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Munich Struggling with Linux Transition?

rune2 writes "The Toronto Star has an article up that mentions that Steve Ballmer is gloating about how the Munich transition to Linux and Open Source software isn't going too well." Even if the transition is going poorly, what about when Munich is finally set? Funny how there's no mention of all the future costs of licenses they've already saved themselves from, yet there's a nice plug for the next version of Windows. Last time I checked, Windows' upgrades from one version to the next were not free by any definition.

11 of 566 comments (clear)

  1. There is one positive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least they didn't waste too much money buying software.

  2. ads by trmj · · Score: 4, Funny

    I dunno, if I'm to believe all those ads I see here on slashdot, the TCO for windows is less than linux. Because, you know, 7-11 is a company I'd look to for my technology purchase information.

    --
    Work sucked, until it became unemployment, when it became slightly more tolerable. -Tet
  3. Security & mental bandwith by locknloll · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ballmer said security "occupies a lot of my (mental) bandwidth" these days, and while much still needs to be done to satisfy customers, Microsoft is making "incredible progress" with its 2-year-old Trustworthy Computing strategy.

    That's probably the reason why my Windows machine at work has downloaded the same security update about ten times in the last two weeks. Nice to watch progress in the making...

    --
    -- Power corrupts, but PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.
  4. Re:Resemblances by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, but has Steve Ballmer been on Married with children?
    I think not!

  5. Re:Primary source please? by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny
    RFTA. "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, shown yesterday in Toronto, says political motives are behind conversions to open-source systems."

    By the way, that picture of Steve really needs to be Farked or something. (The print version is much larger and creepier.) "Give me the map and you might walk out of here on human limbs!" or something a Dark Overlord might say to Howard the Penguin.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  6. Re:Primary source please? by mackman · · Score: 4, Funny

    No!

    CowboyNeal says rune2 says a Toronoto newspaper says that Steve Balmer says that Munich is having trouble switching to Linux.

    Boy, that's /. for you.

  7. Oh really? by Unregistered · · Score: 4, Funny

    Last time I checked, Windows' upgrades from one version to the next were not free by any definition.

    Yes it is. Its free as in Kazaa.

  8. Re:At least... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Alright, I'll bite: name one.


    Before you get into it though, remember that the majority of areas where the windows world excells over linux doesn't apply at a government agency and with many applications such as their office suite if your employees can't learn the alternatives quickly enough you can use crossover to ease the transition.


    As the parent mentioned, moving to open standards far outweighs the drawbacks of application transition or lack of features. To clarify, if Germany ever went to war on the opposite side of America...what would stop one U.S. company from sending out a "patch" to shutdown their gov. agencies or exploit one of many 6 month old known security holes? Now I know there's no historical precedence at all for Germany to concern themselves about such scenarios, but it's these situations that governments plan for.


    Ineptness of standards committees:
    Open standards are so ubiquitous that you probably don't even notice how effective they've been. Examples range from MIDI, to automobile design, to a standard measurement for nuts and bolts.

  9. Re:Nice plug? by moongha · · Score: 3, Funny

    You don't appear to understand the difference between 'good' and 'popular'.

    I'd hate to see your mp3 collection.

  10. Microsoft's annual Can-Win event by DrJimbo · · Score: 2, Funny
    IMO it is appropriate for Balmer to discuss Munich's decision at Microsoft's annual "Can-Win" event since Munich has decided to can** Windows.

    ** as in "toss into the trash can".

    --
    We don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are.
    -- Anais Nin
  11. Re:Getting a bit offtopic, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    > I live in the UK. Find me a good laptop to buy for my university course next year without Windows XP in some flavour preinstalled.

    http://www.apple.com/ibook