Re: [PLUG] Microsoft's statement about Solaris-based Hotmail (old)

["Thomas E. Keiser" <tek@teklogic1.com>]

Adam Turoff wrote:  (quoting me)

> Tom wrote:
> > Before you turn on your flame-throwers, by "mark to strive for" I'm talking
> > about:
> > 1. number / diversity of applications;
> > 2. handling of wierd hardware / plug&pray;
>
> Noteworthy.  Everyone else will always be coming from behind in this respect.
>
> > 3. compatibility with the rest of the world;
>
> Please be more specific.
>
> > 4. Stability and robustness.
>
> More stable than *NIX?  More robust than *NIX?  Or simply better than
> previous MS offerings?
>

By "compatibility with the rest of the world" I am thinking of several things:

    1. The rest of the world runs a Win OS and Win apps (mostly, not literally)
    2. After UCITA is adopted (if it is) reverse-engineering will become illegal,
making it difficult or impossibly expensive for a Star-Office or a Corel or Applix
to be able to read/write the Microsoft file formats, which will surely change for
that very reason.
    3. By virtue of its monopoly power, MS will always have some leverage to define
standards of one kind of another that can be both closed and widely used.

By "stability and robustness" I am, of course, referring to their previous
products. My linux servers have been off my radar for so long, I don't know any
more what's in them or how recently they've been patched -- they just run, and run,
and run...

But, even if Win2K is measurably LESS stable than Linux (ie needs monthly reboot)
for MANY (some?) people that will be "good enough". And if it can run fine for 3 to
6 months, well -- that's going to be "good enough" for most people in most
circumstances -- again based on their past experience and their perceived needs.
Even my OS/2 Warp server used to dissolve in a puddle of bits after six months, and
I thought that was just terrific, compared to Windows.

So, I'm talking about the Jerry Pournelle notion of "good enough", not any
abstraction about perfection. And while Linuxers will always strive for perfection,
and may attain some level of it, there is a point way below that which will satisfy
many people. I think Win2k has surpassed that point.

Thanks for the civility of your response -- it's a pleasure to talk with you.

Tom


______________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group       -       http://plug.nothinbut.net
Announcements - http://lists.nothinbut.net/mail/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion   -   http://lists.nothinbut.net/mail/listinfo/plug