Richard Stallman wrote:
It's vital to look at CD products, not just at what is available on the Internet. However, it's not necessary to look at all the CD products of a given company. It's enough to look at the ones that come closest to satisfying our goals, and you can probably tell which those are before getting them.
The FSF can pay for buying copies of CD products if that is necessary. However, it could be that we could make contact with someone who reviews products for a magazine, and look at his copies for this.
It a very good idea to contact computer magazines, not only for reviewing distributions but to make them more sensible for free software.Most magazines (including Linux-Magazines) seem to make no difference between free and non free software. Maybe because some article-writer believe it isn't mentionable.
Does anyone know somebody to ask? It might be possible to find someone who can help in this way by looking at some of the "Linux" magazines, or other magazines, to find the author of a product review column.
Could you ask your friend to get in touch with me directly?
Ingo