Australia, China and Snowboard Shops Use Linux

Miscellaneous stories about Linux usage today: the Australian government has allowed (but not required) its agencies to switch to Linux. China is apparently going to go all-Linux for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. And business2.com has a story about chain of snowboarding shops (and other businesses) deploying Linux cash registers and desktops.

Comments

Re:Important to remember

[hype7]

Linux being adopted in more places isn't necessarily a victory. If it performs badly, they will just switch back to Windows or UNIX. I hope, really, that they have decided on Linux because they believe it's the best tool for the job, and not simply to cut costs or to rebel against Microsoft. If Linux is the right tool for the job, only then is it really a victory. I would be cautiously optimistic about Linux being used on more and more places.

I am neither "for" nor against Linux, but whenever I hear about it hitting user desktop machines en masse I always chuckle. The problem isn't getting it out there on people's machines - that much is easy, it's given away for free. The problem isn't distribution, or cost. The problem is getting it to a state where it's actually usable for the vast majority of people.

I would be willing to bank on the fact that Linux in an easy-to-use state will never happen. It is made by nerds, for nerds. Every time there's an attempt to make it "easy to use", failure is the result. What was the name of the last company trying to make it easy to use? Easel, wasn't it? It was started up by the guys that started up Apple. They, like so many before them, failed. And you know where they ended up working? Apple.

You want easy to use Unix on the desktop? Salvation doesn't lie with Linux, I'll tell you that much... for an OS (or anything, really) there needs to be a degree of standardisation, and Linux's decentralised nature is the very thing that has made it successful in the server & enthusiast market.

This isn't to say having Linux in Govt is a bad thing - quite the opposite. But so often on Slashdot, people talk about sticking Linux everywhere. So often, what they don't see is that it would be like trying to fit a round peg in square hole.

There are a variety of tools available to solve every computer problem... don't assume that the one you know best is the one that will do the job best.

-- james