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Dan Gillmor Reconsiders Linux on the Desktop

Cyrus writes "Influential San Jose Mercury News tech columnist Dan Gillmore has reconsidered his stance against Linux. He now says it's rapidly converging to a viable desktop OS for the masses. "While I wasn't paying sufficient attention, the proverbial tortoise has been playing some serious catch-up.""

4 of 487 comments (clear)

  1. Let's talk about that tortoise analogy for a sec. by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Funny

    The article likens Linux to the proverbial tortoise, and that gets me to thinking that we should update the famous Aesop fable of the tortoise and the hare to reflect today's reality.

    How about this...

    Just as the tortoise has crossed the finish line, the hare, waking up and realizing he's lost the race as a result of his own indolence and brash overconfidence, files suit against the tortoise for infringing on his intellectual property, foremost of which is the hare's exclusive rights to using one's legs for forward movement.

    The tortoise, facing mounting legal bills and declining support from the other animals, nearly all of whom think the hare's claims are overly broad and invalid but are afraid of being similarly targeted by the hare's legal campaign for the use of their own legs, is forced to settle out of court, concede defeat in the race, and to pay a nominal licensing fee to continue using his own legs.

    The hare, and his lawyers, win the race after all.

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  2. Re:I don't know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you mean to suggest that Dan Gillmor is belatedly stating the obvious merely to retain a shred of respectability? No say it isn't so.

  3. Re:Easy is what people want by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 4, Funny
    Easy is what people want ... Recompiling the kernal is not

    Yeah. Recompiling the kernel should be easy, just like it is in Windows.
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  4. WARNING by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your computer is broadcasting an IP address. This allows...