Increased Linux Use With SCO's Defeat Predicted

twitter writes "The defeat of SCO's infamous copyright attack has Forbes wondering if a GNU/Linux boom is upon us. They discuss how this will benefit Novel, IBM, Chrysler, AutoZone and Red Hat. 'The SCO Group frightened potential business users away from Linux with lawsuits demanding billions in royalties. But the litigious company's claims were shot down in a ruling that will likely boost uptake of the operating system.'"

Comments

Re:lol

[Shano]

Ooh, I remember the year of the Linux desktop.

In fact, I seem to remember about 10 years of the Linux desktop, and not seeing a lot of Linux desktops.

Re:Reports of a Linux Boom

[east coast]

and what software for K-12 is not supported on Linux?

No, what I mean by this is that getting kids into Linux isn't nearly as important for Linux as what some good old software support from major vendors would be.

BTW, Apple did a pretty good job getting school kids familiar with its product. What happened was about a billion dollars in Microsoft marketing of FUD that Apple Mac was dead because Windows 95 made it obsolete. I was there and I had school teachers asking me about Windows PC's "because Apple was going out of business". There were no exploding Macs or anything like it, just millions and millions of Microsofts money going out to the press to spread the FUD. Apple survived by the skin of their teeth and even had to take money from Microsoft and agree to drop Netscape for a Mac version of MS Internet Explorer.

So MS putting Windows in the schools and putting money into advertising their product now counts as FUD? Apple was going down like the Titanic. I was there too and a bit older then you to know the business side of it all. Windows was the smart choice for school since school are about training kids, not bringing in one's own compu-political agenda. You don't train jet mechanics on old prop planes. If my kid were going to a school where Linux was being favored over Windows for the training of students then the ones at the top would have to make a really seriously good argument for me not to yank my kid from their classes.

Linux and OSS are a perfect match for K-12. It's inexpensive, completely open for their learning experiences if that is what they want to do, it works. At least here in the US, school systems are constantly fighting for their budgets and floundering with expensive support of Microsoft Windows software and their hardware requirements.

What difference does it make if it's open to K-12? Kids coding, if they even have a class that involves coding, aren't going to be able to do jack with a large open source project like Linux. Hell, I've seen whats been offered to most freshmen and sophomores at the state colleges and even then access to large OSS projects mean nothing to the coding neophyte. And any other open source argument involving Linux dies right there. There is OSS for Windows and Mac. Don't act like Linux and OSS are mutually exclusive.

Also, rarely do schools budgeting problems center around MS fees. If you're really that concerned have the schools cut the serious budget fat and don't skirt the subject with them. Turning away from high end corruption (and that's what it is) in schools by cutting funding for real educational materials is an atrocity in itself. Microsoft or not, your kids shouldn't have to suffer with their education because someone is using school funds for what are essentially private little projects, in most cases.

No change is expected.

[twitter]

... it would also be confirmation to Microsoft that it's attacks are working, and thus encouragement to continue.

Failures have not been a deterrent to them either. Nothing will work for them but product, which they can't deliver. I expect M$ to squander every penny of their ill gotten money on more of the same kinds of FUD and ill advised products. The root problem is that global, non free domination was always an evil pipe dream. Sooner or later, they will pay for the damage they do.

seeing a usually pro-MS business publication being bullish on Linux really is something to celebrate.

Indeed. Now, if they can only understand how the whole thing depends on freedom.

Business Use.

[twitter]

So this is what was keeping Linux market share from increasing? [sarcasm, FUD and bullshit follow]

Forbes thinks that multi billion dollar litigation faced by Chrysler and others made others shy about using gnu/linux. Legal extortion was a real cost for them and could be for other big companies who continue to "partner" with M$ and use their garbage on desktops.

M$ patent threats are much the same. While equally empty, the threat of court costs is real. Hopefully, the courts will take notice and save everyone time and trouble by rejecting the next round.

Sooner or later, M$ will be held accountable for these actions. Chrysler and friends should launch a class action lawsuit to cover the cost of the trial. They could use the fines to finish up their gnu/linux conversions and then put money into what they are supposed to be doing. M$ has lots of ill gotten cash from this and is a fitting target.