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Open Source Pioneer Munich Debates Report That Suggests Abandoning Linux for Windows 10 (techrepublic.com)
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.
In an enterprise there are two big costs... licensing, and support.
Linux the cost of support is pretty high -- for models like Red Hat the cost often is higher than Windows because you don't get as high a per-seat discount. Then there are the other ancillary costs like productivity, accessibility, data governance, etc... which are harder to materialize but also make an impact.
Ultimately most organizations use Windows because it meets the needs for those things that are ancillary while also staying competitive with the two larger costs of support and licensing.
This isn't a religious conversation much as Slashdot would like it to be; I am a big fan of the best tool for the job and on the desktop sad to say, Linux still doesn't do the job. Server side the uptick is huge, which is also why Microsoft products like SQL Server or .NET Core can literally run on Linux, and are supported in Docker. Microsoft saw the light because being agnostic is financially rewarding, and lock-in doesn't work. But the desktop? Still the realm of Windows.
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
Linux in its heart is a Server OS. Its desktop/workstation features are almost a hack onto the systems to make useful.
Now I have the same feelings about Windows Server. Windows is a Desktop OS, and Windows Server is a hack to make it more server feature friendly.
Now for folks like me Linux for the Desktop is great, which is why I use it at home over Windows... But for the general public. Trying to get beyond normal features you come across these minor differences and compatibility issues which for us is an easy workaround. But for someone who isn't so savvy it is a big deal. And a lot of effort goes into training, and fixing the issue.
I tried a while back to give my Parents Linux as their default laptop. All fine and good until I get a call saying why I can I run this game, or I am getting this error...
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
...the report was funded by Microsoft Europe.
Microsoft made them a deal they could not pass up. Betting it was gobs of free licenses for all microsoft products and possibly even hardware.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
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.
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.
The issue is not Linux or LibreOffice compatibility. It is that Microsoft intentionally keeps moving the goal. Microsoft's strategy is planned obsolescence to get you to buy the same product over and over again.
User #1: Sorry, I can't read this document. What is a .docx (.xml, .doc, .rtf, .wps) anyway?
User #2: Maybe it is because you are using an older version. Have you tried upgrading to Office 2016 (2012,2010,2007,2003,2000)?
User #1: Hey, thanks! I will plunk down another $395 for the new version of Office 2016 (2012,2010,2007,2003,2000).
Microsoft gives away MS Works. A Word clone that saves documents in wps format. Why would anyone create a free competitor to their flagship product? Office will convert the document to a format that Word can not open. This forces the Works user to upgrade.
Microsoft Office promotes ODF compatibility. Unfortunately, it converts all documents to version 1.0 format, making the document unusable by Libre Office, Google Docs, etc.
Microsoft also advertises .docx (.xlsx, .pptx) as Ecma standards, but there is no way to follow a standard which states, "do X like it was done in MS Office 2003".
The 98% who do not understand these facts and place the blame squarely at Microsoft's doorstep are sheeple.
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.
Dieter Reiter has attacked the Limux project from day one he was in office, starting to spread FUD like his inability to access his mobile mail was due to Limux flaws instead of workflow issues. His head of IT publicly denied Reiter's claims and refuted them. Mr. Reiter has "outed" himself as a Microsoft fan in the past (before he became mayor) and was personally involved in moving Microsoft Germany's headquarters from the Munich suburb to the city of Munich itself. So this is more of a personal/political issue. Munich's IT staff still thinks Limux is a good solution and luckily there is opposition to Reiters FUD in the town hall. Going back to Microsoft would be very costly but now that Microsoft has its HQ in Munich, I'm pretty sure the lobbying has taken up steam and there's going to be "deals benefiting both sides" here.