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I'll bite.

You obviously don't know anything about Linux.
From GCN:
"BALLMER: Linux is not dominant in the market, but we get paid to focus in on competitive threats, and it's a really competitive threat."
He goes on about this. There was a recent interview (I think on CNN, I searched quickly and couldn't find it) where he says the same thing -- Linux is a high priority concern for MS.

A poster on /. recently added:
"I work for an SI company. A large one. With a huge degree of MS-related
work. The MS reps tell *us* that they can commit MS resources (i.e.
spend MS money) to help us win projects IF Linux or Apache are involved.

We're talking about people's time at many thousands of dollars per day.
However much we need. They won't do it for almost any other project...
So I'd say yes, they see it as a threat."

Linux is not a joke on the desktop. You obviously haven't tried it recently. Red Hat Linux 7.x is just as easy to install as Windows, and comes with almost all you need. A quick, guided installation of Ximian GNOME and you're set, IMO. I find it's easier to use than Windows. And don't give me anything about a learning curve -- Windows has a learning curve as well.

" Face it, Linux is such a joke on the desktop that it is hardly important enough to consider when making major business decisions in a profitable corporation."

Well, let's see:
Disney isn't profitable?
Hollywood graphics rendering companies aren't profitable?
Merril Lynch isn't profitable?
HP?
DELL?
IBM?

Why are 27% of servers shipped today shipped with Linux?

Here's a website you might find interesting with a loooong list of companies invested in Linux.

Everyone makes mistakes, but you're just blatantly arrogant and ignorant. Please do some research before posting extremely retarded comments.

His comment on "everything around linux has to be GPL'd" is completely wrong.

Bill, ever heard of Tivo? Sharp Zarus? or how about the myraid of custom vertical software solutions built on free and reliable technology frameworks? Hello?

I work for an application service provider, and there's no reason why we can't architect against free/GPL'd technologies like Linux, JBoss, Tomcat, Netbeans, Open LDAP, etc etc. That's being competitive. THAT's capitalism!

What was once proprietary becomes a commodity if it's needed universally. Take an Operating System or a web server as an example. What's next? Java application servers? (BEA, start innovating!) Database Systems (Oracle, MS, start doing the same!)

You stay ahead of the game by inventing new things, which may start out as specialized products.. if it becomes ubiquitous, you don't try to squelch the efforts to commoditize it, you move on to the next innovation!

Many specialized products can be built upon GPL'd IP. there is nothing wrong with that.

This is an interesting link on Linux in business:
http://www.m-tech.ab.ca/linux-biz/

Try M-Tech's PSync.

M-Tech, a Calgary company makes P-Synch, a cross-platform password management system. P-Synch supports over 60 types of systems including: Unix servers, Windows NT, Windows 2000 active directory, OS390 / MVS mainframes, LDAP directories, email, groupware and popular ERP applications, such as SAP and PeopleSoft.

M-Tech showed P-Sync off to the Calgary Unix Users Group last year. When I saw your story, I immediately thought if them.

See http://www.m-tech.ab.ca/download/sched/ for a batch-oriented solution. You could enhance it with a web interface yourself, but it at least gets you going with scheduling and printed output.

Dell:

http://www.idg.net/crd_ibm_dell_9-126 405.html


http://www.dell.com/linux/press.htm

SGI:

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/1999/3 1/ns-9268.html

IBM:


http://www4.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,416 4,2267514,00.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/990930 -000020.html

Compaq:


http://www.digital.com/inFORM/issues/issue27/ln0 2-linux-story.htm

Intel:

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/1999/3 2/ns-9301.html


http://www.linuxia64.com/

Fujitsu:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/990929 -000017.html

Microsoft:

http://www.vcnet.com/bms/departm ents/nt/bugs.shtml

http://support.micro soft.com/support/kb/articles/Q150/7/34.ASP

http://support.micro soft.com/support/kb/articles/Q194/8/34.ASP

http://support.micro soft.com/support/kb/articles/Q224/7/93.ASP

Other side: HP:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/990920- 000020.html

Seems pretty detailed and straightforward. Includes a link to the people who implemented the systems mentioned, but that link's dead.

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