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Stopping Linux Desktop Adoption Sabotage

Mark Brunelli, News Editor writes "Outspoken IT consultant John H. Terpstra believes that Microsoft and electronics manufacturers are working together to hinder the adoption of Linux on the desktop. In a three part series, he tells a story about how two guys trying to buy Linux desktops found they were overpriced, and lacked certain tools. He then describes how Microsoft uses its considerable resources and the law to create such roadblocks. (Part 2, Part 3)"

4 of 616 comments (clear)

  1. Holy shit! by Karma_fucker_sucker · · Score: 0, Troll
    All those guys wearing those tin-foil hats were right!

    Fuck, I'm not using phones, internet, or think bad thoughts anymore! They are out to get us!

    --
    Evil people don't think they're evil. - George Lucas, Making of Ep III
  2. Re:Why do we still post this garbage? by shmlco · · Score: 0, Troll
    Probably because said retailer can count with the fingers of his left foot the number of commercial shrink wrapped software packages available to sell with it.

    Customer: A Linux box? I've heard of those. And a $200 cheaper? Cool. Oh, I use MS Office at work, let's add that too.

    Salesman: Well, MS doesn't make Office for it, but there's a...

    Customer: No Office? Huh. I take pictures, how about Photoshop? Can I get that?

    Salesman: No, but there's this thing you can download called...

    Customer: How about Quicken?

    Salesman: No.

    Customer: No productivity software? Okay... How about games? I really like Half Life.

    Salesman: Not available. But some people can get...

    Customer: No games?

    Salesman, resigned: No.

    Customer: Well! I can see why it's so cheap. It doesn't run any of my programs!

    --
    Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
  3. Re:Complaints by Ucklak · · Score: 0, Troll

    My biggest complaint is the lack of official 3rd party multimedia support.
    I understand why there is no Windows Media Player for Linux and all WMP does for Mac is play files. It isn't the same as it is on Windows.
    Quicktime for Windows is almost identical if not completely as it is on the Mac. That shows me that Apple's programmers are much better than those from the Microsoft campus. (comment not intended as troll material)
    Real at least gives us a supported player but I really haven't tried the latest version and I'm pretty sure that it will only play Real files unlike the other OS's where the Real player will play AVI's and MPG's, etc...

    If Real would play MP3's, AVI's, MPG, etc..., I would happily support Real and forgive their PC Hijackings of years past.

    --
    if you steal from one source, that is plagiarism, if you steal from many, well, that's just research.
  4. Why do people still think Linux is cheaper ??? by MerlynEmrys67 · · Score: 1, Troll
    Look at the price of Windows 2K3 vs RHEL 4.0. Oh wait - desktop. Find me a SUPPORTED desktop Linux (and I don't mean comp.linux support either) and see what the support costs you.

    The reason that Linux costs more in retail is that it is significantly harder to support by the manufacturer. At a minimum they have to write custommer support scripts for a small portion of their custommers that want Linux. Then they have to train at least some of their agents.

    Now you get into the problem with Linux, I call in and say it doesn't work - well, are you running our stock, boring kernel ? Well of course not... Please reinstall 2.4.22.xyz - why should I do that, it doesn't support what I need... Thank you very much, please call back after your installation.

    Linux is almost impossible to support at the desktop - it is way to customizable for that.

    --
    I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them