Sun announces Solaris 10 for free

["Richard Klappal" <klappal@xnet.com>]

This extracted from today's Chicago Tribune ...

Sun to Give Out Operating System for Free

By MATTHEW FORDAHL
AP Technology Writer
Published November 15, 2004, 6:31 AM CST

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After investing roughly $500 million and spending years
of development time on its next-generation operating system, Sun
Microsystems Inc. on Monday will announce an aggressive price for the
software -- free.

Sun, which has never completely rebounded from the tech collapse in 2001,
hopes the no-cost of Solaris 10 will not only attract customers but also
expand the number of developers who write programs that work on computers
running the operating system.

The result, Sun believes, will be renewed demand for its servers and
services. The company also will charge subscription fees for Solaris support
and service programs that are typically sought by the businesses and
organizations that Sun targets.

"Hewlett Packard sells a printer at a low price and makes a lot of money on
printer cartridges. Gillette gives you the razor and makes a lot of money on
the blades," said Scott McNealy, Sun's chief executive. "There are different
ways to drive market penetration."

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