Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

ESR's Halloween XI -- Get the FUD

Posted by timothy on from the strange-arguments dept.

dave writes "In the newest Halloween Document (mirror), Eric Raymond analyzes Microsoft's 'Get The Facts' road show. The anti-Linux arguments they are using now -- and, even more, the arguments they're *not* using -- reveal how desperate Microsoft is getting. He explains why he thinks we need to focus more on government adoptions, and predicts serious ugliness during the next year."

2 of 771 comments (clear)

  1. M$ vs. Linux "Roadshow" by BigBadBus · · Score: 5, Informative
    A friend at work attended one of these Linux vs. M$ roadshows in the UK a few weeks back. These are the basic points:

    The basic messages about selecting MS/Linux for a system are governed by the following:
    - Don't change for the sake of it
    - Take into account what your people know (e.g. Linux possibly better if you have lots of Unix people)
    - Much of the cost saving of Linux over Unix comes from hardware - i.e. using Intel over mainframe/AIX/zSeries etc.
    - OS/Platform is just a tool - choose the right one for the job
    - MS/Linux TCO's are nearly always within 10% for most projects by the time all costs are accounted for (this was from an independent solutions provider)
    - Don't just focus on TCO - look at ROI (return on investment)
    - MS is pretty well zero-development (no code or scripting)
    - The People and Processes are more important than the technical solution
    - Check licensing model of any platform (will any Linux development become your IP, or will it be open)
    - Linux still does not have a really good desktop and the office suites available are still lagging
    - security issues such as virus updates and patch management are more of an administration issue than a platform one
    - Easier porting J2EE->.Net than the other way round (i.e. MS ties you in worse!!!)

    --
    My web domain.
  2. Re:ESR, again. by RLiegh · · Score: 5, Informative
    Oh, good Lord, you are sniffing glue, right? Microsoft is alive and well., and the only vanilla box you can get for below $350 is a used piece of shit that has Windows ME installed. Get out of your basement, your parents need the space.

    Well, strictly looking for new and under $350, I found this at Walmart's site right off the bat. They also have a 2.4gzh one for $398.

    I'm sure I could have found even better deals, but I don't really have a lot of time to spend looking (and I'm happy getting a used box from retrobox).