Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Open Source Pioneer Munich Debates Report That Suggests Abandoning Linux for Windows 10 (techrepublic.com)

Posted by msmash on from the dilemma dept.

As an open-source software pioneer, Munich spent years moving away from Windows, but now politicians are debating a report that suggests the city could eventually abandon Linux. A report on TechRepublic adds: If the authority ruling Germany's third largest city backs proposals to make Windows 10 and Microsoft Office available across the council, it would be a significant step away from open-source software for an organization once seen as its champion. Over a nine-year period starting in 2004, the council moved about 15,000 staff from using Windows and Office to LiMux -- a custom version of the Ubuntu desktop OS -- and other open source software. At the time, Munich was one of the largest organizations to reject Windows, and Microsoft took the city's leaving so seriously that then CEO Steve Ballmer flew to Munich to meet the mayor. Now a report commissioned by current mayor Dieter Reiter to help determine the future of IT at the council has outlined a project to make Windows 10 and Microsoft Office available to all departments, and give staff the choice about whether to use Windows or LiMux.

7 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It's not surprising... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > Linux the cost of support is pretty high [...]

    I think there are other forces at work. From TFA

    "Accenture was chosen to co-author a report assessing the use of Microsoft software, [when] the consultancy runs a joint venture with Microsoft called Avanade, which helps businesses implement Microsoft technologies"

    Hmmm. If I ask my butcher, he'll say: "Meat is good for you, oh yeah. Eat more meat!"

  2. The grass is always greener by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This is like the time a coworker's husband had a side business, and I was supporting his Mac for free. His buds were big PC fans, so every time he had a problem his buds would say it was because he was using a Mac (with Quicken) Finally, after he started bitching at me because I sent him down the wrong path, I told him he should get a PC. Another guy at work bought his Mac off him, and he bought one of those better PC's. In the end, he had more problems, and didn't get the free tech support from me any more. His computer buds didn't supply it either.

    Listen up people. No matter what platform or OS you use, there is going to be someone who tells you you were making a mistake. That's just life. And if these folks in Germany think Linux is bad, they should just switch over to W10.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  3. Re:It's not surprising... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What you do when people pester you with unreadable proprietary documents? You tell them to fuck off, until they have learned to install another program which is free, and produce a readable document with it.

    This is not some two bit company struggling to make ends meet, if you want to tell them something in a document, you make sure they can read it. You do NOT get to dictate what software they should or shouldn't use.

  4. Re:It's not surprising... by war4peace · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What you do when people pester you with unreadable proprietary documents? You tell them to fuck off, until they have learned to install another program which is free, and produce a readable document with it.

    And this attitude is exactly why Desktop Linux hovers at around 2% or wherever it is today.
    Being smarter than your customer is one thing, shoving that in their face with a smug, asshole attitude is a totally different thing.

    Forcing everyone else to adapt to your tiny little world will end up with you being alone and ignored in your tiny little world.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  5. Re:TRANSLATION.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I still haven't got any training for using the ribbon. I still quite often hear people swear with passion when using MS Office. I'm not saying that LibreOffice is better, but somehow training is not needed when MS changes an interface but it becomes an issue if the software is not made by MS. Why is that?

  6. Microsoft Germany Headquarters by gmf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that Microsoft just moved its German Headquarters with about 2000 employees from Unterschleißheim (near Munich) to Schwabing (in Munich), and is now presumably a major tax payer in the city.

  7. Re:I can see why by Tough+Love · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I haven't touched MS Office in many years. I rely on LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) for my office-type needs. It does all the spreadsheeting and document preparation I need, way more than I need, actually. I get free lifetime updates. When I need to communicate with inmates on the Microsoft prison island, PDF works fine. When I need to collaborate on documents, Googledocs. Whatever. Microsoft is just irrelevant these days, some folks haven't gotten the memo yet.

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.