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Kill Bill, IBM vs Microsoft
theodp writes "Though IBM did not invent Linux, does not distribute it and earns nary a penny on it, the computer giant is spending billions in a crusade to make Linux the world's most popular operating system. All told, more than 12,000 IBMers today devote at least part of their time to Linux. To hear IBMers tell it, all this effort is a matter of giving more choices to customers tired of the Microsoft monopoly. But according to Forbes, IBM has a broader agenda--undermining Bill Gates' company in the battle for a new $21 billion market for Web-linked software."
That *WAS* true of IBM back in the late 80s, early 90s. Actually, the primary reason I was an MS fan was because they were going to take down IBM ... mission accomplished. However, MS then proceeded to over step it's boundaries by snuffing out competitors illegally. Admittedly, I played a bit roled in create the monster.
Now the tables have turned, IBM is looking to take down MS, thus correcting my blindness, and it's the primary reason I'm an IBM fan now. I don't know if IBM has *really* changed their ways but they walk the walk and talk the talk so I'll back them. That said, there's a big difference between IBM and MS, IBM was *NEVER* actually convicted of being a monopolist, the DOJ dropped the case in the 80s.
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Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
That used to be the case, but unfortunately the vole is getting a lot of ATM business with hardened variants of Windows (NT4 onwards I think). Although my idea of a hardened Windows is it switched off. I have seen BSOD's on several different major UK banks ATMs.
Brought to you via Pidgeon TCP
Pfft. The "Enterprise," "Advanced" and "Datacenter" flavors of Windows cost more than any Linux distro I know of.
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
"IBM's Linux pitch is either stupid or insincere. I think it's a little bit of both. It's not a sensible strategy for IBM in the long run," Zachmann says."
I am not so sure about that. In 2001 Thomas Schenk's article compared Linux with AIX and found it wanting in terms of enterprise support. Clearly Linux has come a long way since then.
In 2003, Steve Mills, senior vice president of IBM's Software Group said Linux is the logical successor to AIX
For the customers, it sure would be nice not to have to pay AIX licensing fees.
Have you Meta Moderated t
No. He means "free peanuts in a bar": a free product used to lure people into buying the expensive stuff (beer, or in IBM's case, hardware).
Oh, and tone down the damn caps already It's so 80s.
You can only drink 30 or 40 glasses of beer a day, no matter how rich you are.
-- Colonel Adolphus Busch
Technically, you're still right. MS-DOS is the leading OS shipped on Point of Sale terminals.
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E_NOSIG
You can use swfextract from swftools to extract the audio track from a flash file.
They gave the PC to anyone who wanted to clone it.
IIRC, they wanted the basic components of the PC to be mass produced by anyone and therefore dirt cheap, but wanted to retain control of the architecture through the copyright they held on the BIOS.
Worked well until Compaq reverse engineered a legitimate version of the BIOS, and others like Phoenix followed.
(ps. A quick Google to check my memory reveals that a company called Columbia Data Products produced a clean room version of the BIOS shortly before Compaq in '82).
Information wants to be beer.
slight nitpick...windows 3.1 had no native TCP/IP stack...therefore everyone used the cute little hack known as trumpet winsock.
Linux on the Apples is highly overrated. It's not NEARLY as good as Linux on x86 for a number of reasons -- more hardware choice on x86 being one of them. I have the misfortune of having an Airport Extreme Base Station -- there is NO WAY IN HELL I'll get it running with Linux. I can't even get my Win2000 box on it, and that's plugging directly into the ethernet port! So now running linux will cost me to get a new router, and I haven't even gotten my laptop running yet.
There are more people working on x86, so it's generally better supported. My PowerBook doesn't have any sleep mode under linux, the AirPort doesn't work, the backlit keyboard I paid extra for doesn't work, and many apps have to be recompiled under PPC with fixes made to the code beforehand.
All in all, if you buy a Mac, you WILL end up using it ONLY for OS X. The barriers to Linux on that platform are too great for 99/100 users. And you are one of them. Trust me.
If you want to run Linux, or are considering running linux, do NOT buy a Mac. I've been there, done that, and it's a royal pain in the ass for the quality of the results. Nice computers overall, but designed for OS X, and very unfriendly to anything but.
I've already decided; my next computer will be an IBM ThinkPad running Debian. Doc Searls has mentioned a rumor about IBM releasing Linux-only ThinkPads which have the G5 as their processor. If this arrives, I'm selling my PowerBook and all associated accessories PDQ.
I'm not normally an irrational zealous dickhead, but I figure "When in Rome..."
Did you miss the little bit under the animations??
Both Flash and Real are available for Linux, if you don't want to use them, don't complain because the option is there
*Linux versions of these players are available. Get the free Linux plug-ins for Macromedia Flash and RealPlayer.
"Some things have to be believed to be seen." - Ralph Hodgson