar.edu" and who'd be happy to pay for such a service.

- Werner
-- 
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  / Werner Almesberger, ETH Zuerich, CH      almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch /
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