Re: [Qemu-devel] question for QEMU users

["John R. Hogerhuis" <jhoger@pobox.com>]

What would I buy? I don't know. I'd certainly buy the first item on my
list below, since I've needed it in the past. But I'll answer a broader
question... commercial products involving QEMU I think could work:

1. Utilties that can reliably convert an existing Windows XX image to a
virtual machine image. I know this is a hard problem, but it is THE
killer app for this market. EMC is just entering it, but they're
targeting their marketing to corporate clients. You might even be able
to build a service company around it... you take an image and adapt it
to QEMU by whatever means.

2. Figure out a legal way to create and sell canned, working, licensed
Windows and MacOSX images. You can do the same thing for Linux, BSD,
etc. you just can't charge quite as much.

3. QEMU User + Wine running rootless windows applications under the
native windowing system, for non x86 platforms. Make it smooth and
polished, don't overcharge, and the Macish folk will open their wallets
for you.

4. I think you're on to something with ARM based PDA emulators. Keep in
mind there is wide variation between devices in this market... not quite
as close knit family as Palm stuff.

5. Just make it work, box it up, print manuals, provide support, ala
Crossover Office.

6. Polish the QEMU-Win32 running Knoppix zero-install, and sell it as a
solution to book publishers of entry level Linux stuff. You might be
able to get a small royalty off the CD in the back of the book. 

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen. You got a bargain this time at $.00 for half
dozen.

-- John.