On Dec 10, 6:30 am, "Martha Adams" <mh...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> <ness...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
> news:6094abb7-b75b-46f6-a3e7-62f6a0bfb48b@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> > <Quote>
> > Opinion -- Sometimes, several unrelated changes come to a head at the
> > same time, with a result no one could have predicted. The PC market is
> > at such a tipping point right now and the result will be millions of
> > Linux-powered PCs in users' hands.
>
> > [Changes: 1. Maturation of desktop Linux. Even Michael Dell
> > agrees. 2. OLPC, even if they cost $200. That gave OEMs ideas,
> > Asus Eee, Everes gOS, Intel.]
>
> > And how are these sub $500 computers and laptops doing? Everex is
> > building them as fast as it can and has announced that its forthcoming
> > laptop version, the CloudBook, has already been picked up by a major
> > U.S. reseller. At the same time, according to an unconfirmed report,
> > ASUS is planning on selling 3.8 million Eees in its next fiscal year.
>
> > [Change 3: Broadband everywhere. 4. Google and other Apps.]
>
> > Four trends: user-friendly Linux desktops, useful under-$500 laptops
> > and desktops, near-universal broadband, and business-ready Internet
> > office applications. Put them together and you have a revolution.
>
> > For the last two decades, we've been buying expensive desktop
> > operating systems on business PCs running from $1,000 to $2,000. On
> > those systems, we've been putting pricey desktop-centric office suites
> > like Microsoft Office. That's a lot of money, and the convergence of
> > the above trends is about to knock it for a loop.
>
> > Here's the business case. You tell me if it's not compelling. You can
> > buy 100 $500 PCs running a free version of Linux, hook them to a high-
> > speed Internet connection for a $1,000 a year and use GAPE at $50 per
> > user account per year. Finally, we'll throw in a grand for a Linux
> > server. That's $57,000 for your equipment, your connectivity, your
> > operating system and your applications.
>
> > [Total for Vista: $114,923.]
>
> > So, by my calculations, all those trends have joined together to make
> > a Linux-based small business using Google applications instead of
> > Exchange and SharePoint cost less than half its Microsoft-based twin.
>
> > Worse still, if you're Microsoft, you can't really defend yourself.
> > Linux desktops run just dandy on low-end, under-$500 PCs. Vista Basic,
> > which comes the closest to being able to run on these systems, is
> > unacceptable since it doesn't support business networking. Office 2007
> > also won't run worth a darn on these systems. And somehow, I can't see
> > Microsoft optimizing its applications to work with Google Apps instead
> > of Exchange and SharePoint.
>
> > Put it all together, and here's what I see happening. In the next few
> > quarters, low-end Linux-based PCs are going to quickly take over the
> > bottom rung of computing. Then, as businesses continue to get
> > comfortable with SAAS (software as a service) and open-source
> > software, the price benefits will start leading them toward switching
> > to the new Linux/SAAS office model.
>
> > You'll see this really kick into gear once Vista Service Pack 1
> > appears and business customers start seriously looking at what it will
> > cost to migrate to Vista. That Tiffany-level price tag will make all
> > but the most Microsoft-centric businesses start considering the Linux/
> > SAAS alternative.
>
> > Microsoft will fight this trend tooth and nail. It will cut prices to
> > the point where it'll be bleeding ink on some of its product lines.
> > And Windows XP is going to stick around much longer than Microsoft
> > ever wanted it to. Still, it won't be enough. By attacking from the
> > bottom, where Microsoft can no longer successfully compete, Linux will
> > finally cut itself a large slice of the desktop market pie.
> > </Quote>
>
> >http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2414535067.html
>
> > Well I wouldn't make these predictions, but then I don't know as much
> > as SJVN and I don't like to make predictions anyway. But let's say it
> > will be interesting to see if it develops as he says. He didn't
> > mention the impact of Linux adoption in other countries, he's talking
> > about the US, I guess.
>
> > The trolls love to say that if Linux is free why don't people use it,
> > to point out the small desktop share (who knows what it really is, but
> > a common figure is less than 1%), and to mock the "year of Linux"
> > predictions. I've noticed they never mention the fact that overall
> > Microsoft share on the desktop is actually down by a percent or two in
> > the last year or so, in spite of Vista. The reason isn't Linux, it's
> > Mac OS/X, attacking from the top. But Linux is a real threat to the
> > bottom, even if the numbers are still small.
>
> > A year ago it was hard to find any good news for Microsoft, apart from
> > expectations for Vista. But Vista has turned out to be botched far
> > worse than I ever would have expected. It's amazing what a mess
> > they've made of it. Meanwhile, I was interested to notice what SJVN
> > said about Linux forcing XP to stay around. Microsoft can't drop XP
> > next year like they've said they were going to if they are going to
> > put cheap XP on low end computers to block Linux, in the form of OLPC
> > or Eee or whatever. Unless maybe they invent a version of XP that
> > only runs on cheap computers, and force everyone else to "upgrade" to
> > Vista. I don't know if it's feasible.
>
> I'm ok with the above points, but I think one got missed. It is, if
> you're on a Linux base, your capital hardware lasts until it fails
> thru aging. You don't find yourself facing forced obsolence and new
> hardware when some new Model 2 Operating System comes in (not awfully
> well debugged, by accounts I see around here) with updated Restrictions
> (oops, 'Rights' is the politically correct term) and complexities
> thereto.
>
> There is also that, if something new out there is very right for you,
> you don't find yourself into any conflict over using it. I might also,
> mention that if you are a business with some positive cash flow, using
> Microsoft products makes you vulnerable to their busy little Gestapo,
> the BSA. Especially in today's economics, getting very much more
> tight, these seem to be further compelling reasons to avoid Microsoft
> and all their thing.
>
> Cheers -- Martha Adams [cola 2007 Dec 10]
Right, and no paperwork required to prove that your copy of the OS is
legal, etc.
I thought this one would bring out the trolls.
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