IBM's New Linux Advertising

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Thursday September 4, 2003 @08:44AM from the big-blue's-big-bucks dept.

Amit Shah writes "IBM is airing a commercial featuring Linux as reported on Economic Times. This could be the first major way to reach out to normal users and explain the benefits of open source and Linux. The ad says, "Collecting data is only the first step toward wisdom, but sharing data is the first step toward community""

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Mirror by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-04 08:44 · Score: 5, Informative

In case the site is slow, here is a mirror.

Martin Studio Slashdot Policy
1. Re:Mirror by Andrewkov · 2003-09-04 11:43 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Check out IBM's new page, which is referenced by the TV ad: ibm.com/open. Here is a quote from the page, and this is good marketing:
  On demand business
  Linux is like nothing else in the history of computing--the most unique innovation operating systems have ever seen. It's unprecedented integration. It's an open source operating system. Owned by no single company or private enterprise. Constantly improved by thousands of programmers. And it's getting bigger. Last year, according to the IDC, shipments of servers running Linux increased by 22.8%.
  If Linux were a person, he would be growing, fast. Taught by the best. Gaining wisdom beyond his years. And sharing. He would be in business, education, government and homes. He would be a nine-year-old boy changing the world.
  It's stuff like this that will grab the masses attention and let people know that Linux is ready for prime time. I'm really happy to see IBM doing this!
First Campaign? by CGP314 · 2003-09-04 08:46 · Score: 5, Informative

What about their 'Peace, love, Linux' hippy campaign they ran a while back.
Want to see the AD ? by ramzak2k · 2003-09-04 09:00 · Score: 5, Informative

Check this out

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Siggy Say, Siggy Do
1. Re:Want to see the AD ? by bigjocker · 2003-09-04 09:17 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  With wget you will keep getting a refference to the same file.
  
  mplayer is your friend:
  
  mplayer http://66.246.105.13:80/adcritic/ibm-linux-prodigy .asf -dumpstream
  
  check for the file stream.dump
  
  --
  Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
2. Re:Want to see the AD ? by protohiro1 · 2003-09-04 09:20 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  See it in what ever format you prefer...the future is open people.
  
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  Sig removed because it was obnoxious
3. Re:Want to see the AD ? by broeman · 2003-09-04 10:51 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  a better solution is to use this link instead, it comes from IBM's homepage and is in a slightly better quality (mpeg): click to download (cannot use Save Link As...)
  
  --
  
  (yes this can be compared with sex)
Re:not their first by JabXVI · 2003-09-04 09:05 · Score: 2, Informative

Heh, I liked that one too - if anyone wants to see it, you can probably find an mpeg of it by searching google for heist60.mpeg.

My absolute favorites, though, were the basketball themed ones, featuring former NBA star Detlef Schrempf as Linux. :-) Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a video file of any of those.
Re:Quite so! by tomhudson · 2003-09-04 09:09 · Score: 5, Informative
Siplifications in favour of linux (some just in the last week or so):
1. no linux msblaster worms
2. no linux visual basic for applications cracks
3. no trains, planes or automobiles stopped by linux viruses, worms or trojans
4. no linux DRM media players
5. no linux license fees
6. no linux authorization codes when you change hardware
7. no forced upgrade cycle
8. no having to hunt down 50 cds when trying to rebuild a machine
If it sounds simpler, it's because it is.
Annoyingly Enough... by Jerk+City+Troll · 2003-09-04 09:19 · Score: 2, Informative

This page featuring the ad offers it in Windows MediaPlayer format. Is there anyone out there with an MPEG copy?

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Other IBM Linux Commercials by aliens · 2003-09-04 09:25 · Score: 2, Informative

Well, not really commercials, but some weird lil cartoons. Enjoy.

http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/linux/fun/i nd ex.html?c=eserver&n=linuxfun_callout_servershome&t =advertise#

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-- taking over the world, we are.
Re:not their first by chill · 2003-09-04 09:39 · Score: 2, Informative

Not...

It ends with a voice over of "IBM Servers running Linux..."

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Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Direct links to the add by qwertyatwork · 2003-09-04 09:46 · Score: 2, Informative

mpeg
http://rxns-rbn-sea05.rbn.com/ibmpdc/pdc/open/qtde mand/aug03/prodigy90_med.mpg
qt
http://rxns-rbn-sea05.rbn.com/ibmpdc/pdc/open/qtde mand/aug03/prodigy90_med.mov
Re:Why would I need Linux??? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-04 09:48 · Score: 2, Informative

Dude, it actually would've been funny if you left off the last sentance.
Direct links. by sam_doshi · 2003-09-04 09:54 · Score: 5, Informative

Quicktime Version 1.6 mb
MPEG version 8.7 mb
Re:Just to address a few by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-04 10:08 · Score: 3, Informative

When was the last new threat that was directly a result of Visual Basic scripting? By "new" I mean within the last three months or so.

Well, is yesterday new enough?

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default. asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-037.asp
Direct link to MPEG download by PinkX · 2003-09-04 10:28 · Score: 2, Informative

High quality version here. And there is also a text-only version of the script here.

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Articulos para gente geek: Poleras, linux, libros y mas
Re:Quite so! by tomhudson · 2003-09-04 10:52 · Score: 2, Informative

I think you're wrong, if only because, as we've seen, linux is usually patched within hours, whereas M$ doesn't want the existence of a hole released so they can ignore it for months.
Unlike windows, you don't need support from the manufacturer to fix problems w. open source software. That's the big deal, and that's what IBM is pushing. The hood isn't welded shut. And, if you want to install and run many more copies of older versions (smaller memory footprint, etc), you can continue to do so well past their "best-before" date, w/o violating any license agreement.
The rate of release of new distros is so fast nowadays that , if you're having to rebuild, you don't have to hunt down patches - just snag the latest and greatest and install.
Re:Sup with the slogan? by usotsuki · 2003-09-04 12:30 · Score: 2, Informative

Er, that's not Spanish.

"Respublica non dominatur" (sp) is Latin.

Close, though ;)

-uso.

--
Dreams, dreams, don't doubt dreams, dreaming children's dreaming dreams. Sailor Moon SS
Re:Quite so! by arkane1234 · 2003-09-04 12:55 · Score: 4, Informative

If you were to go take a vanilla fresh installed Red Hat 7.3 machine and stick it on the Internet it'd be hacked in under an hour.

If you were to go take a vanilla fresh installed Windows 95 machine and stick it on the Internet it'd be hacked in under an hour.

If you were to go take a vanilla fresh installed Solaris 6 machine and stick it on the Internet it'd be hacked in under an hour.

If you were to go take a vanilla fresh installed FreeBSD 2.0 machine and stick it on the Internet it'd be hacked in under an hour.

You can say that about ANY software that has significantly aged and is left unpatched.
Of course:
The only thing all this proves is that operating systems have bugs... ALL of them do, including OpenBSD and a major OpenSSH root exploit in the default install last year.

In most cases it's not the operating system, but the stuff running on top of it. You can't exactly say the same about Blaster, now can ya? This one has been a long time coming. Someone just finally did it.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
No glass house here, more like reinforced steel. Your average joe schmoe has the ability to get a hardware firewall from your local best buy or fry's electronics. They just don't do it.

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-- This space for lease, low setup fee, inquire within!
Re:Transcript by LeninZhiv · 2003-09-04 13:48 · Score: 2, Informative

It's not misspelled, it's the subjunctive mood, it changes the weight of the verb a bit so it should be translated something like:

"The commonwealth must not be owned"

And yes, that's very cool :)
Re:"Makes life simpler". Right. by BlackBolt · 2003-09-04 13:56 · Score: 2, Informative

The mpeg got my sister in law to ask me "What's Linux?". The commercial got her *asking questions*, and that's exactly what IBM wants. If I wasn't here to answer, she would've googled it - she wanted to find out more. But since I was here, I introduced her to Knoppix. What comes of it, I don't know. But it's a Very Good Thing.

And anyway, I find THE BEST ADS, the ones people remember, are either surreal or funny.

I like this ad. It works for me.
Re:"Makes life simpler". Right. by andcal · 2003-09-04 14:02 · Score: 2, Informative

Dude, one thing at a time. Surely it is obvious that there is value in a commercial that teases people to make them hungry to learn more. Anyone who already wants to understand Linux can already learn about it any time they want to. The key here is convincing people who would not otherwise pay any attention to listen and become curious enough to want to learn more.

Most people automatically stop paying attention once they find out that the subject at hand is something that don't consider within their realm of interest. I am quite certain that Linux is one of those things

I personally feel that this commercial will do a pretty effective job of getting people who may benefit from the use of Linux (and who could also potentially contribute to the OS community), but who would otherwise change the channel to keep watching, while asking, "What could this be about?"

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--something witty
Re:I was promised flying cars... by shibashaba · 2003-09-04 15:26 · Score: 2, Informative

The one there talking about here:
http://www.mplug.org/archive/2002/ibm.mov

And the one about all the computers being replaced by one running linux:
http://www.mplug.org/archive/2002/heist60. mpeg

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---------- Open Source is capitalism applied to IP.