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Novell Swings Back at Ballmer
Jeff.Ingalls writes "Novell Inc has issued a response to Microsoft Corp CEO Steve Ballmer's recent anti-Linux memo, using the same reports cited by Ballmer in defense of the open source operating system."
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Why does Ballmer do this? Why does he make such idiotic, easy-to-refute statements? For example, from the article:
Ballmer noted: "Yankee's study concluded that, in large enterprises, a significant Linux deployment or total switch from Windows to Linux would be three to four times more expensive - and take three times as long to deploy - as an upgrade from one version of Windows to a newer release".
What he failed to point out, according to Novell, was Yankee's statement: "In summary, the Yankee Group's TCO survey found that Linux does offer compelling cost savings, economies of scale and technical advantages, as many a satisfied user will attest...
I can't believe that guy is a top executive of a major corporation. He makes Darl look like a business genius in comparison. He impresses me as some kind of jackass, who just HAPPENED to be in the right place at the right time, and is where he is DESPITE rather than BECAUSE of his business acumen.
It seems that you almost have to have your head up your ass as firmly as Ballmer or Darl to get anywhere in corporate america.
It's examples like this which prove to me that I will never be an executive of any company but my own. I am just too attracted to honesty and integrity.
Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
I'm in the process of getting rid of our Windows 2000/Exchange server and moving to use Groupwise running off Suse Linux. We're planning to have it all done by January of next year.
I'm excited and anxious to get this done, I'm looking forward to a lower TCO.
Brandon Petersen
Get Firefox!
Ballmer's conclusion that "It's pretty clear that the facts show that Windows provides a lower total cost of ownership than Linux; the number of security vulnerabilities is lower on Windows, and Windows' responsiveness on security is better than Linux; and Microsoft provides uncapped IP indemnification of their products, while no such comprehensive offering is available for Linux or open source."
I have no idea where he came up with those points. He has no problems blantently lieing to everyone I see. Ballmer for president '08?
Yes they do. Right now I'm a student in the Clark County School District and all our systems have Novell Clients. Their ZenWorks policy manager is just plain damned cool, and with user-extensible policies, you can login on a locked-down-to-nothing user account, then log back in with full admin without a hiccup.
Granted, trying to maintain functionality while avoiding spyware is hard... but we keep a balance. Novell's admin program (ConsoleOne) is a plugin-extensible java program that allows you full admin rights (if you're logged in as such, of course) from a nice, smooth interface, with templates, UImport, and a bunch of goodies.
We (in the LAN class) just set up a dummy server to hack around on. Any CNA/E/I's have any fun stuff to suggest?
Two years ago, we trashed Outlook/Exchange for a Lotus email system, and today, we're still fighting our users who are still refusing to accept the system. They think that MS Exchange is king, and that it's the only system worthy of the name "email system". They have been dragged kicking and screaming away from MS brand of heroin and two years later are still having severe withdrawals. A significant number of our users have even deliberately done stuff to sabotage the sucessful migration away from Outlook/Exchange and no matter how hard management orders them to comply, they refuse. We can't fire them either, since we are a govt organization :-(.
Also just look at Microsoft's "strategy", it's merely prolonging the status-quo, they don't even try to sell Windows to for example the 80% of webmasters who don't run it. They know that every customer lost won't come back because in the long run Linux is a lot cheaper.
The history of Microsoft will be:
It will take some time, but Microsoft won't be able to stop Linux.
You can read the real thing here. With a little more digging, I found you can even get your own Novell T-shirt if you can find / post any unique anti-M$ FUD stuff on the Internet. (unique = not already posted by Novell or Microsoft).
Corporations are primarily political entities where people prefer to hide from problems than address them. How true that is! Here at Intel, I've been told "If you point out a problem, then you're the one that will be tasked with fixing the problem." Amazing how far a culture like that goes to inspire a "My, what fine new clothes you have, Emperor!" attitude in employees... is in any wonder that AMD and VIA are eating Intel's lunch in the marketplace?
When you want a computer system that works, just choose Linux. When you want a computer system that works, just, choose
This particular developer likes feeding himself and his fiancee, having a roof over his head, gas in his tank, etc.
Whether the programming job that provides all of that also provides freedom is a distant concern by comparison.
Hey, I think I remember you. You were the guy in Boston in 1772 who was saying that the King provided security and jobs. You said revolting for our freedom was too risky.
Or wait, maybe you were the guy in Wittenburg in 1517 who told Martin Luther that he should not oppose the catholic church because they were backed by divine law, and provided comfort and help, and would even take away all your sins, for a small fee.
Or maybe, just maybe, that was you last week in Ohio saying that you were going to vote for George Bush because at least you know what he stands for. Who knows what Kerry stands for.
There is no reason that a software economy built on freedom will take away your job, just like there was no reason that a free America meant a loss of strength, or a freedom from a corrupt church meant a loss of spirituality. (Not sure about the third one - we wont know what a freedom from GW will mean for a while.) Pretty soon free software will provide such a strong backbone upon which to build that it will be crazy to start from scratch with closed source. Just like previous transitions, some parts will be rough, but when we are through it, everyone will look back and wonder how anyone could have conceived of doing it any other way. At least you will understand.