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Windows Cheaper to Patch Than Open Source?

Posted by Zonk on from the fud-for-breakfast dept.

daria42 writes "Is Windows cheaper to patch than open source software? Of course this Microsoft-commissioned report thinks so - but a number of people disagree, including a key Novell Asia-Pac exec, Paul Kangro. Kangro highlights problems with the report including the fact that it refers to problems faced by administrators before 2003: before significant improvements were made to Linux patching tools. 'We didn't have tools like Xen for Linux then,' says Kangro. 'When I patch my Linux box I don't need to bring it up and down any number of times.' Kangro also points out the report doesn't mention costs associated with rebooting systems after a patch is applied."

5 of 473 comments (clear)

  1. yawn whats new by EEproms_Galore · · Score: 5, Funny

    Every time I read about another "paid by Billy G" report it always reminds me of the joke.. How many Microsoft engineers does it take to change a lightbulb. None Microsoft defines darkness as the new standard..

    1. Re:yawn whats new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or the other jokoe:

      Q: How many Linux engineers does it take the change the lightbuld?

      A: RTFM, n00b. J00 suz0r, go back to M$ Winblows, l4m3r.

    2. Re:yawn whats new by Intron · · Score: 5, Funny

      Q. how many Apple engineers does it take:

      A: We don't use light bulbs any more. We have high brightness iLED displays for only $599.

      --
      Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
    3. Re:yawn whats new by yasth · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or the other other one:

      Q: How many *BSD engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?

      A: One could probably do it, if only there were any left.

      --
      I'd do something interesting, but my server can't handle a slashdotting.
  2. Re:apt vs windows update by I+confirm+I'm+not+a · · Score: 5, Funny

    Conversely, windows update only updates windows (not my other apps), and takes at least 15 minutes every time i run it.

    Windows Update worked its magic on my workstation yesterday; I was busy and didn't reboot afterwards. For the rest of the morning (until I caved and rebooted the bloody thing) Windows Update popped-up an annoying dialog box every ten? fifteen? minutes inviting me to restart the PC. Needless to say, everytime the diaplog appeared it was when I was typing, and half a line of code got piped to Window's equivalent of /dev/null.

    I think we should *thank* Microsoft for promoting Linux ;-)

    --
    This is where the serious fun begins.