near-psychotic depth of loathing?
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| grouch Mar 16, 2006 1:05 AM EDT |
They must have surveyed only youngsters. There is a great deal of propaganda in that article, with little counter-point provided. Much time is spent on the expressed opinions of a few people, without reference to anything to substantiate their claims, of course. --QUOTE-- Although, as Quocirca puts it, “Desktop Linux and associated applications still have a way to go before they can be thought of as a viable wholesale replacement for the Windows-based desktop in most organisations… it has achieved mainstream acceptance as a server operating system.” --End QUOTE-- The key wiggle word there is "wholesale", followed by the phrase "most organizations". It is easy to predict that GNU/Linux and associated software cannot completely replace MS Windows in most organizations. However, remove "wholesale" and you can put another most in that statement: Desktop GNU/Linux is a viable replacement for most MS Windows desktop installations in most organizations, now. See http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8191 a multi-part review in Linux Journal in 2005 by LXer's own Tom Adelstein. The message that Linux has "a way to go" has been repeated by pundits in the press for years. Any search using Google for the terms "enterprise", "Linux", "desktop" will be littered with mainstream reports dating back to 2001 proclaiming Linux is "poised", "nearly ripe", "almost ready". It closely resembles the "drip-feed" tactic that MS employed to quash the growth of DRDOS ( http://www.maxframe.com/DR/Info/fullstory/factstat.htm ). For every large-scale success story you can find 3 mainstream reports urging caution and more analysis before contemplating migration. Even where MS is strongest, the U.S. government, Linux desktop adoption grows at "double-digit rates" -- http://www.fose.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Custom.Content&Menu... I wonder if these recent press-pundit warnings about Linux, in the face of successful rollouts world-wide, have anything to do with yet another delay in MS Vista (not to be confused with VistA or OpenVista http://sourceforge.net/projects/openvista )? Don't buy DRDOS; MSDOS 5 is coming. (Ignoring the back-stabbing broken partnership that delayed and then corrupted OS/2 1.0 forcing a complete rewrite while Windows came out...) Don't buy OS/2; NT is coming. Don't buy OS/2 Warp; 95 is coming. Suddenly, preventing the purchase of competing OSes is not the problem, because they're all dead, (except one we'll keep around to point to whenever that monopoly word comes up) so... Netscape doesn't work as well as IE on 98 and Java is no longer 'write once, run anywhere'. Uh-oh, here comes GNU/Linux. Oh, it's based on 30 year old technology. You can't bet your business on a bunch of hackers in their basements. It would have just as many viruses if it were widely used. That hacker system has no roadmap. That hacker system is not secure. Don't risk migrating; W2K is coming. Linux is not ready. TCO. TCO. TCO. (De-commoditize). Linux doesn't work as well with installed MS servers. (Drat those Samba guys, daring to outserve W2K3 before it even hits the shelves). Don't trust Linux, it has copied code from MInix, er, um, UNIX, er, um, methods and concepts, er, um, patents risks! It's not quite ready. It's too expensive to convert your valuable documents from MS formats. Wait for "Office Open" instead of OpenOffice. (Don't compare Ubuntu's logo to MSN Spaces, it's just a coincidence). Don't use W3C XForms; use WinForms. Don't use HTML; wait for Vista XAML. Don't use PDF; wait for Vista XPS. We need 2 document standards so customers won't escape through the Open Document door! TCO! Price! Predictability! Clear the lawsuits. Linux is not there yet! Really! Please believe! Loathing? Why, whatever *for*? Try to make it through the following reports without coming to the conclusion that it is MS Windows which is not, never has been, nor never will be, quite ready for the "enterprise" desktop. http://www.groklaw.net/staticpages/index.php?page=2005010107... http://edge-op.org/cloweth/MC.html http://catb.org/~esr/halloween/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/01/11/gigger_worm_can_form... http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=02/01/16/0310222 http://www.newsforge.com/newsvac/02/02/22/180209.shtml http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/industry/05/03/microsoft.a... http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/07/16/peru_mulls_free_soft... http://security.tombom.co.uk/shatter.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2193275.stm http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/08/microsoft.htm http://www.entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=5677 http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-02-26-desktop_x.htm http://newsvac.newsforge.com/newsvac/03/02/28/1631236.shtml?... http://www.infoworld.com/article/02/02/08/020211opfoster_1.h... http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20030828.html http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit033.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/03/25/us_doj_condemns_ms_r... http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2004/08/31/us_defense_sena... http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/20041118142943782 http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20041118073308709&m... http://www.macobserver.com/article/2005/01/06.12.shtml http://fud-counter.nl.linux.org/tech/LinuxMyths.html [url=http://www.google.com/search?q=Linux saving millions desktop]http://www.google.com/search?q=Linux saving millions desktop[/url] |
| pogson Mar 16, 2006 3:16 AM EDT |
The Quocira report on which this article is based does mention some opinions that Linux is not ready but if you look at the stats:
25% stated that Linux was a very comprehensive OS with lots of benefits and Windows users should migrate to it. 18% said they are likley to migrate to Linux or already have 22% said they are reviewing the possibility of switching to Linux 5% said they were happy with Windows It is not a matter of if but when a huge chunk of the market will be using Linux. I use it in schools so students will be ready. |
Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]
Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!