You can charge for the documentation. You can charge for the consulting services. It's just the way you go about making the charges. Hard Choices Hardware manufacturers are also finding ways to make money with open source. Instead of paying Microsoft for a license for every computer, they simply load another free copy of open source software on the machine.
Open source turns software into a commodity and hardware vendors benefit.
While the simplicity and the lack of accounting cut costs, open source operating systems are not completely free for the hardware vendors. The companies still need to customize the software for their computers and ensure that they are stable. Some of the more forward-thinking hardware companies also pour some of their money into developing the next generation of the software by either sponsoring programmers directly or contributing to projects. VA Linux, for example, runs the Open Source Development Network, which supports open source projects through Web sites such as Freshmeat.net and SourceForge. The key difference is that the hardware companies that choose open source software don't have to worry about changing business models - they make money for every box that leaves the shelves, regardless of what the software might be.