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When I have documented the business case to move off windows to Linux, we always run into the lack of a comparable application within the Linux/OSS community. Staroffice had it on its previous version, but that is gone now. The OpenOffice folks seem to be working on it, but it is not yet ready. The Boss looks at my suggestion of MySQL and sees lottsa money and time spent converting and training. The use of various JDBC and ODBC drivers make a conversation technically feasible, but I suspect that many in the small and medium sized corporate world need a one-to-one application capable of natively sucking in those .mdb files and running with them. If that was there, we'd start converting to a Linux desktop this afternoon.

It is surprising that the Consultingtimes ( article literally does not mention databases.

You say they don't have any real innovation, but read this article about XFM, the Xandros File Manager. It replaces Konqueror, the browser and file manager, which I have been less than thrilled about. It does have some great innovation. Some of its features have been created before separately, but it integrates them in great ways. It auto-mounts all removable media types, Samba shares, NFS file systems, etc. It also detects and shows local and remote printers so you can use them without having to separately configure them. It also enables the Win Explorer type functionality of enabling a Samba type share by right-clicking the folder and turning it on, without having to go to Samba configuration for it. It also integrates CD burning from the file manager if you want to just select a group of files and tell them to burn to CD-R.

Anyway, lots of features there. It seems the innovation they have done is to take a lot of things that Linux can do and made them more easily accessible from one location. I think that is a great idea, and a file manager is probably the most appropriate place to do it. I am just getting started in Linux and have been trying out several distros to see which I like. It would be nice to find downloadable ISOs of this to try out first to see if I like it.

Mandrake Linux Business Cases
Consulting Times
Open Source - ready for business
Open Source on the Business Desktop
Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS)? Look at the Numbers!
A Hard Look at Linux's Claimed Strengths

The shipping version of Xandros has two CDs. One is the main desktop that we think is good enough and stable enough, and easy enough for people to use. The second CD is basically KDE 3...

Xandros appear to be focussing on a very particular market segment and fulfilling the needs of that market as well as they can. Whether it will work or not, i don't know, nobody does, but I think many are missing the bigger picture and bashing Xandros because it isn't what they need.

As a final note, one things that this venture will definitely do is improve Linux's stance in the more general business world. They're rolling back all there modifications to KDE et al (as they have to do) into the main trees. Doesn't this really show off one of the things that is good about these Licenses and the open-source and Linux world in general. Someone sees a market, wants to try to exploit it, works out a business model to attempt to do this, takes the 'raw-materials' available, improves them and has to give them back, therefore benefitting the community. Agree with their business model, idea, product, etc or not, it certainly shows the community is alive and working.

I'd have modded you down but you are already +5 so...

Ransom love is the one Linux CEO (or former CEO) that defended Micrsofts FUD attacks on the GPL. He has routinely put down the GPL.

While I could flog you for your poor grammar and spelling, I am not one to go throwing stones.

Newsforge like many other "Wathcdog publications" uses whatever pressure they have to get at the "Truth". This what true journalism is about. If someone is hiding something you call them on it. Maybe UnitedLinux has done nothing wrong, but like gary Condit and OJ Simpson, I doubt it.

About SCO, SCO was bought by Caldera, formerly a part of Novell. So, Caldera absorbed SCO, but was never formerly SCO. And yes, SCO is well known, but many do not have fond meories of it. It ranks right there with HP-UX. It might work well but admining it is a bear.

It is GNU/Linux, though I sometimes abbreviate it to just Linux.

Once a troll reaches +5 you do have to respond.

Remember, it was RMS's change to the LGPL that describes Linux as a variant of "GNU operating system!" A lot of people take issue with the concept of a "whole GNU operating system" when it in fact didn't have a kernel (which most people outside of RMS and his disciples would consider as the operating system; the rest are just tools that make using the OS more convenient) that couldn't be considered anything but vaporware in the early 1990's.

... City of Largo, FL obtains more Linux licenses than it needs!!!! Mistake costs them.... um, nothing.

Consulting Times has a article which gives a "real world" cost justification example.

• reduced cost of hardware (since you can generally do more with less hardware using OSS)

BTW, another hopeful article about StarOffice concerning how well it handles MSOffice documents.

I don't like the idea that economic renumeration should take the form of micropayments in the OSS model, let alone the FSF model. Fundementally, OSS is about colaberation and the contribution of time and energy to a project. The problem that occurs when people use OSS and don't return to the project is not that they cannot find a way to make payments (which only makes sense if you are attempting to tie the traditional Capitalist structures onto a concept which does not conform to them). The problem is that they don't necessarily contribute to the pool of resources and energy that the community needs to thrive.

The FS (e.g. FSF) movement is even farther from needing payments. Afterall the notion of Free as in Speech is that the work is simple a presentation to the world and our global knowledge. The ideas that are contained in FS are supposed to be given away. The protections in the copyleft are intended to keep them that way. Now there is an implicit assumption that this system works becuase everbody chooses to participate in our global comminity. But I don't have to share my ideas with anyone if I don't want to. The difference is obligation.

As the article mentioned the problem currently is not with the OSS movement but with the companies which are trying to make money through it. The real problem as I see it is not getting payments into the OSS system, but getting companies to understand that the correct response to OSS is the return of energy, resources, and knowledge to the community.

Here is an example of how this could work:
A large organization like the Mexico City or City of Largo (also) and, possibly, City of Turku, Finland (Finnish) can contribute by hiring programmers for to work on the projects which they are using (and relying on). The number of programmers should be proportional to the needs of the organization and the savings from the conventional CSS model. If, for example the savings over a conventional solution over 2 years was $500,000, then the organization could spend $200,000 on programmers to both solve problems that the organization needs resolved (and which would be contributed back to OSS) and additionally provide 50% of their time to contribute to the OSS projects they are relying on (bug fixes, improvements, research). All numbers are merely examples. You get the idea.

A smaller organization could contibute some of the time of its staff and provide some resource (server, hardware donations, software donations, etc.) I am working with many clients who are just beginning to understand how FS/OSS may fit into thier business models. Give them time and help them to understand that correct response to the benefits of using FS/OSS is direct contributions to the community and our world.

But, this doesn't fit into the 'Modern Western World View.' Modern (American) capitalism is a beast whose fundemental tenents no longer bare any resemblance to reality. Informed consumers are not only idealized, but necessarily fictional because there is too much information for any consumer to possibly be informed on all their desicsions. This is what keeps product, techniques and services which are sub-optimal or even harmful (or at the very least no good) in the market. Other forces besides supply and demand control the system: Monopolies, Ologopolies, price fixing, political manipulation through PACs, financial contributions, etc.

Clearly, the relationships between those inside OSS community and those on the outside who adopt OSS can be changed by showing the adoptors that the correct adoption of OSS is not merely the use of the code, but involvement in the community--and by doing this, the question of renumeration becomes irrelevant.

Brian Valentine exists at Microsoft, he's the Senior Vice President of the Windows Devision. Would he address his colleagues in such a way? Why not.

JB Were's web site is partly dysfunctional, so not much information on this one. The City of Largo has just succesfully migrated to KDE desktops at the end of August. It's a bit hard to believe that they switch again after such a short time, and that his wasn't addressed in Valentine's memo at all (maybe it's about the servers, who knows, but then things would be really, really bizarre). Ameritrade has already been a Microsoft customer.

So, if this one is faked, it was faked in a much more credible manner than the previous NTs.

I'd like to open this with an insult.. but I won't

in no particular order:

I can sell my Copy of XP if i wish, if i sell my NFL tickets it can be scalping..

No you can't, otherwise, Microsoft wouldn't be cracking down on people on e-bay selling their LEGITIMATE unused copies of WindowsAnything

The major league baseball is an approved monopoly.. WHY? It isn't like we need a standard in baseball players. The NFL is an approved monopoly.. WHY? Verizon sells worse service and products then microsoft and restricts customers choices, but nobody wants to break a telco..

This is great.. Monopolys are ok, if they're not detrimental.. and Verizon?? if i don't like the I switch to sprint, or cingular, or some no-name service.. i don't see a monopoly here..

I'm finding more reasons to use Windows every day. It has great Java support,

You need to be more clear on this for me, at last count WindowXP wasn't even SHIPPING WITH JAVA SUPPORT! Is that crack smoke I smell?

still no good office suit, fun fun fun

still no good (bugfree) developer suit, fun fun fun

Yes, I'm guessing it is crack smoke, didn't KDevelop just win some award or another?? Have you ever TRIED to develop in Emacs?? Obviously you can't be much of a programmer if you truly think this.. Especially if you think ANY software is "bugfree".. even if you're just being figurative, I KNOW you're not tryna convince me VisualStudio is "bugfree" HAHAHAHA!!!!!

oh, and as far as Office Suites go, I direct your attention to: Staroffice 6 beta's latest scorecard...

hmm,

I wouldn't ever recommend windows for a server, nor would i recommend linux. HPUX or Solaris all the way, possibly IBM but i'm not a fan of AIX yet.

Obviously you've never used either HP-UX or Slowlaris, especially if you think there's such a thing as an AIX fan.. heh.. I highly recommend using Linux as a server, especially if you'd like to LEARN Solaris or HP-UX..

And, Ask IBM about AIX.. In particular, ASK THEM WHY THEY ARE RETIRING IT AND REPLACING IT WITH LINUX!! on RS6000s, retiring OS/400 on the AS400s, S390s already run Linux, Netfinitys, NUMA boxs, thinkpads, EVERYTHING..

I'd never recommend linux on the desktop. It merely makes a good tool to learn from, tinker around with.

Honestly, neither would I, but the people I work with, who see Gnome, the people I work with who see and use KDE, and those who see it for the first time [i run E, fyi], really really really want me to.. I tell them, maybe.. maybe when StarOffice 6 is out of beta.. I think they're crazy to want Linux on the desktop.. even if it would drive IT support costs down because it's SO MUCH EASIER to administer. The biggest thing holding it back, i think [besides decent MSOffice filters], is Unix administrators who are too used to administering servers, not wanting to support Lusers(tm), and Help Desk/Desktop Support guys who are just now thinking about learning it.. once that gap gets a little narrower, I think I'll start recommending it more.. otherwise, I'll just go around showing people how much more pretty my notebook is than anything they've EVER SEEN.. ;)

Redone vm, fun fun fun

actually, it is.. my machine swaps A WHOLE LOT LESS nw.. i highly recommend 2.4.14..

Commercial apps dont, work, fun fun fun

Sure they do! VMware runs like a dream! =) So does Oracle, Mentor Graphics.. What in the world are you running??

Bloated new apps, fun fun fun

Hmm, the only thing I can think of here might be Nautilus.. At the same time. It's still being developed [two minor versions now?], long after Eazel went the way of the dodo bird..

And in conclusion.. I can't wait for posts like yours to go the same way..

have a nice day, Captain Uninformed..

m.
--

Who cares about that? There's more important news: IBM is running commericals for Linux!

Download an mpeg at this address and read a great article about it here. It really is a terrific and funny commercial.

Sure, it sucks that i have to post this as a comment, but Slashdot won't accept the submission. So mod me up -- i'm not being a karma whore; i'm at 50 already. I just want to get the word out.

Who cares about that? There's more important news: IBM is running commericals for Linux!

Download an mpeg at this address and read a great article about it here. It really is a terrific and funny commercial.

Sure, it sucks that i have to post this as a comment, but Slashdot won't accept the submission. So mod me up -- i'm not being a karma whore; i'm at 50 already. I just want to get the word out.

From a business point of view: Use "Linux Terminal Server". Yes, get a fat machine to serve all the applications to your users. This way, to modify/update/change/configure.... all the clients means working in a single machine: the fat server.

This is that the city of Largo has done. This is what Linux at schools project is doing.

Actualy, any distribution will do. But I will recommend you to look for a
"support contract" from RedHat, SuSE, Mandarke...

Some links:

Linux Terminal Server Project. You will see that they have packages for any distribution

Linux in Schools. Although it is oriented for schools, school needs are the same as Your Big Comany or Government.

The City of Largo uses Linux as desktop. So it is possible for plain clerks and secretaries to learn and be productive on Linux Desktops.

A worker just needs a working desktop, so he/she can use a word processor and an spreadsheet program. The "configuration and control" must be done byt he Support Team.

And my mom is unable to properly use Windows98. She's not a moronic mom. She is smart. But she has never been trained as computer specialist. But she can use word processing and spreadsheets. Yes, she uses or has used AmiPro, Office, WordPerfect... they are all the same in the end. No FUD about "difficult StarOffice". But when Windows crashes, she enters in panic mode. delete Windows, add Linux and you get no panic mode.

Do not extend FUD.

Use OpenOffice. Fairly soon should be available as a non-beta product.

Easy to use stuff? Try KDE and make it pretty with themes.

Use KDE as the desktop. Easy transition from any user. Install the "Acqua" or "Acqua-Graphite" Theme & "MacOS Loon'n'feel" with top desktop menu for your MacOS users.

Install the Win2000 Theme & "Win2000 Look'n'Feel for your Windows users.

My 2 cents

Largo has switched about 800 desktops to linux using thin clients. They use balsa for e-mail and KDE for the desktop. links here and here

Trust me, they aren't missing the point. They find magnificent ways to couch ideas that they don't like in a negative or deterring way.

(snip)

It is almost an art the way MS does this stuff.

Yes, but it's not a new art.

There's a great breakdown of MS's use of the fine art of disinformation here. (The analysis is about a third of the way down)

Do not be confused by the feints against Linux, the GPL and Open Source, the real agenda is the extension of Perpetual Copyright and Worldwide Patents, the restrictions on reverse engineering and other forms of innovating and creative thought.

This is the article to read: http://www.consultingtimes.com/ms_infowar.html

I'd add IBM to the top of that list. After reading this article from Consulting Times I have a new perspective on the whole Mundie distraction.

In sum: MS doesn't care about 'Linux'. It cares about control and threats to that control.

By distracting the open source, free software, or Linux advocates it zaps strength from IBM's efforts to rally them to make stronger technology that MS doesn't control...and thus slows IBM's own efforts. MS needs some time to keep companies from moving away from Microsoft-based software, and to institute more MS-controled technologies such as .net.

Anything that can impact IBM's efforts to build open source or Linux support will also slow the efforts of HP, Compaq, Dell, and others that understand the business costs of the current Microsoft monopoly.