Linux Ranks No. 2 On Microsoft Risk List

[phoebe]

Apologies if already posted

Microsoft is taking the Linux threat seriously. So seriously, in fact, that open-source software comes in at the No. 2 spot on the company's top five list of risks.
In a teleconference to go over the Redmond, Wash.-based developer's fourth quarter and fiscal 2003 results on Thursday, CFO John Connors detailed the five biggest risks to his company's business.

"The general economic environment is risk and driver No. 1," he said. "Linux and non-commercial software is risk No. 2."

The rest of the top five, Connors said, are growing the installed base in today's tight-spending climate, litigation, and executing plans on multiple fronts.

snip

More recently, the company has been stepping up its efforts to convince potential European clients that they should steer away from Linux and towards its products. But even though Ballmer intervened in the attempt to win over the city of Munich, Linux won out.


http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=12800942

[renegade000]

1. they have reason to be scared

:linuxrules:

[Nambe]

2. I love Seattle so I hope Msoft stays healthy.

It will no doubt.

[xJlM]

3. Better things than Microsoft come from Seattle

It's one of the top places in the country for imported coffee, from what I understand...

Seriously, though, with all the failures of the Windows family, who could help but hope that Linux would be the stake destined for Microsoft's heart? I hear a lot of folks saying 'But Linux can't do what my company needs', but when you look at the cost compared to Microsoft and add in the continuing cycle of upgrades necessary (not to mention the security "patches"), how can a company NOT justify moving to open source?

[Occulus]

5. Failures of the Windows family?

Pardon me for sounding as if I like Window$, but it really is a good OS, flaws aside. It's also powerful enough to be a great gaming platform.

I have had linux installed in one incarnation or another since I learned about the (at the time) new RedHat 5.2. I got exposure to UNIX in college and loved what I saw in linux. Unfortunately, since linux is so fundamentally different from Window$, it's harder to program binaries for games, and the demand isn't there because linux has a (partially) deserved reputation for being not-so-user friendly, to say nothing of the learning curve involved. However, to really make linux a true competitor to Micro$oft, it would have to dumb itself down- something that, by the very nature of the community involved, won't happen unless someone takes that step themselves.

RedHat makes an effort in that regard; both slackware and Debian are second choices for me. I will say, however, that RedHat needs to work on a few bugs. That's true for linux in general, but the good news is that the bugs are well-reported and addressed- something that can't be said for a proprietary, closed-codebase product like Window$.

If linux is ever 'reduced' to the point that anyone can use it; if, say, a distribution were created that mandates a GUI interface for the user, one which is in 'expert' mode for root and admin and 'simple' mode for users; if it would somehow be easier to code games for, well, linux would replace Window$- but I'm dreaming. Although it's moving in that direction, linux isn't there yet.

All that said, I will always have a linux distro on my hard drive. If Micro$oft decides it'll make a platform that linux simply can't access, I'll either find a linux module that allows it in spite of Micro$oft, or I'll simply build a linux box and slap it on my LAN. Either way, linux will always have a place in my computing collection. :)

[madrchsod]

4. i`d use linux

if i knew more about computors. i had it installed several years ago when my son was here but it was pretty buggy .the further away from microsoft the better as far as i`m concerned..shit the messenger service is hacked and you got to go thru hoops to delete it..oh well ,one of these days i`ll break down and install linux again.

[bpilgrim]

6. get a mac and have the best of BOTH worlds

the worlds best GUI on top of the worlds best OS ;-)

http://apple.com

peace

[LifeDuringWartime]

7. word to that

*nix power and stability with apple innovation and beauty

[LiberalLibra]

8. bpilgrim: The only problem with going Mac is that PC users then give up...

....all that software they spent bunches of money on over a period of time and some people just can't afford that risk.

[jmatthan]

9. Risk?

I have used Macs starting with an Apple II C for 18 years with no risks whatsoever.

My first attempt with a Intel PC in 1994 bankrupted my company. The most expensive laptop with the latest Windows software for my international field team did not work for EVEN a single day!!

In 18 years I have not had a single virus affect any of my Macs and they are on 24 hours. They are so backward compatible that my 1991 PowerBook 170 is EVEN NOW doing the task it was bought for in unison with my later Macs!! (It runs System 7.6 - the last free system from Apple.)

On Monday I am upgrading my slot-loading iMac bought in 2000 with a 60 GB hard disk and 1 GB of RAM from the original 6 GB Hard disk and 340 MB RAM!! (Running the latest System 10)

In the meantime my 1996 Performa 6400 works like a smooth Rolls Royce on which, amongst other things, I daily listen to my downloaded Mike Malloy mp3 file (from whiterosesociety.org) with Quicktime. (This runs on System 9.1) I will now move the 6GB hard disk from the iMac to the 6400 on Tuesday.

All my Macs in my cellar are connected by ethernet (ADSL) and AppleTalk to the LAN and WAN!!

And believe you me - I am a computer idiot!! I do not know a single command line, and never have and never will.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[Poiuyt]

13. Macs can use Windows software

It's possible for a Mac to use Windows programs with Windows emulation software like Virtual PC. It doesn't work as well, mind you, but it does work.

[alfredo]

14. Go Mandrake or

SuSE. they are pretty good, and the install is very nice. Yellow Dog Linux is great for Macs.

Of course you can get a fine UNIX computer starting at $999. Here is a screenshot.

[Nottingham]

10. The Word is out on Microsoft being Big Brother for US

When Companies find out that Microsoft has allowed access to their records of course they will go to Linux which is safer!

:bounce:

People are not going to pay for people to spy on them

just like Boeing has been found out globally!

[Resistance Is Futile]

11. Microsoft and GOP-Fascism

Anyone who thinks of Microsoft in even remotely kind terms should go read http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html immediately.

In the next few years, Microsoft will have constructed a technological infrastructure which will allow it to prevent the use of computers to transfer any kind of information that Microsoft doesn't like. Given the--shall we say--extremely close ties between the GOP and American business, it doesn't take a genius to see the risks involved when MS has the capability to disable computers belonging to anyone who attempts to promote an unapproved political party.

This is not to say that Palladium will immediately be used to explode the computers of anyone who dared vote Democrat, but the fact that the power to do so exists in the first place is a virtual gaurantee that it will eventually by abused.

[classics]

12. There is no reason to fear linux.

Linux and its supporting community has proven time and time again they will not buy commercial products.

GNU/Linux is a great framework, everything is in place to allow the high end workforce and game applications that make Windows great, work on Linux.

Unfortunatly every company that has tried to market to Linux users has failed and died trying. Linux users and programmers only seem to really excel at one thing, ripping off/cloning other peoples products.

Coming up with new and interesting ones, that seems to be a problem for them.