I believe the key point is the pre-installed OS factor.
Maybe all the Distros could get together, choose a Computer builder/seller for each region (Asia, Europe, NorthAm, SouthAm, Africa, Oceania) and make it such that any of those Distros are Buyer-selectable for pre-install before shipment from those builder/sellers.
That could even be set up as a two-tier system with
-
regional builders doing the "canned" Distro pre-install, and
-
Country-specific distributors for doing 2nd-level customization of Application set pre-install
But that requires a cooperation at a level not previously seen. It could happen if they used the for-profit competitors' strategy of a "Joint-Venture", whereby they each invest funds for a share of the venture's operations (or profits, if they become joint manufacturers, or joint-specification design for shared buying power of limited product range).
Many industry standards, and corporate entities, have emerged from such an approach ... and persist because of that "common-front" and "visible endorsement" approach! This approach could also overcome the issue of manufacturer resistance in providing hardware-specific drivers, since they would have Joint-Venture funding to encourage the manufacturer's "attention" for the much-needed support!
Maybe time for pursuing such an approach is overdue!
My 2 cents worth!
