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You have questions? We have answers:

Do you make your own drivers?

How do you keep your prices so low?

Can you tell me about ZaReason's service?

Are there any job openings at ZaReason?

Can I visit your shop?

Can I get the ZaReason team to come to our conference or do a presentation for our event?

Can I get an interview for ____ (name of news feed)?

Will you write an article for ____ (name of news feed)?

I want to review one of your systems for an article for my ____ (name of news feed)?

I want to be a reseller. Do you have an affiliate program?

How can I connect with others?

I have some great action shots. Want them?



Q. Do you write your own drivers?

A. Nealy all computer companies do this in order to increase their company's value by creating intellectual property. We take a different approach. We spend all our time in R&D making sure that the hardware we pick works as flawlessly as possible with Ubuntu (or other distributions) out of the box. If we do develop any driver tweaks, we submit them back upstream so that they are included for all users. If not, we keep working.

It helps build a better Ubuntu / Fedora / other awesome distro.
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Q. How do you keep your prices so low?

A. We are based in the bay area in California, surrounded by Tier 1 hardware suppliers. The major ports are here, allowing us to save significantly in import costs, plus saving the cost of shipping items inland. It allows us access to the best component prices and reduces the economies of scale. We are often able to meet and sometimes beat the prices offered by bigger companies.
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Q. Can you tell me about ZaReason's service?

A. We go the extra mile to make sure you are satisfied with service, price, and product. For example:

SERVICE
--> Anthony from Chicago needed a new computer immediately. His desktop died and it was the end of his school semester. We did his build immediately, completed the rigorous testing Canonical requires plus some additional testing we do as a company. We shipped it same day he ordered and Anthony was able to get back to his school work in time to survive the semester.

PRICE
--> Scott from WA did a full online search of every Linux OEM on the market, comparing prices with meticulous precision. Several of our models were the best deals on the market and he showed us his research. He knew for a fact that he got the best price for his hardware and we got some great price comparisons. We gave him a free upgrade as a Thank You.

PRODUCT
--> Mark from Austin wanted to know exactly what hardware went into his system, specs that are typically not disclosed in product descriptions. We told him. All he had to do was ask.

Ask questions. Push the limit. Work for better.
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Q. Do you have any job openings?

A. At this time we have 0 job opening. We are currently well-staffed with spunky, fun people who fit Joe Spolsky's criteria for ideal employees: They are “smart and get things done”.

No matter the current number of job openings, ZaReason is in an expanding stage of development. If you are interested in working with us someday, please send your resume to hr@zareason.com
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Q. Can I visit your shop?

A. We are located on a pretty tree-lined street in a flexible building at 1647 Hopkins St, Berkeley, California, USA. This shop is not a retail shop, but rather an office / warehouse / build shop you can visit if you happen to be visiting from Finland and want to try out a laptop before buying it online.

Please contact us before stopping by; email us at orders@zareason.com Our builders do intense work and are very focused on their work. We try to keep interuptions from visits to a minimum. Our goal is to build your next Linux-only laptop, desktop, or server, not chat.
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Q. Can I get the ZaReason team to come to our conference or do a presentation for our event?

A. It can't hurt to ask! Email us at conf@zareason.com Our CEO, Cathy Malmrose, enjoys giving presentations about as much as she enjoys a really great birthday present. She has given presentations on several different continents and has a method for making sure that attendees stay until the end – she offers a mini quiz on random history facts at the end of every presentation. The prizes for correct answers are often Tux or Ubuntu keyboards, Linux T-shirts, books, and sometimes bigger hardware. If you need a speaker for an event, feel free to ask.
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Q. Can I get an interview for _____ (name of news feed)?

A. Maybe. Email us at news@zareason.com with a list of interview questions. Typically we respond same-day especially if you have a deadline.
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Q. Will you write an article for ____ (name of news feed)?

A. Several ZaReason team members love writing, especially our CEO. Cathy Malmrose has contributed many great articles, one favorite is The Un-scary Screwdriver published in the GNOME journal:
http://www.gnomejournal.org/article/88/the-un-scary-screwdriver
Even if you are close to deadline, feel free to ask. Our staff works well under pressure, thus our ability to set industry records in our build-to-ship time for laptops and desktops. We can do a short turnaround on articles too. Our motivation? We wish to support the knowledge base of the general population. The more happy, upbeat buzz about Linux, the higher the public awareness.
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Q. I want to review one of your systems for an article for my ______ (name of news feed)?

A. If you wish to review one of our systems, please email our builder who is currently on Review Systems duty: reviewers@zareason.com We greatly enjoy seeing reviews of our laptops, desktops and servers in print. It is preferred, but not required, that you include in your request:
1. Links to previous work.
2. A description of your audience.
3. Your preferred model.
4. Your turn-around time.
Thank you. We hope to provide you with the greatest review of your career.
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Q. I want to be a reseller. Do you have an affiliate program?

A. Not yet. If you are a consultant helping others get their computers up and running with strong support, then we thank you for the work you are doing – we all thrive through the work we each do to support the community. As far as full-fledged affiliate programs, these types of programs tend to pull companies towards "profitability". Sounds like a good thing, but not when it distracts us from the core, building super solid computers in the first place.
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Q. How can I connect with others?

A. If you are new to LinuxLand, you can get support through many sources.

If you are an experienced user or an existing customer, feel free to email us at support@zareason.com

Forums -- Want to know what other people think about their ZaReason laptop or desktop? Have a question that has probably been answered? Search the forums and you're bound to find some interesting information:
http://ubuntuforums.org/

Mailing Lists – Chose the list(s) with your preferred focus and ask questions. Interested people give you their insights and help you solve issues.
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users

IRC – For tough questions, enter a large room full of techies standing by to help you with any questions you may have day or night. The brilliance of IRC is that it gives you access to a range of ideas, not just one techy on the phone, a whole room of techies, each with a potentially valuable reply. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetRelayChat

Common Questions – But before asking questions in IRC, make sure your question hasn't already been answered one too many times. Check Ubuntu's FAQs https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CommonQuestions

Canonical – Want to talk to pros? Top-notch tech support for mission critical systems. Canonical is the official support company for Ubuntu. Choose the level of support that fits your needs. http://www.canonical.com/

Launchpad – Mostly for bug-tracking, a way to communicate with the developers who made Linux grow in the first place. For serious questions for seriously skilled users. https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bugs

Connect with ZaReason!
Email us at support@zareason.com
Call us at 510-868-5000
Or visit us in sunny California at: 1647 Hopkins St, Berkeley, CA, 94707 USA
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Q. I have some great action shots. Want them?

A. Yes! Send us pictures of you using your ZaReason hardware. We know that our machines are out there living exciting lives. Many of our customers are world travelers and have selected our hardware due to its rugged reputation. Some have ventured across Europe, Asia, and other parts of the globe: South Africa, Italy, Australia maybe just your home. Wherever you are, we would love to see how your hardware is doing. Send your pics, any format, to actionshots@zareason.com
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