Will Munich's Linux Desktops Be Running Windows?

An anonymous reader writes "Remember that story about the city of Munich choosing Linux to power 14,000 desktop computers? One aspect of this story that most people don't know about is that up to 80 percent of those Linux desktops will be equipped with VMWare, a virtual machine emulator, under which they will run Windows and Windows applications. That's right, folks: The majority of those 'Linux desktops' will be used to run ... Windows." This Gartner report from early June seems to be the one mentioned in the article, though I'm not sure exactly where Thurrott gets the 80% figure.

Comments

Thurott?

[pclinger]

though I'm not sure exactly where Thurott gets the 80% figure

http://www.wininformant.com/Articles/Index.cfm?Art icleID=39614

It's Paul Thurrott, not Thurott.

Sad but true...

[Fux the Pengiun]

As a minor IT functionary in Deutschland (that's Germany for you Anglophiles) I've been watching this situation closely. It's sad but true, but right now Linux just doesn't entirely suit our needs.

Primarily, I'm concerned about comptability, and communicating effectivley with the rest of the world. Microsoft .DOC files are commonly passed back and forth with business/government emails...it's become a defacto standard. Open Office mangles them horribly, I'm afraid. I guess that's it, really...it's all about standards. I wish it weren't so, but Linux doesn't yet have support for many of the standards on which our infrastructure relies, like .DOC, .PDF, or MSHTTP. With the proliferation of .NET applications...what are you going to do?

I'd really like to see more Linux on our desktops. I think it's got more potential to integrate granular deliverables, especially in this post-bust economy, but right now MS simply has better core capabilities to enhance transparent web services. Maybe MS will release a *n?x varient of their own, and that will solve our goverment's problems...

Here's to hoping!

Licensing AOK. Paul Thurrott is smoking crack.

[twitter]

Munich has some 127 custom applications that work under windoze. I assume they have licensing that's better than M$ for those. I also asume that this is why they need VMware and what not. Here's what the silly Gatner report said about it:

The business case assumes that many applications will not migrate to Linux; instead, the bulk of applications requiring Windows will probably be Web-enabled and accessed through a browser. Munich will accommodate any remaining applications using virtual machine software, such as VMware.

How Paul Thrrott of WinInfo jumps to the conclusion that the "Desktop" won't be GNU/Linux and that they are really running Windoze is beyond me. I imagine the browser will be from KDE or Mozilla and the desktop will be KDE and that all normal applications, email, word processing, simple spreadsheets will be free and open software. That Munich can also run crappy old windoze stuff is a benifit that's not reciprocated on Microsoft's limited little GUI. Yet Paul would imply that this ablity indicates some kind of short comming in free software, hmph.

WinInfo looks like it was written by a crack smoking Microsoft Public Relations firm. Other nonsense on the same page include dreams of a surge of interest in Windoze as a web serving platform prompted by Bill Gates changing servers for his personal site, a rosy assesment of the M$ empire after failing to meet market expectations, and a piece playing down yet another major security flaw in windoze. There's neither logic nor dignity on that page. I've seen circus posters that made more sense and promoted more reputable things. Hell, I've seen more profesional things on Burbon Street. What does our Anonymous Reader do all day that he might stumble across drivel like that?

sorry to double reply, but I forgot something

[PotatoHead]

Our Federal Government just awarded Microsoft a nice fat homeland security contract recently.

These guys are a sloppy convicted monopolist with a poor security track record in general.

I am a tax payer and did not get a choice in that either...

Re:They did not take the microsoft deal because

[Steeltoe]

Are You Actually Citing A Source, Or Just Pulling This Crap Out Of Your Ass? (AYACASOJPTCOOYA?) ;-)