kubuntu-council team mailing list archive

[Rick Timmis <ricktimmis68@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Mike

We have Micheal Tunnell, of Tux Digital in our community,
https://youtu.be/aDGe899PEFc
Provided we can get the sign off from Jilayne, and the Canonical legal
team, I am sure that Micheal would be willing to help us out a video
together.

Personally, I would not use anything by The Smiths for the music, great UK
band but not really feel good music.

I am standing by ready to do the website work on Kubuntu.org once this gets
the green light.

Best wishes
Rick TImmis
Kubuntu Council

On Fri, 1 Nov 2019 23:03 Mike Mikowski, <mike.mikowski@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Updates for those interested.  +cc My brother who is an IT consultant.
>
> *New emblem*
> Here is the new proposed emblem. I hope you like it.
>
>    - https://michaelmikowski.com/img/kubuntu-laptop-a02.png
>    - https://michaelmikowski.com/img/kubuntu-laptop-a01.png.
>
> All suppliers and materials have been identified and we are ready to
> order. It is laser cut aluminum and 45x45x1.5 mm. We use jig to place a
> surface mask on the lid. Then through this mask we sand the surface and
> clean it with acetone. Adhesive (likely cynoacrylic) is applied, and then
> the mask is removed and the emblem pressed into place using the another jig.
>
> The OEM has agreed to load a 800x600 bmp file for the BIOS slpash screen.
> We have this ready to go.  We have also applied and received our sales tax
> license and our MindShareManagement DBA. We control the domains for this
> and most UniphiedThought domains.
>
> *Manufacturing status*
> Assuming the emblem is agreeable, I think we are just a few days away from
> finalizing the set up for the first 100 units for the US. We can consider
> EU shortly after this.
>
> *Install process*
> We have made good progress on the install process using a disk image for a
> full-disk-encryption, although this isn't quite complete yet.  This, the
> post-install script is still in development.  Long-term, we will work to
> drop ship directly from the site where the laptops are received by imaging
> them over the network.  Near-term, however, we will image them in our
> facilities. We do have a few commercial software vendors where we need
> confirm approval to pre-install. Jetbrains (IntelliJ) is already confirmed.
> <https://michaelmikowski.com/img/kubuntu-laptop-a02.png>
>
> *Marketing - Video*
> We have also made progress on the marketing video, although not anything
> we're yet proud enough to share. We are experimenting with a music
> video-style format using Please, Please, Please, let me get what I want
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T8R_VDTOYQ> or numerous alternatives
> such as Deeper <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qRHlp2MNks>. The music
> would be synced with the music to cross-fade into various vignettes of
> Kubuntu in-use. You can see experience with music composition, sound
> design, and video editing at
> https://michaelmikowski.com/flash/kanaga_01_final01.php although I
> apologize this is ancient and you must enable flash to play it. Any
> thoughts are welcome!
>
> *Remaining work*
> Once install and legal out is complete, Sales + Marketing remains the area
> we need to complete. We desire to produce a coordinated push, with press
> release, pre-release hardware seeded to vendors (Phoronix, ZDNet, others),
> viral video, and targeted ads. We have 4 years experience as engineering
> manager at ValueClick which we plan to leverage here. There are a few phone
> calls to make.
>
> For payment processing, we propose to use Square. We will provide a an
> integration specialist to work with the Kubuntu site maintainer to
> accomplish this.
>
> Questions? We can video conference on hangouts or zoom, or call me. Any
> time between 09:00-18:00 PST is generally good.
>
> Sincerely, Mike
> Founder, Uniphied Thought Inc. (DBA MindShareManagment)
> 415-418-4731
>
> ps. Proposal doc is here.
> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/12PttOinOAuWETQsyNR3AJAqMbvGJfZ24YMH9_3rmBZ4>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:59 AM Michael Mikowski <z_mikowski@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello Mr. Timmis:
>>
>> Thank you! Test hardware is expected here tomorrow
>> <https://wwwapps.ups.com/etracking?submit=Track&InquiryNumber1=1Z90X3104247281639&TypeOfInquiryNumber=T/trackdetails>,
>> and I have image ready.  The specs are shown here
>> <https://mmikowski.github.io/k19-10-guide/#appendix-c>.
>>
>> Attached are renderings of the proposed. While I'd prefer not to have the
>> LED bling on on the lid this is probably not something we could change
>> immediately. However, if sales volume is good, we could discuss with the
>> OEM.
>>
>> Please let me elaborate on why we have unique selling advantages over
>> competing laptops and we would be good to work together.
>>
>> 1. The load is pure Kubuntu. There is no intention or desire to build out
>> a separate distribution or app store.
>> 2. We are pragmatic. Our goal is to displace MacBook Pros used in Silicon
>> Valley as web developer machines. We will ship the best and latest software
>> required to exceed the experience of the MBP.
>> 3. We are located in Silicon Valley and have many years experience with
>> startups in the area. We can also provide support here through a downtown
>> SF office. This could become very important. We might want to call this
>> laptop 'Silicon Valley Edition' to underscore this.
>> 4. I have already been supporting Kubuntu developer builds since 2012
>> through this spreadsheet
>> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kLIYKYRsan_nvqGSZF-xJNxMkivH7uNdd6F-xY0hAUM/edit#gid=871659780> and
>> in the workplace for multiple co-workers and friends.
>> 5. We have the capital and expertise to execute for low volume sales in
>> as little as two weeks.
>> 6. We would contribute for every Kubuntu branded laptop sold, regardless
>> of channel. This would be a substantial portion of gross margin and could
>> use this fact in advertising.
>>
>> We need to act quickly to take advantage of disruption caused by the
>> disastrous Catalina release. I believe it would be in our best interest to
>> start with a low volume agreement so we can test this quickly and then
>> tighten it down if sales are good.
>>
>> Sincerely, Mike
>>
>> On Friday, October 25, 2019, 02:33:14 AM PDT, Rick Timmis <
>> ricktimmis68@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Dear Micheal, and Council
>>
>> I am extremely excited about this possibility. I would be very interested
>> in working with you on bringing this initiative to reality, providing there
>> is quorum support from the Kubuntu Council for me to do so.
>>
>> Kubuntu Council members would you be happy for me to proceed, with a view
>> to providing a summary plan of action, with time lines for review prior to
>> actioning ?
>>
>> Best wishes
>> Rick Timmis
>> Kubuntu Councillor
>>
>> On Fri, 25 Oct 2019, 05:10 Valorie Zimmerman, <
>> valorie.zimmerman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Michael,
>>
>> This comes as a bolt from the blue. I'm going to include the Kubuntu
>> Council on this mail since this would be a KC matter. Please address
>> followups to the Council.
>>
>> Valorie
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 1:32 PM Michael S. Mikowski <z_mikowski@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Valorie and Rohangarg:
>>
>> I sent this  email to the kubuntu-devel list earlier, but I found your
>> addresses and sent it directly in the interest of time. Valorie, I'm
>> sorry I
>> misspelled your name in that message.  Ovidiu-Florin mentions that an
>> Aaron
>> might also be interested...
>>
>> I am extremely interested in providing an official Kubuntu 19.10
>> developer
>> laptop for sale.  I can fund the entire venture and share any surplus
>> with the
>> Kubuntu organization and suggest it be advertised on the Kubuntu site and
>> branded as such. My company would provide software support.
>>
>> I've spent a month consolidating my 25 years of Linux, Kubuntu, and Web
>> architecture and development into a laptop image we could ship in as
>> little as
>> two weeks. Please visit https://mmikowski.github.io/k19-10-guide/ and
>> especially https://mmikowski.github.io/k19-10-guide/#appendix-c. I
>> already
>> have a manufacturer agreement, shipping, and branding logistics in
>> place.
>>
>> I have spoken with Ovidiu-Florin Bogdan who is copied above.  I believe
>> with
>> Catalina currently upsetting everyone in Silicon Valley, there is no
>> better
>> time than now to have a Kubuntu branded developer laptop on the market.
>> This
>> offer can provide significant income to Kubuntu. Please call or write
>> ASAP as
>> time is of the essence.
>>
>> Sincerely, Michael S. Mikowski
>> 415-418-4731
>>
>> ps. I propose it is better to have a loose agreement in place in sooner
>> and
>> get the word out and then tighten things down when sales expand.
>>
>> -----------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> http://about.me/valoriez - pronouns: she/her
>>
>>
>> --
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