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Sun To Sell Linux PCs
Rubbersoul writes "Reuters.com is reporting that in "a bid to undermine arch-rival Microsoft Corp" Sun is going to jump into selling low cost Linux PCs. The article is a bit low on technical details, but is interesting none the less. Also if you take this new news with a story from yesterday about Sun pushing StarOffice for schools around the world, you really start to get an idea that sun wants to beat MS like a red headed step child ..." An editorial in the WorldTechTribute argues that Sun's education-market giveaway is exactly the sort of behavior that Microsoft has been attacked for in the past.
Low cost hardware doesn't sound like Sun's schtick, now does it?
No, but I'll bet they can provide better Linux support than Dell.
Too bad sites can't be moderated as -1 troll... :-)
DO NOT LEAVE IT IS NOT REAL
Well, Sun has not had to cut a deal with Microsoft in order to remain in business. If there's money to be made (different question entirely) from "major vendor" boxes for running Linux, Sun's in a position to exploit it. The "umteen vendors" have all sold their first-born to Bill.
Yes, you can buy no-name, but some people need/want to buy name-brand and Sun is a name-brand that is conveniently immune to Microsoft's interference.
Just so you know,
StarOffice was already free for educational institutions, site liscence and all. We love it here and more and more of our people are using it. It costs us less to deploy each copy, both monetarily and time-wise.
If you dig around the educational parts of Sun's website you'll find much of their sofware is already very cheap for schools.
Sun has a history of pulling stunts like this against Microsoft. Their reasoning is that every dollar that doesn't end up in Microsoft's pocket, is a dollar they can't spend in developing software competing with Sun's own. It's as simple as that.
Star Office was an attempt to undermine the very profitable Office suite. By pushing Linux machines, they do the same thing with the OS. They don't gain anything on this themselves - it's not their technology, it's just that they want to take away free money from MS.
Oh, I can't help quoting you because everything that you said rings true
Scott had the opportunity to make nice a few years back like Steve Jobs, and just accept the inevitable - Bill controls a huge swath of the computing market. Admitting such helped keep Apple in the game, and it got some good MS software on OSX quickly.
I'm not saying that MS and Sun would exactly be in bed today had Scott made nice, but certainly a less adversarial approach could have kept Sun out of the crosshairs.
I guess I don't get it. How is Linux going to make the PC cheaper? Or are you just talking about the cost of purchase, not the TCO? In the enterprise, Linux is more expensive to run on the desktop than Windows is, because the most basic tools for Windows (Outlook, for one) don't exist in a usable form on Linux.
I don't think Sun is trying to sell computers to home users, here. I think we need to be thinking about how Linux fits into their enterprise computing strategy.
Sun are pitching it at people who own call centers and Uni's
The box's that Sun will sell have Smart Card readers in
this means that JavaCard
basically easy to setup and sign on with BIG SUN server's doing the web portal and sign on crypto
I would put a bet on it containing www so everyone is happy includeing Visa who will send you more junk mail telling you are approved
regards
John Jones
Nonsense.
Excellent and growing market share in the Unix and enterprise server market, have just released an excellent little Linux server, have clear differentiation over the Linux story that other vendors push, fantastic developer support and great Unix experience, with all the Unix expertise and services that make big, worldwide companies buy from large vendors like Sun.
Sun is more than just hardware. You need people to advise, set up install. I doubt these low end Linux PCs are aimed at the general consumer, but at the customers coming to people like Sun and saying 'help us get rid of Microsoft on the desktop'. Sun Ray are often a good solution, particularly for call centres and similar enviornments.
Think of a large company with 10000 PCs, that is seriously considering a move to Linux on the desktop. If they're going to do it, they need to do it through a big vendor, who is more than just a box shifter (Dell) or a vendor who backs off their support to tiny companies like Suse (IBM).
This is a market Sun need to be in, because if they don't sell the kit, someone else will.
Yes, please, will schools PLEASE start purchasing these low cost Windo$e alternatives? Can you imagine the level of computer competence grade schoolers would achieve if there were 10 networked Sun machines in every class? Kids sitting in front of a MS machine, being passively marketed to by MSN, are only going to become even more frustrated by technology. Put a 1.0 ghz Sun/Duron in front of them and watch them learn. "Hey I made a Web Server!" "Look! I built a Firewall!" "Teacher, how do I read a MAN?"
Namaste
I am a free market capitalist.
No, you're not. A free market capitalist would not say:
Microsoft, the convicted monopolist, as it exists today, must cease to be.
That would be contrary to the definition of a free market.
Now you must disappear in a puff of logic. K THX BYE
..and run at about 1/4 the speed of the slowest Wintel box you can buy.
Seriously.
They still have UltraSparc-IIi in them.
They are crap. Don't bother.