[Mageia-dev] Identifying Target Markets

Fri Oct 1 11:49:23 CEST 2010

> Such applications don't have to be installed by default. They just have
+> to be available on the installation DVD, with a selectable Educational
+> group of applications, much like the Internet and Server groups
+> available on existing Mandriva DVD's. It could even be called "Young
+> Family".
+>
+> Note that in the past (at least about 10 years ago), RedHat CD's had
+> many selectable installation groups, many of which overlapped. So using
+> this approach, there could be groups called "Educational", "Young
+> Family", and "Home Office", for example, all containing the
+> go-openoffice office suite, among other applications.
+> I believe that the current Mandriva DVD doesn't have any overlap between
+> installation groups.
+>
+
+> - André (andre999)
+>
+
+I like this approach. When I have helped people with their install of 
+Mandriva, once we get to the choice of applications, I usually tell them 
+to choose the 3rd choice and go to the package selection. If we could 
+add a specific choice of "Education Workstation" then this would be 
+enough to satisfy most users installing for the first time. We could 
+then focus on education specific softs  in this category. (I have 
+noticed, BTW, that most, if not all, users will ask to include the "Game 
+Workstation" in their installation.)
+
+There should, in fact, be an "Education" focussed marketing group inside 
+the larger Mageia marketing group.
+
+It has long been known that if you can market to the younger kids, they 
+will most likely continue with what they were used to use later on in 
+life. Apple has followed this principle quite well, music companies 
+follow this principle quite well (Yamaha Corp.) for schools. This gives 
+them a marketing edge and a good slice of the consumer end of things. 
+Imagine if Mageia could corner 1-2% of consumer acceptance of its 
+product. That would be quite a feat in itself.
+
+In fact, I use this principle at work where I used years ago 
+Mandriva2007 for a lab. I was told that linux was not welcomed in our 
+school board. So I created a lab with Mandriva 2007 disguised as Windows 
+machines (themes, icons, etc). Students and staff used the "extra lab" 
+and even the "special education" teachers used it to teach students with 
+learning disabilities. No one ever complained of the lab and at year end 
+I told the staff and students that it was a linux lab. I got more 
+requests that year to install linux on home boxes that I could imagine.
+
+Since then, linux has been part of my school's student history, with my 
+helping install home installations for free (help) and doing remote 
+maintenance/service if they need help. I have approx. 150 students using 
+OpenOffice and roughly 40-50 students using Mandriva at home.
+
+Marc
+
+
+