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Penguin Not Taking Flight Down Under

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the flightless-birds dept.

Bill Bennett writes "New Zealand Reseller News reports that Linux adoption down under is three times lower than North America. From the article: 'Adoption of open source software is slow in the Australasian region according to a report from analyst firm Forrester. Only 18% of the businesses in Australia and New Zealand surveyed for the report were using Linux, while 11% were considering its use. Analyst Sam Higgins says the low rate - three times lower than North America - is because open source is caught between two worlds. He says customers have been conditioned to buy software from vendors and their approved partners.'"

16 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. Sheep by geekd · · Score: 5, Funny

    He says customers have been conditioned to buy software from vendors and their approved partners.

    Who would have thought there'd be sheep in New Zealand?

    Seriously, if they want to waste their money, I guess it's good for me. Less competition.

  2. The title.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    Penguin Not Taking Flight Down Under

    Sounds like my dick.

    :::Sorry, I almost spiiled my beer on keyboard..still laughting at title

    1. Re:The title.... by Belseth · · Score: 4, Funny
      Penguin Not Taking Flight Down Under Sounds like my dick.

      They have pills for that now.

  3. Flightless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    According to wikipedia it seems that this isn't exactly a recent problem, penguins have been flightless for over 40 million years...

  4. Choice... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Surly when people have the choice, they make the correct decision, right?

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  5. Re:It's called critical mass by Eightyford · · Score: 3, Funny

    f you take two separate monkey clans and observe their behavior, you will find that once a certain number of one clan starts doing something specific (like washing food in a stream before consumption), that the second group, without any contact with the first group will also start doing the same thing automatically. It is called critical mass, and it explains why it takes a long time for something to initially occur, but once a certain number of monkeys start doing it that it automatically spreads to other unrelated monkey clans (of the same species).

    Interesting, but obviously impossible.

    --
    Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
  6. Re:bad survey? by techno-vampire · · Score: 3, Funny
    The wonder of Standard Deviations and Representative samples!

    But what happens if you the standard deviations don't float your boat? What happens if you only like non-standard deviations?

    --
    Good, inexpensive web hosting
  7. Former Penal Colony by EnsilZah · · Score: 2, Funny

    They're a bunch of criminals down there, they probably just use pirated copies of Windows and other copyrighted material.

    Now excuse me while i go watch my newly downloaded Stargate Atlantis episode.

    1. Re:Former Penal Colony by Frogbert · · Score: 2, Funny

      As an Australian I am shocked! Until this day I had never, ever, heard this "joke" before. Ever. Its like the most orignal thing I've seen this month.

    2. Re:Former Penal Colony by 1u3hr · · Score: 4, Funny
      And as a viewer of Family Guy,

      I think this quip goes back to at least Casablanca (1942). Almost as old as the original convict "joke".

      Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
      Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
  8. Poor Penguins... by uncamarty · · Score: 5, Funny
    The REAL reason that Linux hasn't 'taken flight' here in AU is good old Aussie logic.
    1. Penguins can't fly
    2. Penguins can sorta fly - if they're underwater
    3. Ordinary PCs have an inbuilt water incompatibility.
    4. Have you seen the size of the penguins here? They're tiny! How can they be expected to hold any decent processing power, the poor little things?
    5. The upgrade path is simply murder...


    --
    I am not a manual I am a human being! - The distress call of the TechSupport Badger
  9. Re:Monkey clans copying each other ? by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    If the monkey clans don't have any contact, how is it explained that the second group seems to be copying the first group ?

    Quantum flux deep juju.

    KFG

  10. Business plan for New Zealand by Advocadus+Diaboli · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its quite easy. Read the article and read especially the fact that people want to buy. So first step is stopping to offer downloads for free and offer Linux in a box.

    Next step is to look at whom you are targeting. The people in New Zealand have hardly ever seen a penguin in their life. So replace that Tux with a friendly looking Kiwi bird and you'll get much more attention from the people there.

    I guess those 2 small steps will double the impact of Linux in New Zealand.

  11. Re:2 main reasons. by dotgain · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's just the same here in New Zealand, only our chicks are much hotter.

  12. Re:It's called critical mass by 1u3hr · · Score: 2, Funny
    Interesting, but obviously impossible.

    Atheist. Obviously it's yet another proof of Intelligent Design.

  13. Re:2 main reasons. by hopethisnickisnottak · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's just the same here in New Zealand, only our chicks are much hotter.

    Could you give us some examples so that we may judge for yourself?
    Oh, before I forget, I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter!

    --
    -Shaunak