Making ReactOS more public

[naums]

Hey there.

I just thought about bringing more people to the homepages of reactOS. So how about making reactos more known in the public? For example is there a shop where I can buy some T-shirts or something like that? Or how about stickers (for sticking somewhere) or official banners (to put on my homepage to link to you) or something like that. How about some ReactOS wallpapers? (and an svn especially for that stuff) What do you guys think about it?

MfG naums

[Pisarz]

Advertising an unfinished product is quite stupid.

(Deja vu? Someone wrote about it few days ago)

[hto]

Deja vu? Someone wrote about it few days ago

*** This thread has been marked as a duplicate of thread 9372 *** :)

[vicmarcal]

Deja vu? Someone wrote about it few days ago

*** This thread has been marked as a duplicate of thread 9372 ***

hahahaha

[SomeGuy]

Advertising an unfinished product is quite stupid.

Lol. Tell that to Bill Gates.

Every version of Windows back to before version 1 received various kinds of "advertisements" before they were released. It is a matter of what kind of advertisement - such as providing incentives for magazines to publish prerelease product reviews. It seems like every other day "Windows 8" is mentioned on certain tech sites even though it is hardly worthy of mention.

T-Shirts? Stickers? Probably an overkill unless you are marketing development effort (Like the old Mozilla Dev t-shirts)

Think more subtle, more political. Even just getting the word "ReactOS" placed in passing (Like a school newspaper talking about a student "Bob's hobbies are swimming, astronomy, and ReactOS"). Other ways I can think of are making videos of ReactOS on Youtube, stirring up positive news bits for news sites to report, post images of screen shots, help update the compatibility database (even if an app does not work the results can help bring Google searchers here). It can be done.

[naums]

T-Shirts... well I believe Webhosting an Server isn't cheap. The Developers I think will be happy with a nice little pack of money ^^. The T-shirts with a writing 'ReactOS' and something cool about it. the Logo, some stuff. ^^ You know... like a cool wallpaper printed on the t-shirt or something like that. I don't wanted to say, that we should do it the MS way: "I'm my PC, and I got the Windows 7 idea on my toilet" (Zu gut Deutsch: Die Idee für Windows 7 kam mit auf dem Scheißhaus [do not use the word ^^ ]), but things like... Banners on other Homepages: "official partner: <banner>". Or something like that.

MfG Naums

[Pisarz]

But have Microsoft ever released an unfinished build of their OS to public?

ReactOS is in alpha stage and advertising it now wouldn't help much, because new users would download it, try on their new and shiny Windows PC's, and then - be disapointed, because ROS is unstable, incompatible with new hardware and incompatible with lots of Windows apps yet.

[naums]

Well... How about Windows 7 Beta? --> "unstable". I just thought, this might get more developer to our homepages. And I always wanted to have a cool ReactOS-t-shirt

[SomeGuy]

But have Microsoft ever released an unfinished build of their OS to public?

Yes, Windows ME.

But really, yes, you won't find them on store shelves, but they are available to certain developer channels and MS partners, with occasional public developer releases, and public betas as they approach release.

I actually just posted about a very incomplete 1991 pre-release version of Windows NT they gave away public copies of at the 1991 Comdex.

And if you think constantly "leaked" internal builds are in any way unintentional you quite wrong. Indirectly this is part of their marketing.

ReactOS is in alpha stage and advertising it now wouldn't help much, because new users would download it, try on their new and shiny Windows PC's, and then - be disapointed, because ROS is unstable, incompatible with new hardware and incompatible with lots of Windows apps yet.

Hasn't stopped Linux

[Pisarz]

Show me an advertisement of Linux kernel. And... who said that Linux kernel is designed to be compatible with Windows?

And Windows 7 RC was quite stable for me. Maybe because it was almost finished...?

[PurpleGurl]

But really, yes, you won't find them on store shelves, but they are available to certain developer channels and MS partners, with occasional public developer releases, and public betas as they approach release.

I actually just posted about a very incomplete 1991 pre-release version of Windows NT they gave away public copies of at the 1991 Comdex.

And if you think constantly "leaked" internal builds are in any way unintentional you quite wrong. Indirectly this is part of their marketing.

There are copies of Windows Neptune floating around, along with a crack to remove the time limit. I think it was supposed to be the version that would bridge the gap between ME and NT. The idea was to use the familiar 9x interface and features for the home users, and use the stability of the NT kernel. But they never released it and XP pretty much performed that role.

What you say about marketing reminds me of the phenomenon of trade secrets. The problem with patents for those applying is that they expire, thus making the technology available for the entire industry. So a more effective way to protect a monopoly over an idea in some cases might be the trade secret approach. Coca Cola and KFC are two which use that approach. There is a lot of folk lore over these trade secrets, and every so often, someone will claim to have discovered it, either through a leak, or through independent invention. And guess what people do? They try the recipe floating around and then try the original. Then what will they do? I mean, if they taste the same and the commercial version is easier to obtain, and there is no benefit over making it oneself, then they will stick to the commercial version. Or, they they find they taste different or fake, they may also stick with the commercial version. At any rate, all the publicity and hubbub made over the alleged leak would most likely increase business.

[naums]

I did not say, that we should do an advertismant trailer or something. I meant selling t shirts or sth. or having stickers, to just show the public. hey we are here.

[PurpleGurl]

I did not say, that we should do an advertismant trailer or something. I meant selling t shirts or sth. or having stickers, to just show the public. hey we are here.

If nothing else, that could raise money for the project and hiring professional help or being able to devote more time.

[naums]

that is my thinking.

[fred02]

But have Microsoft ever released an unfinished build of their OS to public?

Yes, Windows ME.

Good one.