Jesse Huestis on 28 Feb 2004 03:26:02 -0000


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Re: [PLUG] Linux on the desktop: closer than you think


Please take the opinion of someone who has worked with the latest trend for most of my 20 years of working in IT.  When IBM and DOS showed up on the sene, Apple was mostly King in the Desktop market.  It was different then, because Main Frames and Minis were the current wave.  The key was what could be done with these new computers.  You could connect to the main frame or min from these computers.  They were harder to use than the MAC's, but IBM, the ruler of the day, had blessed them.  I remember businessmen and teachers going form easy of use to the integration of information.  MAC was veiwed as a new toy, cool but not financially responcible.  

Then came the LAN.  We were free at last, free at last from tricky things like Unix, and Main Frames.  You connected to information and applications with simple graphics and poof, you were able to work with your information like it was all on your PC.  MAC missed that until it was beyond their grasp.  (Not allowing clones hurt alot)

So here we were, with companies like Novell (Netware), IBM OS/2, and life was good.  Novel's own words, "no body is ever going to challenge our market position.   We don't even need to advertise.  But, this was the age of the blame game.  It's your driver that is causing the problem, no your software, the OS,  the hardware.  Who you gone to call?  Wasn't it about now the Jerry Lewis started his telathon for MS?  Hmmm, something to ponder.  But Novell, the king of the day was doomed.  Why?

Microsoft said, there is no need to blame, buy everything from us.  We take what everyone makes, combined it and make it all work together.  Nothing works great, but it all works together.  Smoke and mirrors.  BG is the ultimate slighht of hand artist.  Hell they even convinced the courts that they invented the Windows concept.  Wow.  What was their trick, they stole IBM's old way of doing business and put a new look to it.  Why not, they have taken just about everything else.  Buy from MS and you have one source for all your solutions and one place to call for all your problems.  CIO's like simple, after all, they grew up with that concept.

So now to the meat.  How does Linux win, or does it.  Well of course it wins, or I would not have started learning it four years ago.  You see, where it need to go is to the work of doing not just stability better, but application integration better.  Linux is so close.  Right now it just needs a hook.  It has one, but it is not understood or explioted.  Why, because most people have lost track of comminuty and the idea of helping each other.  The concept that there are millions of people working independantly on this is scary.  It has not been done, at least not on this scale.  Talk about global economy!

Linux has to have some groups take the lead in Office productivity, and in data integration.  Once I can buy a cell phone and a cable or just be able to pull information from my server via laptop cell  phone, watch, car, imbeded chip, well then MS is done.  MS does not see or understand the market.  They just aquire what is doing well. They do not have the forsight to merge with the Linux world before it will be to late...

What is funny is, Novell and IBM, maybe the key.  Things change?  

Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

Jesse

W. Chris Shank wrote:
I think that was the same article that was in the Philly inquirer last
week. If you get the author's email - I would love to tell him about the
support options.


Paul said:
  
Brian Colgan wrote:

    
As I was showing some local linux professionals last night, the Xandros
desktop OS is closer than you think. Our Business Edition due out in a
few weeks comes with Star Office, and authenticates against Windows
PDCs and Active Directory Servers. Business as well as Deluxe come
bundled with Codeweaver's Crossover Office to allow use of the most
popular windows apps like Office, IE, Photoshop, etc. Easing migration
from Windows to Linux by supporting the use of Windows apps is a valid
strategy.

There is a 45% LUG discount available. Please use this discount coupon
code 036ec84e82d6 when ordering from
http://shop.xandros.com/product_info.php?products_id=30

Please note that this discount coupon is only valid for the Deluxe
Desktop currently.



      
I finally got around to reading a February 12 article in the Burlington
County Times titled "Xandros helps Linux advance."  Start with the good
then moves on to the negative and finishes with a positive conclusion.
One like temps me to write to the author.

Referring to problems, John F. Fried writes, "And good luck trying to
find someone who will explain those things, even at $2.99 per minute."
I guess Mr. Fried has never joined a mailing list, attended a LUG
meeting, chatted with Linux people, or paid a company like Red Hat for
support.  I understand that he means that your average computer buddy
doesn't know about Linux and that big companies like Dell don't offer
Linux support, but support is available; it's just not in the familiar
form that Window$ people are used to.


Interestingly, Linux encourages reclusive computer people to socialize,
too, even if it gets in the way of programming or something.

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