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  Microsoft Removal 101
Time: 00:00 EST/05:00 GMT | News Source: NewsFactor | Posted By: Todd Richardson

Organizations thinking of terminating Windows desktop licenses and removing the de facto industry standard operating system from their networks finally have a legitimate basis for undertaking such a high-risk switch. Linux desktop distributions are gaining in momentum and functionality, and Microsoft's controversial licensing policies are making Windows maintenance costly.

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#1 By 135 (208.50.204.91) at 6/10/2003 11:02:36 PM
Oh thank goodness! This is the most critical thing needed for Linux adoption in the enterprise.

Oh yeah, and applications...

#2 By 8589 (65.71.64.244) at 6/11/2003 12:01:17 AM
This site has gone to the dogs. It is time to ditch it....

#3 By 16451 (65.19.16.203) at 6/11/2003 12:15:08 AM
#1 >>> Oh yeah, and applications

Please. People were coding applications than ran on *nix long before Windows ever existed as anything resembling a viable operating envorinment.

#4 By 1643 (205.240.158.3) at 6/11/2003 1:09:54 AM
#4 Although I can understand your frustration in “technology stupid” users, you have to keep things in perspective…technology doesn’t run a business, it’s the people. That is until the MACHINES take over

With all this talk on MS versus Linux versus Mac…one forgets that it is not the OS you run, but the value (i.e. increased productivity) that you receive from the applications/services that can be provided to you. Now, I work for a very large software company that would be considered very “pro-MS”, and I have my biases, but if you want to run Linux…fine, Mac…fine, if it makes you happy and more productive and enhances the quality of your life, fantastic!!

Overall, I think MS provides a great value proposition for most companies/consumers…MS has a lot great products, and most importantly, they integrate well…allowing companies to build on there IT investment to gain a competitive edge and allowing consumers a great platform for enhanced QOL.

humor

#5 By 931 (66.156.1.228) at 6/11/2003 1:55:35 AM
"Please. People were coding applications than ran on *nix long before Windows ever existed as anything resembling a viable operating envorinment. "

.. yes they were, but those applications were not interfacing with Mom, Dad and Grandma.

#6 By 13998 (217.122.34.74) at 6/11/2003 4:43:38 AM
1 out of 100 sounds to me pretty high. I'd expect it to be less.

#7 By 16451 (65.19.16.144) at 6/11/2003 8:02:26 AM
#10 >>> .. yes they were, but those applications were not interfacing with Mom, Dad and Grandma

Twenty years ago Mom, Dad, and Grandma could not affort a computer. It is not the case the we were incapable of writting an application to that audience at that time, but rather there was no recognized need at that point in history.

And besides, the article was talking about Linux in a corporate environment, not a home environment.

This post was edited by RH7.3 on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 at 08:08.

#8 By 16451 (65.19.16.144) at 6/11/2003 8:06:28 AM
#9 http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?mode_u=off&mode_w=on&site=www.google.com

#9 By 7797 (63.76.44.252) at 6/11/2003 8:21:47 AM
hehe or what about SCO?

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=www.sco.com

#10 By 16451 (65.19.16.144) at 6/11/2003 8:26:24 AM
Why shouldn't they use Linux, especially when they pirate Linux code anyway ;-)
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1123176,00.asp

#11 By 135 (209.180.28.6) at 6/11/2003 10:32:38 AM
RH7.3 - "And besides, the article was talking about Linux in a corporate environment, not a home environment."

I was talking about applications in corporate environments.

#12 By 16451 (63.227.226.13) at 6/11/2003 10:41:28 AM
In my post #13 I was talking to KnightHawk, hence the reference to post #10.

#13 By 16451 (63.227.226.13) at 6/11/2003 10:48:46 AM
#17 >>> So? A few thousand Linux servers ...

Have you ever heard of irony?


>>> Sure. The new FUD from ...

Do hace any factual knowledge that its FUD? Are you know for a fact that I'm I'm one of the faithfull? Or a Linux fanatic? Do you have any idea what the symbol ;-) means?

#14 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 6/11/2003 10:53:23 AM
cba-3.14: "...linux already has more than people need for work, for home, it's another matter."

Really? Where's the demographics mapping software? Where's the litigation support software? Where's a strong document management software that ties into an office suite? Etc., etc., etc....

Having an office suite, image editor, email client, database, etc., is not "more than people need for work." Linux needs pre-packaged, field-specific apps for business, particularly if it wants to be useful to small- and medium-sized businesses. It's not just a matter of moving data from old databases over to new ones and training users on a new office suite and email program; for many industries, there are apps that simply aren't available on other platforms. Besides that, the transition costs are usually far more than any licensing savings.

It's not only a matter of ROI--for many businesses, it just isn't an option.

This post was edited by bluvg on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 at 10:54.

#15 By 7797 (63.76.44.252) at 6/11/2003 12:24:03 PM
bluvg:

"Having an office suite, image editor, email client, database, etc., is not "more than people need for work.""

For a vast majority of the workers IT IS.

"Linux needs pre-packaged, field-specific apps for business, particularly if it wants to be useful to small- and medium-sized businesses."

I agree that Linux needs those, but NOT to be useful to small medium sized buissnesses. Its entirely possible to make existing windows apps to run on Linux to bridge the time until a native app exists.

" for many industries, there are apps that simply aren't available on other platforms"

But that doesn't mean those apps won't RUN on them.

"Besides that, the transition costs are usually far more than any licensing savings."

not proven FUD - studies exist to argue both sides

"It's not only a matter of ROI--for many businesses, it just isn't an option."

....YET.

#16 By 6859 (206.156.242.36) at 6/11/2003 12:36:00 PM
I think the best desktop program for Linux right now is Ximian. Once they get it to cross-communicate with Exchange it will be great, low-cost alternative to Outlook until MS closes that gap. But even then you have the "fun" of configuration. I think Linux is cool and all for what you can *eventually* get it to do but it's still not a Windows killer--nor will it probably ever become one.

#17 By 931 (67.35.82.65) at 6/11/2003 12:56:47 PM
Dont know what userbases' your used to .. but 80% of corporate users are not much different then grandma when it comes to there computer knowledge :)
...but whatever

#18 By 135 (209.180.28.6) at 6/11/2003 1:56:20 PM
tgnb - "For a vast majority of the workers IT IS. "

I don't know how you can possibly make this statement with any reasonable amount of assuredness. At the very least, you've obviously never had to support non-Windows environments.

It's not the major apps that's the problem. It's the small little ones you have never heard of. The minute someone get's a CD and can't run the program... THAT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

Here, you can put this in your little troll message, but I'll state this quite clearly for you:

The consumers choose Windows to have a monopoly for a reason, and that monopoly has been one of the best things to ever happen to the computer industry.

#19 By 6859 (206.156.242.36) at 6/11/2003 2:05:08 PM
Dudes, it's all about empowering the user. So that *they* can do the work they need to get done; so that *they* don't need to bother *us* with petty and simplistic requests; which in turn allows *us* to get our work done more efficiently. It's a cycle. Linux doesn't have that down yet, Windows does. That's why Windows wins on the desktop. If Linux gets its act together (as a whole) then maybe there will be alternatives, but until then if it doesn't empower the user then it will fail.

This post was edited by Cthulhu on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 at 14:23.

#20 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 6/11/2003 3:22:41 PM
tgnb:

"For a vast majority of the workers IT IS."

This is the myth that fuels these debates. Go into any field--you'll find goofy apps everywhere. I can't say I always like it--some of these apps are just horrid, maddening things to support. But, all are at least viewed as invaluable to the company's work, and (sometimes unfortunately) they really are.

"But that doesn't mean those apps won't RUN on them."

If you're talking about running apps on WINE or something like that, I can't imagine any CIO or IT director would seriously consider putting business-critical apps in an unsupported configuration. Just getting an app to RUN doesn't mean that you should consider your business relying on it.

"not proven FUD - studies exist to argue both sides"

Yes, but the most reputable ones argue against moving to Linux at this time, unless you have special circumstances. And, the number that argue against Linux far outnumber those that argue for it. If you were a CIO and heard 100 people saying "don't do it" and 1 saying "yes, do it," what choice would you bet your job on?

"....YET."

Well, duh. Anything can happen in the future. As of now, though, the argument to switch to Linux on the desktop is largely anti-MS motivated hype. That's fine, though--it makes Microsoft work harder.


#21 By 7754 (216.160.8.41) at 6/11/2003 3:28:37 PM
Cthulhu--the problem with Ximian is that it actually costs more than Outlook. You not only have to pay for the Exchange licenses, but you have to pay for Ximian as well. With Outlook, you get one license with every Exchange client license. Also, as Sodablue pointed out earlier, the communication between Exchange and Ximian right now is through WebDAV--in other words, it's like a glorified version of Outlook Web Access. It's not a MAPI client.

#22 By 7797 (63.76.44.252) at 6/11/2003 4:02:06 PM
Sodablue:

Responding to your statements point by point has become senseless because they are for the most part so flawed and biased I don't even know where to begin.
I think I just will put your statement onto my hall of shame list. Not only does it show your bias but also that you state your opinions as though they were fact.

#23 By 135 (209.180.28.6) at 6/11/2003 4:13:17 PM
tgnb - So you admit that mine is the superior intellect? :-)

bluvg just said the same thing as I did, are you going to respond to him?

#24 By 7797 (63.76.44.252) at 6/11/2003 5:56:58 PM
bluvg:

"Yes, but the most reputable ones argue against moving to Linux at this time"

http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-1014287.html

"We know that Linux is not for everything," he said. "But there are not many applications that require more than Linux can give us."

They are reputable
They are moving to Linux
They acknowledge that not ALL apps will be available to them under Linux but that is not enough to stop them from making the move.
They are a bank and know their numbers and think Linux will save them money.




#25 By 135 (208.50.204.91) at 6/11/2003 7:59:04 PM
Have you asked the endusers if they like the new system?

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