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Berst Calls Linux a Bad Bet

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sounds-of-fud dept.

abcess writes "Here's a link to the story. link It seems to me like they're starting to try the same stuff they did when other OSes started challenging MS, saying good stuff about them, but then saying, 'but they really have no chance'. "

167 comments

  1. Typical ZDnet garbage. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This guy has about as much grasp (the ZDNET guy) on Linux as I have on rocket science. Blathering with buzzwords and no facts.

  2. FUD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is FUD. ZD will have some credibility on
    Linux when their PC Magazine does a cover story
    on "The Penguin Rising".
    -Richard Finney

  3. It is Berst, after all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is anyone really surprised?

  4. what a crock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this guy obviously does not know what he's talking about. he's got a bad toupee too. :)

  5. Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do you even post Berst stories? FUD can only be refuted by facts, not flaming. And unfortunately /. is dominated by the latter, not the former.

  6. Right On by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought this article made a lot of sense. The author is just saying, don't base your business decisions on your emotions about a particular OS. Look at the facts. Look at the history.

    At this point in time, Windows is still the dominant operating system. Sure, that may change some day in the future. But not today.

    (Now where did I put my nomex suit? ;) )

  7. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Internet sites are doing whatever they can to get the Linux hits these days (of course most Linuxites are 16-years old with absolutely no revenue and are the ad companies worst nightmares, but irregardless). Write an article calling Linux the next coming, you get the hits. Write an article calling Linux crap, you get the hits. The suckers line up to cater to their need for hits. It's quite amazing how simple the relationship is.

    I also find this "spread the cult" atmosphere absolutely brilliant from a humor perspective. PC Magazine doesn't write enough about Linux? Don't just go and buy a Linux magazine, write some lame complaint every two weeks to PC Magazine about how they should hype the OS that a ultra-minority of the home PC market uses. Get a life folks.

  8. Thats the problem with ZD... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not to rag on ZD or anything (ok I will), but it seems that all of ZD's "editors" are near absolute zero on the cluefull scale.

    Considering that he lumps Linux in with all the other proported "Microsoft Killers" he of course misses the whole Open Source concept...

  9. "hotmail" FUD spreader. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    On Microsoft's payroll?

  10. When will they learn? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The more you tell Linux users they won't succeed, the harder they'll fight to make sure they do.

  11. This is Jesse Berst we're talking about! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What did you expect? A clue? Facts? Reality? Despite the recent Linux coverage, ZDNet is still in bed with Microslop big time.

    At least he doesn't write his column like Dvorak who has this irritating habit of empahsising words seemingly at random. I hate guys who do that! ;-)

  12. Betting on the underdog... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Betting on the underdog may be dangerous but there comes a time when the current top dog is old and gray and ready to be put out to pasture. When that time comes, no one in their right mind would bet on him either.

    Linux is an OS unique in the history of PC computing. It avoids the proprietary sandpits that Apple and IBM fell in to. It does not have to remain compatable with any horribly misdesigned previous versions. It gives the power, flexibility and stability of UNIX without the ludicrously high price charged by previous PC Unix vendors. Its openness is a strength, not a weakness. And it is obvious to anyone with half a brain that Linux is the rising star here. We'll see who the almost-ran is in a year or two; I'm betting Linux will be in the Winner's circle.

  13. Boy are you far off. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seen the Linux developers/users survey conducted not more than two months ago?
    Most Linux users fall into two classes:
    18-24, and 35+. Of the Linux kernel contributors, there is an exceptionally high number of professionals, researchers, PhD holders, and other admirable traits.
    Seen the latest estimates of the Linux user base? 12-15 million.
    Interesting once you consider that there are what, 265 million people in the States? If the survey included only US users (which I think it did), that would be almost 6% of the population.
    Considering that just over 50% of the US population has a computer in their house, this is a fairly good number.

  14. Ultra-minority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pure numbers mean nothing. That "ultra-minority" is the technical elite (not in a snobbish way). If PC magazine is unpopular with the geeks, it will soon fail.

  15. oh-ho-ho by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    not even having read the article, i can only imagine what slashdotters are going to do to him.

    off to see it for myself.

  16. Who cares about market share and OS wars? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I certainly don't. I began using Linux three years ago, no one could even imagine it would become so popular, and my reason certainly wasn't trying to win some lame war. I chose Linux because it was the best choice back then, and it still is. If Microsoft likes it or not, if it's popular or not, I don't care. It works great for me. People should stop worring about "market leaders" and choose what they need. So what iMacs are popular? They are crappy computers, I don't have to buy one because so many people did.

  17. posts about Berst articles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hey!!!

    Berst writes another article. It is reported on Slashdot! Every time!!!? same story as last time. Boring stuff, boring Slashdot post, boring subject, Berst must be bored, are you?

  18. Berst has no credibility anyway. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do we even bother posting articles by this Berst character? It amazes me that he has any credibility in technical circles at all. LWN.net has a hilarious series of Berst quotes on their 1998 Year in Review. Berst goes from saying that Linux has zero chance, to saying it has a minor chance as a niche player, to admitting that Linux could become a "serious challenger to Windows NT", all within the space of eight months.

    What can you say? He's a tech columnist, for ZDNet no less (i.e. Microsoft's little bitch, if I may use the vernacular). Tech columnists can't be expected to have a clue, or the foresight of a gnat.

    Programmers, who work in a profession where always looking ahead and learning the new skills that will be hot a year or five down the road is a necessity, shouldn't even bother reading the trash.

    IT managers, on the other hand, read the stuff because they need confirmation that the conventional corporate wisdom of the moment is correct. Tech columnists at outfits like ZDNet are paid to write soothing and comforting messages for managers-- they are in the business of therapy, not journalism.

    ~k.lee

  19. Premises right, conclusion right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    True, it does make sense to evaluate other technology factors before making a decision. But I can point to countless examples where superior technology has died a horrible death in the marketplace: Next, Amiga, ...

    How many people do you still see writing software for these platforms? Not many.

  20. Refuting the points by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I haven't seen anyone in this discussion refute the points made in the article, so here goes:

    An industry consortium was going to make Unix the next major force on the desktop; instead, it fragmented into warring factions
    Linux is one kernel, even though there are many different ways to obtain it. Linux has always been one kernel and will probably be one kernel for a long time to come. Not like Win3.1, Win95, Win98, WinNT4, Win2K, etc...

    The Mac was going to supplant DOS and Windows; it ended up in a proprietary backwater
    Linux is anything but proprietary.

    OS/2 was going to be a better Windows than Windows; it, too, faded away
    This argument really doesn't say anything. It implies that a better product came along and didn't dethrone Windows. There were other factors to OS/2's failure.

    Java was going to render Windows irrelevant; in case you haven't noticed, Microsoft continues to register record quarterly profits
    This is also a pretty nonsensical argument. Just because Microsoft is still making money doesn't mean Java is a failure. Java is still gaining ground everyday, just like Linux.

    Any key arguments I missed?

  21. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Alrighty cowboy. Nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing a self-nominated "grammar cop" setting things straight for us. I suppose alright should be "all right"?

    Get a life you loser. Obviously you have nothing worthwhile to say, hence your disposition to attempt to "correct" (which is questionable, btw...oh, sorry: By the way) casual writing. Go smell check shit in the local sewer.

  22. Stating the obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    His article is reasoned, but he reinforced the "You can't go wrong buying Microsoft" mentality that serves to maintain the status quo. If everyone started buying Linux over MS, Linux would get the apps, and become the safe choice.

    Plus which is the bigger gamble:

    Mail Server:
    Several PC's $10,000
    NT licenses $$$$$$
    MS Exchange
    + Licenses $$$$$$

    or

    Several PCs $10,000
    Linx license $0
    Sendmail +IMAP
    or POP3 license $0

    In the both cases, you spend money for hardware and the labor to set it up and install clients on PCs.

    In the Linux case that's all you spend. If it doesn't work adequatly, you can use the same hardware for NT and Exchange or Notes servers. On the other hand, if Exchage fails, you've lost your investment.

  23. Don't bet on a underdog: irony? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    It is somewhat ironical that the author wisely advises "don't bet on an underdog", since the richest man in the known Universe is precisely the one who did/was that, precisely with the products that the author is somehow defending.

    And he is well aware of that since in his previous article he wisely explains us that some time ago it was safe to bet on IBM (nobody got fired for choosing IBM), but nowadays Microsoft has taken IBM place.

  24. Splintered Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could it happen? Well, yes. Anything can happen. I could get hit by lightning on a clear day.
    Personally, I think the various distribution groups will gather around the Linux Standard Base. (See http://www.calderasystems.com/news/features/990226 .LSB.html) One of the advantages of Linux is that it is not forked. Hopefully, the GPL will keep it that way.
    If some business does attempt to fork the kernel, I'm sure the community will respond with 'extreme prejudice' to that organization. I have no doubt that we could find a shyster to sue the company for the source code and the cost of the lawsuit. :-)

    Well, that's my US$0.02.
    "Just when I think you've said the stupid thing ever, you keep talking."

  25. 16-years old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I never meet a single one, and I know a lot of Linux users.

  26. No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I reached the same conclusion, so I went for #1, MS Killer.

  27. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ..but irregardless

    Well, I read enough.

  28. Read the Article before forming an opinion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seeing it was a ZD column by Berst I went in expecting a bunch of BS. But, I read it, and as someone that has been a rabid Linux fanatic for over seven years now, I've got to admit that it makes a lot of sense. Caution is advised. People are always choosing the easiest alternative, not the best. That is what has gotten Microsoft where they are today.

  29. Berst sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and Bill loves him

  30. Re: Berst... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Watch ZDnet get slashdotted. On hits, this article was an outstanding success. Suckers.

    If it was actually his goal, he may be winning on the short term only, since people paying him will quickly notice the trick, and come to the conclusion that articles with actual content written by people with actual knowledge of Linux could generate even more hits. Of course the articles may be purposedly inflammatory (like "Why Linux sucks part 7: loss of performance induced by packet copying in skbuff in network layers of Linux compared to NT (includes Clear Explanations for Dummies)").

  31. No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like this article for a slightly different reason. It keeps the non-techs away from Linux for just a little while longer. Linux is almost there but I still wouldn't just hand a copy of RH5.2 (or whatever you prefer) to my dad and expect him to like it or to even find it useful. He's been a mac user since that was something cool to be and Linux is not ready for that type of user yet. The next round of distro revisions might change this but I'm betting it's about another year before I show up at the door with a CD and say "hey, you might as well try it. It's free."

  32. Linux is so easy ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... even a 16 year old can install it.

  33. There are three types of lies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (see subject)

  34. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh....

    That made sense.

  35. 16-year-olds - The Future by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm 41 and own a consulting company. Only a handful of my contemporaries use Linux. Let's not forget that the 16-year-olds of today will be the business owners and department heads of tomorrow. It will take time, but this will make a difference.

  36. Premises right, conclusion wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unfortunately, there is some rational
    justification to bying what everyone
    else uses. What everyone uses is most
    likely to have most applications
    developed for, most hardware vendors
    support, etc.
    It's what was called Net effect in the
    MS anti-trust trial.

  37. From the Original Author of this thread by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Note that I never said that Windows was technically superior; neither did I mean to imply it. In fact, I admit that Linux is superior technically in many ways to Windows. But as pointed out by me and others, technical superiority is no guarantee of long-term success. The Mac had several years head-start on Windows in GUIs. The Amiga was awesome, and I only wish I had the pleasure of using a Next machine. But Windows has surpassed them all in terms of marketplace acceptance.

    Berst's point is that you evaluate Linux carefully first and figure out what it is good for and whether it makes sense to use it for what you want to do. It may make sense to use Linux in some situations, but a mistake to use it in others. It is not a panacea or holy grail of computing. It's another operating system, a tool just like many that have come before it and many that will follow. Best you learn what each tool is for and how to use it. Don't use a screwdriver to hammer nails, just because you like the color of the screwdriver.

    I'll leave it up to you to decide which OS is the hammer and which the screwdriver ;).

  38. Typical ZDnet garbage. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well one thing we should all consider is that in his photo, the writer is wearing a suit, and that should carry some wieght :) Thats just about the only thing he has going for him though.

  39. The bandwagon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Berst:
    Finally, many of these corporate announcements are just PR, not true commitments.
    Companies that don't want to miss the Linux bandwagon, just in case.

    I think he is right. They want to milk as much as they can of OSS before the "Next Big Thing" pops up. They all want to sing the
    we-support-Linux song. If they find out there is no money in it, they'll be gone tomorrow. Not a big loss I'd say.

  40. Poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ( ) Destined to be a Microsoft killer
    ( ) Small chink in Microsoft's armor
    ( ) Plaything for techies
    ( ) Better OS/2 than OS/2
    ( ) Not sure
    (x) Berst Sucks/This Poll Sucks/ZDNet Sucks/First Post!

  41. A nice point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Aside from the fact that this is typical garbage FUD (There, I said it) I disregard this article solely based on the first paragraph.

    Yes, apple, os/2, unix, and others all claimed to be the new up-and-comer and were going to challenge microsoft. Well.. Let's have a slightly closer look.

    Apple: Apple has done good things... innovative, brilliant at times (lots of times). They just couldn't stand up to microsoft's gestapo marketing tactics. BTW.. apple was around long before MS was the monopoly it is today.

    OS/2... Well.. it was around long before win95, recall, and even MS was originall promoting it as the new up-and-comer.. so when they dropped it, naturally half the support was gone. Again, os/2 was far superior in every aspect than Windows... had IBM marketed it a bit different, we might allbe using it now.

    Java? Again, the people who said java was going to take over the world were from SUN. Java is cool, java is neat, and java just isn't working out yet.

    Unixes? Unix is still incredibly strong where it is still used... and in most cases was only replaced because of prohibitively high pricing, and yes, the fragmentation in the unix market really hurt all the unix vendors IMHO.
    To me it looks like linux is becoming what unix was supposed to be.. a common multiplatform OS.

    Now.. Linux.
    Simply, Linux never set out to beat microsoft, that isn't it's purpose, that's not what it's all about. It has gained the so-called 'market share' that it has now because people chose to use it because it works better, faster, cheaper, and more reliably than the other options. If MS suddenly makes windows the best product on earth, the linux crowd won't care...

    To quote myself:
    The WORLD is creating linux out of it's own need.

    Windows is a 'productivity environment' for office work.
    Linux is a computing architecture.

  42. Slashdot worse than Jesse Berst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did any of you clowns read the article? NOWHERE DOES HE SAY LINUX IS A BAD BET. Slashdot posts more Fscked Up Disinformation than any commercial website. Hey, Slashdot, isn't it true you're running this place as a business and getting revenue from ads? THEN RUN IT LIKE A BUSINESS! Check your bloody sources before posting trash.

  43. Quickpoll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Too bad his "Quickpoll" doesn't have a "Jesse Berst is a moron" button. Everytime I read one of his opinions, I'm amazed at how wrong he is. You could probably make a career betting against Berst, and do quite well at it.

  44. Typical ZDnet garbage. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Aren't they owned by MickeySoft? or something like that. His advice is cowardly. Don't bet your shirt on this. Be MickeySoft's victim, its easier that way. What a wimp! If people didn't risk their shirt on good technology then Silicon Valley wouldn't exist.

  45. FUD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ahh FUD, where have you been? It's been so long...

  46. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why are you still reading this thread? yeah, YOU.


    samedi@disinfo.spamsucks.net

  47. Berst admits Linux is a great choice! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are we even reading the same article, folks? Read his conclusion in the last paragraph. Here, I'll even include it for you if you're too lazy to actually read and comprehend before posting.

    "Linux is a great choice for certain situations. Use it instead of NT where it makes sense. But when you go down the Linux road, make sure it is a business choice, not an emotional one."

    Now tell me, which of you could possibly disagree with this?

  48. Credit... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How come when I said this guy was full of it 6 months ago, I got my ass flamed??

    Anyway, you may need to give this guy some credit, as he probably has got everyone on slashdot giving hits to zdnet.com(/. effect for the use of evil?). Boy, he sure dupped us.


    BTW-what happened to my account???



  49. Management by temper tantrum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When a manager wants someone they can yell at when something goes wrong, they are throwing a temper tantrum. They don't realize machines don't have feelings, and don't respond by pulling their tail between their legs.

    If you can't fix a tech problem, you have two choices. You can either admit you have more research to do, or you can change the subject.

    One way to change the subject is to start a fight, and claim it's poor communication. It's easier to work on relationships than it is to dig in and improve your tech skills.

    There's only one way to deal with a boss that "wants someone to yell at," and that's with your hat. Grab it and run.

  50. OS/2 users have seen it all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux could take a lot of FUD off from OS/2. I call balance loading.

  51. Yeah? Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm a coder on a $300 million NSF project and WE
    are not only betting it all on *free* software, but it's paying off big. So screw this Berst guy.
    What a fool.

    Phil

  52. berst is a moron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This guy is a moron. He is living proof that ignorance reproduces!!! He just a mouthpiece for microsoft.

  53. Like SyQuest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Syquest ezdrive and the iomega zip drive came out at the same time, roughly. The SQ drive held 135M as opposed to 100. They cost exactly the same, and the SQ drive had no click of death. The difference? Marketing. The iomega ads were way cooler.

  54. ZDNET: Server error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tries to submit the following comment, but it did not work:

    Server Error

    This server has encountered an internal error which prevents it from fulfilling your request. The most likely cause is
    a misconfiguration. Please ask the administrator to look for messages in the server's error log.

    So here it goes:


    Berst Alert Dissected...

    OK Jesse, now you've gone too far. Remember, people have memories, just like elephants and computers do. They remember what happened before, they sometimes even remember stuff you wrote. So if they see things happening again, they might just start to wonder whether this is more than a coincidence, whether there is some sinister ploy behind this.

    Microsoft is your guiding light in the choppy waves of the IT landscape. Everybody who's read more than one of your comments knows this. Most people remember this. And if they don't, well than there's that handy archive on the Web where your previous productions can be found.

    A `threat' to Microsoft is a threat to you. Since you've been telling your readers over and over that Microsoft and its products is where we want to be today and tomorrow, any other choice would prove you wrong, and we cannot have that now can we?

    So here we go again, just like in the bad old days of OS/2 (a better Windows than Windows), DR-DOS (a better DOS than DOS), the Mac (whatsthat?), etc. Just say `Hey I like this, Microsoft might learn something from it, but it is bad business judgement to use it since Microsoft is the way to go'.

    How can you keep up this charade, telling your readers it is bad business judgement to replace disfunctional tools for funcitonal ones? Where's the rationale for that? If Windows does not work for your business, by all means chuck jt and use something else. And as you should know there's a lot of businesses which are less than happy with Microsoft in general and Windows (andy flavour)in particular. But no, Jess knows what's Be(r)st for you, nobody ever got fired for choosing Microsoft, etc blah blah rant knee-jerk.

    In case you're not aware of it, there is a real danger in people like you spreading the false gospel. A sizeable portion of your readers actually thinks you and your brethern are experts on the subjects your write about, and they use your judgement as guideline for their business decisions. So if you state that Microsoft is IT, than for them that's a fact. Of course Microsoft knows this, and they know who to subvert into their camp.

    So there you are, telling people not to stray from the shining path to Windows 2000 for fear of losing their jobs, businesses or more ('...people bet on the underdog. Many lost their shirts. Or their companies. So as the Linux frenzy accelerates, don't let it sweep away your good judgment...' Good judgement Jesse?)

    So there you go, spreading FUD like before, like you're likely to do again should another threat to your investment arrive... 'Linux still has weaknesses and dangers...' sheesh, thanks for telling me, now I can sleep tightly knowing that my Microsoft-based business is free from weaklnesses and dangers...

    And than this jewel: `...You don't bet on sports teams based on who's cheering them on...'. Well, that's just what you and your collegues have been telling us to do, no? Cheering Microsoft into nirvana, telling us to `bet our businesses' on it, giving away your `editor awards' and more.

    The last line is the most sensible one. Use Linux where it makes sense, NT where it makes sense, etc. WHY O WHY did you have to print that full; column of FUD before telling us this? Why first awaken the fear of foes in your readers before teling them this?

    Jesse, you seem to be incorrigible. May your false god be with you.

    Cheers//Frank de Lange
    (no, no AC, but where the hell is my password?)

  55. How am I going to spend 50,000 on Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    How exactly do you propose spending 50,000 dollars on Linux?

    I am not talking hardware or other software costs,
    which could easily be turned over to an alternative OS.

    You probably find yourself embarrased because you have a lack of self-esteem or confidence in an OS that powers a large portion of the internet.

  56. Berst, you're a moron! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Berst seem to be vying with Dvorak for the title of "Worst Computer Idiot!" Lets see what he says:

    An industry consortium was going to make Unix the next major force on the desktop; instead, it fragmented into warring factions.

    The Unix standard was intentionally fragmented only through massive effort on the part of IBM and DEC, in an attempt to shore up sales of MVS and VMS. How many of these are selling now? He's also missing the point: it doesn't matter how many Linux distros there are, they are all using the same source and same GNU tools, unlike the Unix split where BSD and Sys5 API's were markedly different.

    The Mac was going to supplant DOS and Windows; it ended up in a proprietary backwater.

    Bzzzt! Wrong! Thank you for playing! The Mac predates Windows; it's the other way around: Windows was supposed to supplant the Mac. People are still buying Macs; in fact the iMac is breaking sales records! Hardly evidence of the triumph of Windows or failure of the Mac. The non-open status of the Mac probably has hurt market share, but that's an argument in favor of Linux, not against!

    OS/2 was going to be a better Windows than Windows; it, too, faded away.

    OS/2 also predates Windows, and was developed primarly by Microsoft, who later stole much of the technology for Windows (an indication of how seriously Micro$oft takes it's commitments.) OS/2 WAS a better Windows than Windows, unfortunately OS/2 marketing was no match for the Microsoft powerhouse.

    Java was going to render Windows irrelevant; in case you haven't noticed, Microsoft continues to register record quarterly profits.

    In case you haven't noticed, Java has only been around for 2 years, and enjoys much wider acceptance than Windows did at that young age. And if Java has no impact on M$, why are they spouting off so much about Cool, the Java alternative for which not a single line of code has yet been written? (Actually, Java is a programming language and environment, which makes it more properly a competitor to Visual Basic, not to Windows itself.)

    Can you say FUD? I knew you could!

  57. Slashdot that poll! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right now, only 40% of respondents think Linux will kill Microsoft!

  58. Most of you show total ignorance of server market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    Do you people have any idea of the real numbers in the server marketplace?

    A number of ill-informed posts talk about Windows being the dominate OS and in the same breath mentioning NT, or the possibilites of Linux supplanting NT.

    Facts: NT servers make up a small fraction of the current installed base. And as far as mission critical deployments go, they make up a miniscule fraction. Not many people are installing NT for anything besides file-print, exchange, or to run some NT specific server software.

    I didn't read Berst article cause I don't read ZDNet. But if he proposes anything along the lines that many of you are accepting: that Linux has to supplant NT (like NT has some imaginary grip over the server market), then you people need to wise up about what people use for servers.

  59. No Subject Given by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What really sold me was the combination sports / gambling metaphor clinching argument.

  60. Slashdot worse than Jesse Berst ) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Danger Ahead on Linux: Avoid Gambler's Remorse, Bet Lightly on Hot OS

    That pretty much translates into 'bad bet'.

    You whiners need to share your hallucinogens.

  61. Microsoft Presence at ZD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    From the IPO Statement, describing the board of directors:

    Jonathan D. Lazarus. Jonathan D. Lazarus was with Microsoft Corporation from 1985 through 1996, serving most recently as Vice President, Strategic Relations. Mr. Lazarus serves on the Boards of ELEKOM Corp., Liquid Audio, NetGravity, Vision Solutions and National Association of Television Program Executives. Mr. Lazarus is also an advisor to Microsoft Corporation, the Universal Studios New Media Group and ZDTV.

  62. Jesse Berst is the Jerry Springer of the Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    'Nuff said.

  63. YES, Look at the crap getting him noticed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Press just wants to get noticed, so their adds get more attention so they get more money.

    Every time his article gets dull, zdnet says, Uhem Jessie the article looks like its getting less popular.

    Ole Jessie suddenly puts one of those "Linux bad, and foolish to use" articles out AGAIN, and we all post.

    Next day he gets his usual, hey the hits are picking up Jessie, keep up the good work...then after a few bs attention articles he goes back to sluffing off.

    Lets do him in...don't post the the lame f*ck*r. Then they will drop the old Berst column.

    Side note...is it me or does he look like Stef at
    user friendly?

  64. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you expect polite treatment when you post what amounts to an insult to every member of a forum?

    I needn't consider your grammar at all to make the characterizations to which you object.

  65. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    Well, if CmdrTaco isn't getting a kick-back for linking to this ZD crap, he should be.

  66. He's forgetting the rest of the team... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One of the biggest mistakes people make when betting on games is forgetting to consider anything other than the star players. Microsoft has made billions in large part by pushing the support cost for their product downstream. If you have problems with your system it is nearly unheard of that you actually get an answer from MS that isn't already in their help system. Instead, you call the company you bought the machine for application from. This has allowed MS to collect money, without incurring the ongoing cost of support.
    But, the situation has been changing in the past year. Companies have started to realize that Microsoft is an animal that eats its young. IBM, Compaq, Dell, HP, etc, cannot be happy with the current state of fealty the almighty Bill of Redmund. Linux offers these companies a level playing field. It is in their best interest. With Linux Compaq will not have to get a 'letter' in order to modify the boot sequence. With Microsoft as overlord, Compaq is just anoter PC clone. With Linux they can work to differientiate(sp?) their systems from HP, IBM, Dell, etc.
    Will Linux beat Microsoft. With the current state of affairs, of course. MS could learn to play nice and not try to completely own EVERYTHING, but how likely is that. In any other event, hardware vendors are going to scoot from under Bill's heel by supporting Linux and eventually dis MS completely.

  67. Why is this guy employed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    His writing isn't exactly extraordinary and he never says anything particularly insightful. Can *I* be a writer for ZDNet, too?

  68. "POK POK POKAAAAK!" Jesse lays another egg. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what a great job this guy has, to get paid...
    "FOR HIS *UCKING OPINION"!, blow it out your ass jesse,
    im starting to wonder if slashdot has made a deal with ZDNN/jesse ?hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  69. HAS HE ever run Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    simple question.
    DONT USE IT!

    DO NOT USE LINUX

    DON'T DO IT

    BET ON MICROSOFT

    PHEAR ME

    BET ON BILL GATES

    NOT ON LINUS!!!
    NOT ON STALLMAN!!!!!
    THEY ARE going to burn out, stallman's fingers are all messed up already he can barely type!! When they are gone, the WHOLE FREE SOFTWARE industry WILL VANISH!!!!!!

    BET ON MICROSOFT!!!!!!


    Bet on them to fall flat and die that is



  70. ZDNet good; Berst bad? No - ZD bad long time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you remember what a huge pile of crap windows 2.0 was (eye candy and technical both), i guess win 3 looked pretty good.

  71. 16-year-olds - The Future: point taken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So in between squeegy-wipes they'll be hacking Linux on their imaginary PCs? I love this premise that people will be making money on a platform that is founded around the idea of everything being free.

    An amazing thing happens with real programmers when they get real programming jobs: They get a little taste of reality and start evaluating based on facts rather than on passion or just "making a statement". (Most of the Linux fans these day remind me of Metallica fans running around with their black and nasty teeshirts...What a statement! Go Linux Go! Down with the fascist capital pigs!)

    There are massive numbers of ex-OS/2 fans happily programming away for Win32 now. Indeed, many of them are Microsoft advocates. Why? Once you've done it for real a lot of people get real. This artificial land where the OS is a religion only holds water for the non-professionals: The nighttime McDonalds worker that has barely any skills, the doctor that thinks gosh-darnit he's a programmer too, the geek that wants to "be something".

    The religious aspect of this Linux movement, and the righteous tone its supporters take, is interesting. It would be nice if this movement started from scratch, though, rather than reinventing another crappy variant of archaically designed, obsolete UNIX though (but vi rules man!). Apparently this movement doesn't have that sort of gumption and originality. Instead just take a bunch of GNU utilities and build a crappy clone kernel (something that AMAZINGLY few people actually ever touch...this "we're all 16-year old kernel hackers" thing is hilarious...sure you are. >99.9% of you have never looked at the source, and your "skill" is running a makefile. Whoopeee! You sure are hackers now!). Whatever. You've all seen the light. Please, guide us all to your ways!

  72. "How to boost your traffic by flaming Linux" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey, that's what we've got Junkbuster for after all... No ad-hits at all for ZDNET from me. Just nice empty frames...

    Cheers//Frank "no-password-no-AC" de Lange

  73. WRONG! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    haahhahhahaahaha

  74. I don't think it is FUD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think that people are letting thier emotions get the best of them. I think he made some very valid points. Linux is not going to replace the desktop computer in corporate America anytime soon, but it is more useful in certain area than MS products. Listen with your mind.

  75. This is good for Jon Katz by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All this bickering about Berst keeps us preoccupied from flaming Katz. I think Berst is really just Katz, trying to make Berst seem worse than Katz so we won't flam Katz as much.

  76. I agree with the artical somewhat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux is not destined to be a MS Killer. Why? Two reasons:
    1. People are idiots. They want something easy to use, less hassles, more support. People are also sheep and will usually follow the majority.
    2. It is hard for company to make money on an operating system where the majority of users insist on free, open source software. When there is little money to be found, there is little motivation for companies to develop and support it.

    Linux has a brilliant future as a server operating system, but that is the tradition of UNIX. By being based upon UNIX, Linux has doomed itself to absolutly no future in the home market, or even in the office workstation market. It requres a lot of technical knowledge to even install it. A lot more knowledge than the average user has. Its far too difficult for an average user to actually use. Too many text based commands to memorize. People would be appauled by text based commands. No one wants to deal with them anymore. Unlike Windows, installing apps on Linux is a painful process. You have to download the source, uncompress it, compile it, "make install" it, do all this bullshit, compiling probably wont work because you are missing some library so you have to go hunt the library down on the internet, compile and make install that, and compiling programs takes forever. Too much hassle. Most people wouldn't have a clue, and the documentation is usualy so poor, it provides no help and no sugestions for when there is a compiling error. The GUI is pretty, but X11 is bloated and still difficult to use. A lot of it depends on text files for configuration. GNOME and KDE aren't helping much, because they both take forever to compile and give you so many problems durring compiling, and even once installed don't make life that much easier.

    If linux wants to be a home user OS it has to do the following:
    1. Simple, single click, auto configuing installation.
    2. Eliminate the need for a console at all. The first time Linux boots up, it should boot into the GUI. Of course leave console there as an option.
    3. Elimiate the need for compiling programs. Perhaps RPMs or similar packaging apps could do this. You should be able to download an app to your home dir, and by clicking on it and selecting install, have it install itself and create an icon. Of course always leave source code there as an option.
    4. Better technical support. When I have a problem, the only place I can turn to is IRC. And people on IRC are useless.
    5. Better software support. I know there is plenty already, but we need more!
    6. Better hardware support. Of course I'm sure if it became big, more hardware support would come natrually.

    If linux had all that, it might stand a chance. Personally I think BeOS is the OS of the future. It's incredibly powerful, built from the ground up, not based upon some archaic dinosaur OS, really fast even on a slower computer, dead simple installation, UI easy enough for any idiot to use, great GUI, GNU support, apps that install themselves when you download them, and for such a new OS has a lot of software support. As soon as it gets plenty of hardware support, I think its gonna take off.

  77. Rewriting history? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Am I wrong here, or has Mr. Berst forgotten the past? First of all, the only "messiah" to replace windows that I know of was Java in the 1994-1995 time frame (oh, and Larry Ellison's failed proprietary network dumb terminal concept)and that wasn't the first "write once run anywhere" language. I also thought UNIX had fragmented long before Windows became popular. As far as the Mac goes, the only people who were buying computers for the home in the eighties were those who had them at work and wanted to work at home, and there weren't many Macs in their offices. Naturally, these people bought IBM compatibles. Finally, I don't remember OS/2 being marketed as a Windows replacement. I believe OS/2 failed because it was way too ahead of its time and NO software that a company already had would work on it - this when Wordperfect and Lotus were $400 plus per copy. Microsoft is now effectively forcing software replacement in a one to two year cycle (three OSes and office suites in three years). Linux is different because Windows didn't really have or abuse the monopoly situation until Windows 95 came out, and now the industry is showing Microsoft that they are tired of it. I personally want an OS that stays up and won't let an application bring the kernel down. I don't think any of the reasons Berst presented will prevent Linux from getting into the home. The real threat to Linux on the desktop will be that the masses of people of lesser intelligence that Microsoft markets to are willing to accept mediocrity and ARE swayed by TV ads and other PR efforts. Ninety percent of the people who have bought PCs in the last two years probably don't know or care what a kernel is. They probably couldn't use a software game they might buy if the CD didn't have an autorun file. If the open source community can write an idiot friendly installation routine, a good hardware detection and installation package, and get PC manufacturers to quit making Windows the default, quality just might just prevail over marketing muscle.

  78. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Then why would you run windows?

  79. Stating the obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    2 weeks ago? I hope you're exaggerating...

  80. 500-post barrier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Allready been done! Check this out

  81. Stating the obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > I'm on a mailing list for Qmail (a sendmail
    > replacement/competitor/alternative), and every
    > so often we get a bunch of questions about "is
    > there something wrong with my mail queue?
    > There are lots of messages stacked up and
    > undeliverable." Then it turns out they're all
    >destined for Hotmail.

    Um. Hotmail runs Unix with Qmail.

    -sb

  82. FUD -- BUT!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are these flavours really different? The only real difference is in the packaging and the selection of the packages included. They are still the same OS, they run the same kernel use the same filesystems and can run the same applications.

    As I see it, the distribution is just the starting point for building the system which suits the individual user.

  83. And the suckers line up... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sites maybe, but the "traditional" services such as CompuServe which used to be fully accessible from Linux or any other *nix (or even a dumb terminal and a modem), are now basically Windows & Mac only.

  84. Right on schedule by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    This was predicted at least a couple of months ago as the next step in the FUD campaign against Linux--saying that it might be okay for some, but is still too risky for those "in the know" (that is, who read and believe Jesse's columns).

    This is just an update on the "you might get fired if you choose Linux" schtick Berst was doling out some time back. But until dear Jesse can offer a verifiable story of someone who actually did lose their job because they chose Linux, he is just crying wolf.

    So expect such stories to be next. The obvious follow-on to this agenda is "real life" stories of people, property, and projects that have come to grief because of their association with The Penguin.

    Mark my words, and mark your calendars.

  85. Commendable enthusiasm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Your comments are well founded, unlike your history. Linux never had a version 0.86--it went from 0.13 to 0.95 in one jump.

    Perhaps you meant 0.96?

  86. If what the media has always said about GNU&Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    was true, then it would have never been more than just a few geeks hobby(now its some million geeks hobby).
    Really, Linux has been able to swim through so much FUD crap in the media, and never to stain a feather.

  87. So What ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ZDNet might be right, the bet is running. So what!
    Linux has one big difference to OS/2, MacOS etc.:
    It is Open Source. When IBM decides to let die
    OS/2, you are without support. When Linus decides
    to let die Linux, he will put the rights to OSF
    or similar and nobody will notice a change. When
    the big distributors start to fight for the
    desktop people, I will lean back, enjoy my trinux
    and download everything I need off the net. I
    need a bootdisk and a kernel, the rest is up
    to me and my wishlist. It is so cool that may-
    be I'll compile my own distribution. Microsoft
    rules the World ? OK, well done, Billy, but on
    my IT environment I use what I like. And in case
    you are too stupid to use Linux, you still have
    the possibility to learn enough to use it. Big
    companies are just flattering with Linux ? There
    is nothing worse than 'professional' PC support.
    You pay, you wait, and finally get a possible
    solution you knew anyway.

    So, Linux has just nothing to loose...

    Orloff

  88. Berst calls Linux a bad bet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jesse Berst is an idiot.

    I see no scientific analysis that suggests
    firmly that Linux is a losing proposition.

    Opinions from a fucking idiot are like the wind
    created when trying to shit without farting.

  89. ZDNet good; Berst bad? No - ZD bad long time by Tony+Shepps · · Score: 1

    ZD has been bad forever -- the first I can remember is their absolutely glowing reports about Windows, buying into every single piece of MS fud, starting way back in the early part of this decade. Glowing reports on Windows 4.0 (which eventually became 95) began being issued in early 1994 from PC Magazine. ZD ought to have been bought and renamed Microsoft Press at the time, except that I'm sure they were bought under the table. From the tip of the iceberg of MS PR deals, the things that did come out, such as MS PR people writing bogus letters to the editor, MS telling employees to spout MS glory in open forums, MS acting to squelch information and competitors I'm sure that the #1 PC-oriented glossy rags were their first takeover target. Screw those people -- don't give them the hits.

  90. Jesse Berst by drwiii · · Score: 1

    This guy just reeks of Microsoft. Enter his name in AltaVista's photo search for a few pics of him before he got his "new look".

  91. Um, it's free... by Peter+Amstutz · · Score: 1

    What Berst doesn't understand is that because of the free nature of Linux, while it may lose popularity it can never "die". If Microsoft were to close up shop tomorrow (we can dream, can't we?) quite a lot of Windows users would be left out in the cold. If Linus were to quit and Red Hat and Caldera and S.u.S.E. and VA Research and Pacific HiTech etc. were to close up shop tomorrow you would STILL have the source code and the Internet to fall back on. It's the nature of the system - there is a build-in safty net in having the source code out there. Berst is backpedaling a bit from "Why you should use Linux", which does go to show that he's willing to say whatever the mood of the moment encourages - perhaps this high and beautiful wave in popularity Linux is experiencing is beginning to see some backlash. There are certainly plenty of entrenched IT guys that have a vested interest in NOT seeing Linux take off.. "I'm sorry, this is a Linux shop. Your Windows NT skills are not needed. NEXT!"

  92. Forget Berst by Skyshadow · · Score: 1
    Notice how they keep Berst tucked away on the web. Print mags still look at the web as being where they can dump shit and nobody'll notice it, or if they do they won't be expecting much.

    Normally I'd slam ZD here, but we just got ZDTV and they've actually got some Linux devotees. In fact, I saw a show a few weeks back where they ran through the install process(!) on the Screen Savers. They talk about Linux all the time, had Gasse on last night... ZD finally doing something right.

    Off subject, but join the people who will never trust Toshiba again since they won't uphold their basic contractual obligations (re: EULA) here: http://acm.cs.uwec.edu/~mizesh/openletter.html

    ----

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
  93. Counterpoint by Chris+Johnson · · Score: 1

    I'm a Mac tech, and I am going in to work today to upgrade a machine for a client. This woman has given us so much grief it's absurd- she is aggressively dumb- brings in computer without modem to have its Email setup looked at. Then brings in just the modem without the very weird cable it uses, or the power adapter- all the time getting madder and madder at _US_.
    This woman cannot set up a Mac. Will not even try. That is why I would like to be able to give her a Linux box so totally transformed into a kiosk that it can only check Email. Done properly, she'd never return with a problem! (well, one can dream). Who says linux is only for techies? It might just be the idea platform for setting up luser-kiosks so people with no clue can still check their email without ever dealing with computer issues. Such a kiosk would have to be inflexible, preconfigured on controlled hardware, and cheap. I could see Netwinders finding an extra market just as this sort of kiosk, once you got rid of all the configurability. Set it up so unless you hold down magic keys, like you do to get into Open Firmware, it always boots to the handholding, no-options mode. The special key combo gets you to bash or something, so the admin can do the one-time setup. Hell, you could have it boot specially off a CD so the important stuff would be read-only! It could have just a CD-Rom and a floppy to hold the prefs, no HD! (that might also make it very quiet and nice to live with).
    I want one of _those_ for my customer from hell. Not a Mac (too flexible!) not Linux proper (bwahahaha) not Windows (also bwahahaha, but more of a pain). But what I want could and would be _based_ on Linux.

  94. Ultra-minority by Chris+Johnson · · Score: 1

    More accurately, it is the technical elite that keep the computers working for the masses, rather like janitors (says Chris, putting off heading to work for more keep-computers-working duties and longing for a linux internet kiosk- hell, I'm gonna do an essay just about that, explore how it could be done)
    If the geeks say something is a technical disaster, know what that means? If they quit working like dogs to keep it running, it'll just fscking fall apart. Well, that's Windows (and to some extent the PC). And everybody knows it. But everybody assumes _WE!_ are just going to keep propping it up forever...
    Look, people, if Windows loses the huge masses of geeks out there patiently reinstalling it for people and wrestling with demented wizards, it will _die_ because it will _choke_ on its own technical problems. It relies on people being willing to pick up after it. I'm losing patience with this- and with the assumption that of course the technical elite is best used as janitors to clean up messes made by Microsoft, served to uneducated customers, and arrogantly dumped all over the place in big piles of steaming lossage.
    We will never do ourselves out of jobs, because there is _always_ a place for people who put extra effort into thinking, designing, coding. Most people don't do that, they pay others to think.
    So we might as well think in terms of: how can we build plug-in and go Emailboxes and the like, WebTV only from linux, for all the people who can't or won't be technically competent? I always say these people are Microsoft's rightful property- but if that assumes that _I_ will always be available for tech support duties, I am strongly tempted to quit that job which I never agreed to take on! And that goes double for the more seriously PC-supporting techs at the shop I work at: they're awful tired of dealing with the crap.
    Think about it. What would happen if Microsoft _did_ have to deal with cleaning up their own messes? If only MCSEs were willing to reinstall Windows all the time, or deal with issues? If all the overworked technical elite low-status geeks just quit dealing with Windows? A disaster area, that's what- Microsoft do not _educate_ their people to repair Windows effectively, but to advocate and sell it effectively, even if that means becoming certified by parroting marketingnuggets that actually do not work in practice, but sound good! (see the O'Reilly book, or genuine NT experts with hands-on experience).
    Let's move in the direction of cutting them loose to fend for themselves, shall we? HOW MANY of you put in paid or unpaid time to _support_ Microsoft products because your own friends, family or workplace uses them? You are irreplaceable support for Microsoft when you do this. Stop doing it >;)

  95. ZDNet good; Berst bad by Codifex+Maximus · · Score: 1

    I say this because... I've yet to see anything substantial come from J. Berst except rumors, naysaying and retractions.

    HOWEVER, I have seen much positive coverage of the Linux phenomenon from ZDNet. They are really beginning to understand Linux.

    Give credit where credit is due says I! Needless to say, J. Berst has a bad credit report these days. :(

    --
    Codifex Maximus ~ In search of... a shorter sig.
  96. But did he say "Linux is a bad bet"? by gavinhall · · Score: 1

    Posted by Nino the Mind Boggler:

    I must have missed that bit.

    Seems to me he was saying "Use your head, not anti-MS fanaticism when placing your bet." That, and it's too early to tell if Linux will supplant NT.

    It also seems to me that some /.ers automatically assume that if Berst writes _anything_, it's automatically bad. Can you say prejudice?

  97. Missing the point by gavinhall · · Score: 1

    Posted by The Mongolian Barbecue:

    Linux will either destroy ms, or at the worst just continue in a relative fringe the way it is now. It can't fail because it is not run by corporations. Does Linus or the kernel devel team care if Berst invests $50g in redhat? No. No one does. If redhat becomes the #1 software company linux will continue. If every linux dist. company dies tomorrow, linux will continue. If Linus and co. dies, linux will continue. There is no stopping it!

  98. Keep this in mind by gavinhall · · Score: 1

    Posted by Russ McD.:

    Ghandi once said:
    "First they ignore you.
    Then they laugh at you.
    Then they fight you.
    Then you win."

  99. Hey Berst... by gavinhall · · Score: 1

    Posted by patg:

    Wake up and smell the Linux!!!!

  100. Enough Berst!!! by deno · · Score: 1

    Please just stop posting his crap. What makes him important anyway?

  101. "How to boost your traffic by flaming Linux" by Kurt+Gray · · Score: 1


    1. Write an obviously flawaed and ignorant
    editorial about Linux.

    2. Send a link to editorial to the Slashdot
    submissions page.

    3. Sit back and wait for the angry to come
    through and watch your site traffic go through
    the roof.

    4. Tell your advertisers that your site is
    frequently visited by thousands of Linux
    users and other IT professionsals.


    That's right folks, keep click on those ZDNet
    links so they can laugh their way to the
    bank.

  102. 500-post barrier by TedC · · Score: 1
    I think if Rob can somehow combine Jesse Berst, KDE, and religion into a single story we can break the 500-post barrier!

    TedC

  103. Shouldn't that be... by Tim+Macinta · · Score: 1

    Shouldn't that be "Jesse Berst Sucks/This Poll Sucks/ZDNet Sucks."

    --

    -----

    Free P2P Backup, Windows & Linux

  104. This is Jesse Berst we're talking about! by CaseyB · · Score: 1

    For an explanation of this phenomenon have a look at this advertisement from a Monty Python book.

  105. But did he say "Linux is a bad bet"? by astroboy · · Score: 1

    I tend to agree. He was saying not to go with
    hype and emotions, to carefully, rationally choose what's best. Nothing wrong with that.

  106. Which ones? by bkosse · · Score: 1

    The survey of the Linux kernel developers (why in the hell would they lie about their age)?

    Perhaps you mean the "sizing the Linux market" survey? Yeah, it's guess work, but fairly reliable. Of course, you don't have any way to refute the stats, huh?

    --

    --
    Ben Kosse
    Remember Ed Curry!
  107. And the suckers line up... by jCaT · · Score: 1

    no, it didnt... remove the "him and" from the sentence and see if it still makes sense, that is the acid test.

    "Dad ran out of the house to get [him and] me."

    do you often say
    "Dad ran out of the house to get I"? I hope not.

  108. It is Berst, after all... by jafac · · Score: 1

    It seems like the /. readership has to re-learn this "hard lesson" about Jesse Berst about every 6 months or so.

    Don't feed the bears.

    --

    These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
  109. Splintered Linux by Daniel · · Score: 1

    If some business does attempt to fork the kernel, I'm sure the community will respond with 'extreme prejudice' to that organization.

    This is one of the things that bothers me from time to time about Linux becoming more mainstream. Right now this is impossible, but as the non-technical user base of Linux grows, more and more people will be willing to use what's popular, no matter the technical difficulties with it. (they probably use Windows already) Heck, look at the 60% (?) of the market that RedHat already has; I can imagine them having enough market leverage to fork things in a year or two. Even unintentionally. (for example, IIRC the __register_frame_info bug in RedHat currently renders it incompatible with distros that have fixed the problem)

    Daniel

    --
    Hurry up and jump on the individualist bandwagon!
  110. heh by red_dragon · · Score: 1

    "Jesse Berst's AnchorDesk: Your source for tech ignorance"...

    ^D

    --
    In Soviet Russia, Jesus asks: "What Would You Do?"
  111. Who is he talking to? by copito · · Score: 1

    Yet some PC users are making similarly outrageous wagers on Linux, the underdog in the operating-system wars.

    Who exactly are these users and how are they going to be hurt? The only people that could get hurt are those providing services, not the average user.

    Perhaps he's talking about business users who require the support of Oracle etc... But it is pure FUD to suggest that good companies like Sun (Which still supports SunOS 4) and Oracle would renege on their customer commitments.

    It is true that the vendors may have reason to be cautious, but the user...hardly/p?

    --
    "L'IT c'est moi!"
  112. Giant conspiracy theory by sheldon · · Score: 1

    Oh yes, everybody at Ziff Davis are all in collusion on this! They're trying to get the hopes of the Linux geeks up, and then they dash them against the rocks!

    Oh get a grip. There are several dozen different reporters and opinion writers and each one is going to have something different to say.

  113. Funny by pridkett · · Score: 1

    its funny, he relates it to OS/2 and Macs, saying Macs became a proprietary backwater and OS/2 died out. But what he doesn't realize is that the source is out there. Once its out there, you can't stop it.

    --
    My Slashdot account is old enough to drink...
  114. Kettle calling pot black... by homebrewer · · Score: 1

    Jesse says
    "Bet Lightly on Hot OS"
    says betting on it is like 100-1
    says "people bet on the underdog. Many lost their shirts."

    Tell me how "Linux is a Bad Bet" is an irrational summary of these statments.

    Note: there is a limit as to keep the title brief.

    He (I'm assuming) decided to summarize the article's content. I guess he wasn't up to your standard. Please forgive the erroneous error that has caused you grave harm and distress.

    Then...get over it!!!

  115. horray for Berst and microsoft. by winnt386 · · Score: 1

    :-)






    Just kidding!

    Sorry guys I just couldn't resist. I am bored. Berst is just looking for a story and nothing else so don't worry. Berst is a journalist and not a computer consultant. Go ask a few microsoft loyalists what they think of zdnet and Berst and they will tell you the same things that linux users say. Just ignore him guys. He has no crediblity in either os camps. The article mentioned that you should not select linux for emotional reasons but rather technical. He is right. Linux still has major scalability problems with 4 or more processors compared to other unix's. Also NT is great for the computer novices with tiny networks because its quick to setup and easy to administer. Linux would drive a non computer nut crazy. I use linux at home but I avoid it at work and use solaris or aix. Linux 2.2 is alot better with 2-4 processors but it is still behind solaris and aix and the performance of linux is very far behind solaris in 4-10 cpu systems. I think linux is great as a cheap alternative to home users and college students but to a bussiness the price difference between linux and solaris is peanuts. Bussiness's dont buy software but solutions that may include software. Computers earn money and dont save money to them. If i am working on a project to save 750,000$, the price of the os in the server is peanuts and solaris is my choice. Face it guys. If money was no object, would you use linux? Berst was not talking about NT but rather other unix solutions. relax!

    --
    "Never stick an electrical appliance down your pants." -Tim Allen
  116. More zdnet fud about linux by winnt386 · · Score: 1

    Read this http://www.zdnet.com/enterprise/linux/opinion/0,59 54,2216064,00.html .

    This article tries to show that linux is as split up as unix. It also shows that the distributions are incompadible with each other and that its a big headache because no one company owns it.

    Microsoft marketing department: Thank you! Here is your check. Good work!

    --
    "Never stick an electrical appliance down your pants." -Tim Allen
  117. Bread & butter. by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 1

    ZD isn't stupid. Berst is, but the editors aren't. OK, maybe they are.

    But they do know that Microsoft pays for advertising in their crapola magazines and Linux doesn't. Linux rage (in their estimation) is getting out of their control, and they're trying to rein it in to secure their profit base, pure and simple.


    --

    --

    "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

  118. Rock the Vote... by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 1

    "Linux == Microsoft killer" leads at 38%


    --

    --

    "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

  119. Oh bite me, its fun! :-) by Squeeze+Truck · · Score: 1

    A horde of enthusiasts is hard to ignore. Every poll they have had has been slammed 2:1 for Linux and against Microsoft.

    You think people don't pay attention to these numbers? You think pretty polls might have something to do with all the high-end product offerings we've been graced with this year?
    I do. And every new product boosts the penguin in people's estimations, which leads to more confidence, which leads to more followers, which leads to more skewed polls.

    Toiling on code is of course central, but for every developer there are 500 user-enthusiasts who have the function of getting us attention. And attention is good.


    --

    --

    "Reactionaries must be deprived of the right to voice their opinions; only the people have that right." - Mao

  120. And the FUDers line up... by dattaway · · Score: 1

    of course most Linuxites are 16-years old with absolutely no revenue

    There were a few polls about this a while back that contradict this claim. Also I'm twice that age making twice the average family income. Not that age matters. I wish I was 16 again learning with Linux and having to relearn everything in a way that will not be outdated 3 or 30 years from now.

  121. Missing Poll Option by dattaway · · Score: 1

    "Jesse Berst is an ass"

    At least Rob has a sense of humor and is humble enough to put something like that on /. polls. The usual 10% minority seem to vote in that slot. If Mr. Berst had this selection, his job would be up for review very soon and MS stock could not save him. hehehehee!!!

  122. Don't Bet on Berst. by Shag · · Score: 1

    If any other journalist in the world wrote this, I'd be far more concerned. And I do mean ANY. Even, say, the guy who wrote the Y2K article for the Weekly World News. Or the advice columnist for some porn magazine.

    But time and time again, Jesse Berst has demonstrated that he clearly wouldn't know a clue if it sneaked up on him and chomped his naughty bits. He's simply incapable of comprehending the idea that Microsoft could do any wrong, or that anyone else could do any right.

    Months ago, I tired of amusing myself with mental games like "what color is the sky in Jesse's world?" and "how many suns are there in Jesse's sky?" Since then, whenever I configure any sort of news-handling software, I explicitly tell it to ignore anything from him.

    He's just not living in the same reality as the rest of us - even the other journalists. He makes points by fiat, and fails to note that virtually everything negative he says about whatever product is competing with Microsoft is usually at least equally true of Microsoft's own products.

    --
    Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
  123. What are Berst's credentials? by Electric+Eye · · Score: 1

    Not flaming or praising this dude (although he has a tendency to make me shake my head in disbelief....), but does anyone know this clown's background? Or is he just "lucky" enough to have landed a spot as a journalist in an IT trade mag?

  124. No Subject Given by greg_barton · · Score: 1

    Notice the selections on their reader poll:

    1. Destined to be a Microsoft killer
    2. Small chink in Microsoft's armor
    3. Plaything for techies
    4. Better OS/2 than OS/2
    5. Not sure

    Note the large difference between 1 and 2. So we have to decide if it's a "killer" or a "small chink"? This is a common pollster's tactic. Moderate thinkers (like myself) might not think that Linux will be a "killer," but might coexist with Microsoft. Thus, moderates might be pushed towards the "small chink" response, which is worded favorably for Microsoft.

    Beware statistics FUD! It's the worst of them all...

  125. A poll to stuff by Julian+Morrison · · Score: 1

    There is also a poll there - anyone feel like slashdotting the results? :-D

  126. Only MOSTLY FUD... by Nagash · · Score: 1

    I agree with you. Although Berst has no clue other than the "point-and-click" mentality, he does have apoint about Linux breaking into factions. People who use and love Linux now don't care that much about different varieties - it just gives us more choice. Also, most Linux users know how to customize it to our needs already. However, business and end-users want someting they know will work (which still amazes me because Windows rarely does) and something they do not have to maintain (they just want tech support :). If there are 4 or 5 Linux factions out there and not all are compatible with each other, then the Linux world is going to be in lots of trouble.

    If people just keep a clear head and apply some reasoning, this sort of thing will not happen. I know one thing - I haven't "pledged allegiance" to any distribution and I probably never will. I just like Linux.

  127. Not quite right... by SEE · · Score: 1

    The Mac could have won -- if Apple had licensed the OS. Instead, it faced an insurmountable price disadvantage.

    OS/2 could have won -- if it hadn't required 3 times the amount of RAM as Win 3 and hadn't supported Win3 so well that there was no point to writing OS/2 apps.

    Java could have won -- if anybody could figure out how to write a commercial-grade app in it.

    Unix unification was never a threat to anything but NT -- nobody was going to cut their prices enough to compete with Win9X.

    Linux doesn't risk any of those pitfalls. It has others, but the GPL preserves it from institutional lapses and the Open Source development model will help it overcome technical threats.

  128. Not entirely FUD by SimonK · · Score: 1

    The man is partly right. Linux is not going to kill Microsoft. A combination of Linux, Java, a general movement towards open-source, and shifts in the market might do.

    He is also right that noone should spend 50000 on Linux just to be on the bandwagon. It has to be part of a coherent strategy. You can say just the same for any OS. First find out what you want, then decide what to buy.

    I find the total fanaticism of some Linux users both disturbing, and embarassing when I have to tell other people what I use.

  129. I've Already Won My Bet by Mike+Cornall · · Score: 1

    I wasn't betting that Linux would kill Microsoft - I was betting that Linux would fulfill my computing needs, now and in the future. Even if none of the promised software support comes from the major companies, such as IBM, I will still have won.

    As to Microsoft, they will ultimately die of their own poison and lies.

  130. Listen to what brest says. by natureman · · Score: 1

    listen to what Brest is saying, let's do not try to automaticly classify it FUD.
    what he is saying is that people should consider Linux, but not to run Linux just because everybody do.
    Maybe as a linux fan i don't like to hear it, but there is something in what he is saying.

    --
    Natureman
  131. ZDTV's LinuxSuperguide by Pasty+Drone · · Score: 1

    Berst just wanted the /. effect...
    Here's the latest ZD Usurption: ZDTV's LinuxSuperguide...
    Remember Paul Allen recently plopped down a $54,000,000 investment in ZDTV via his Vulcan Ventures which makes him a one-third investor...ZDTV is expected to reach 9 million homes by the end of the year and what better way to cash in on Open Source and Linux then to coax the /. effect to the TV...
    Hmmm....

    --
    diva Pasty Drone NewsTrolls, Inc.
  132. Has anyone ever noticed??????? by NikoDemous · · Score: 1

    That Jesse always pulls this typical hit-and-run style of journalism when he needs to draw hits to his banner ads for his column?

    That is the long and short of it folks...

    Not to mention that ZD-Net is owned by SoftBank, the same SoftBank who provides technical support for almost all of Microsoft products....

    So much for journalistic integrity..although ZD-Net isn't taken seriously by anone in IT anyway...

    Nicholas Donovan
    Linux Systems Group

  133. No Subject Given by scrytch · · Score: 1

    And despite the enthusiasm for Linux' open-source concept, it carries the danger that Linux will be fragmented, just like the Unix effort of past years.


    Windows 3.11 (yes people use this)
    Windows 95/98
    Windows NT 3.51
    Windows NT 4.0
    Windows 2000
    Windows CE
    Windows CE
    Windows CE (have to repeat, how many versions of CE?)

    Fragmented, eh?


    --
    I've finally had it: until slashdot gets article moderation, I am not coming back.
  134. No Subject Given by scrytch · · Score: 1

    They missed "all of the above". Gamers will continue to buy PC's for a long time. It amounts to utter destruction of Microsoft in many server markets (compare ISP's running Linux to ones running NT). So far that's added up to a small chink. It's a plaything too, but particle accellerators are serious machines that are playthings for physicists. I dunno what to make of the OS/2 argument but I suppose I can buy it given IBM's buy-in now.

    --
    I've finally had it: until slashdot gets article moderation, I am not coming back.
  135. Berst... by elflord · · Score: 1
    Berst just like posting mildly inflammatory articles that look quite controversial, so that his page gets slashdotted . Good hitcounts, lots of readers == success. Remember "fired for choosing linux" ? this article on careful reading was more of an insult to the pointy-haired bosses of the world, than it was to linux, but after reasoning in a fairly sensible manner, he came to some fairly silly conclusions. This article is quiet similar: balanced and sensible reasoning, but meanwhile, he is trying to make his *conclusion* sound "extreme" so that he can make all the linux users mad.

    Jesse IMO is a very smart man. Sometimes, he "plays dumb", if he thinks that will enhance his hit count. Read the article carefully and you'll see that it (mostly) makes a lot of sense, though the title and some of the conclusions are designed to grab attention.

    Watch ZDnet get slashdotted. On hits, this article was an outstanding success. Suckers.
    --
    Donovan Rebbechi

  136. Right On by azonic · · Score: 1

    Umm, Just becuase Windows and NT dominate the market place, it in no way means they are better or even good. It simply means that Microsoft has a monoply over OS's (right now). out of the few ISP's around here, a couple use Linux/BSD and a few use NT... The NT managed ISP's all suck rocks, but I never have any problems with my ISP that runs everything on Linux.

    Its funny how people can take the fact that NT is on more computers to somehow mean it is automatically better then anything else..

  137. Only MOSTLY FUD... by Bowms · · Score: 1

    There's a lot of FUD there. I think Berst does make one good point- factionalism. I'd hate to see Linux go the way of the pretty recent *nix seperatism (SCO, BSD, etc.) The reliance on a central kernel which cannot be modified privately cuts down on this, but really.... how long before we've got a RedHat kernel against a Debianized kernel against S.U.S.E. with an exclusive license to Netscape 2000 or some such nonsense? It's not inconceivable... until people start suing each other over breaking the GPL instead of just badmouthing violations...

  138. "Jesse Berst, make up your mind!" by daviddennis · · Score: 1

    That's exactly what I was thinking! One column he comes foresquare on the side of Linux ... the next he treats it like rat poison!

    D

  139. A poll to stuff by Lupus+Rufus · · Score: 1

    40% when i checked it last...let's go for 50!

    --

    Aren't you dead?

  140. wow, look at the flamers go! by sp- · · Score: 1

    most everyone posting a flame against Berst here needs a reality check. how defensive is the linux community?! sheesh... he's not attacking linux, only saying don't go for linux because of, e.g., redhat's hype... i'd rather have companies switching to linux because it's the far better alternative... not because it's "hip" or because redhat sounds kewl...
    *bow*

    the ultimate combo: tux and the chameleon

  141. This pretty much sais it all... by F2F · · Score: 1

    Now, before you Linux-lovers whip out your flame throwers, let me say this: I like Linux. Microsoft needs all the competition it can get. Linux is good for consumers. Can you support an OS just because somebody else needs competition? The guy has no idea what the real benefits of Linux are...

  142. Right and wrong at the same time. by arivanov · · Score: 1

    There is FUD here I agree. The guy is just missing the point. Linux has not been designed to kill M$ like OS2 or Jabba. And this is what makes it viable. You cannot be viable with a negative stand...

    At the same time using Linux or FreeBSD or whatever other FreeOS means simply that part of the money that would be payed into M$ pocket will be payed for somebodys brain to maintain the stuff. If it comes cheaper good. If it comes more expensive - bad (pure business common sense).

    So overall the guy has hit the point partially:
    5$ - cool
    50,000 - bad (this compares to a single salary).

    He simply forgot the next step called 500,000$ ... This amount of money justifies paying 100,000$ for a brain. And this is the main problem in this article. No idea if this omission is intentional or not... Most likely it is...

    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
    http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  143. Focus by Zanthor · · Score: 1

    The focus here is all wrong. The linux community is whole heartedly behind Linux and push it for all it's strengths. However it's biggest strength for the server environment is it's largest weakness in the desktop arena. The average computer user has a hard time groking that they have two mouse buttons that do two different things, they aren't ready to edit any config files, let alone dip into some source code and debug it...

    Where linux shines, and shines well is the Server environment. The company I work for used to have 2 novell servers and 2 NT servers. We currently have one NT server left and it is slated to be nuked and Linuxed soon. We left NT due to it's high cost, poor reliability and poor performance.

    Jesse is right in one aspect, Betting on Linux to kill MS is not going to happen, MS is doing that themselves, I think that Linux is simply going to step forth and shine like it can, right into the shoes NT was trying to fill (and failing as NT was).

    I personally threw together a webserver box in a little less than an hour, I had no problems getting this done and only had to re-boot once, all these little factors show and the IT Proffessionals will (have) see (seen) this and Linux will prosper.

    Zanthor
    http://www.tibbs.net (Don't bother, it's empty, I still gotta put SOME content there...)

    --

    Zanthor

  144. As I have said before by Master+Switch · · Score: 1

    Ignore the press, good and bad. It's all FUD one way or the other. Focus on the code, focus on the goal. Work to better your understanding of Linux and its many tools. Keep a cool head, avoid flames, and Just Do It :) Don't let the media play you for a fool. Don't let them control your emotions.

    --
    -Master Switch, one more element in the machine
  145. Ziff-Davis only understands greed by bee · · Score: 1

    Another day, another heaping hunk of smeg from Ziff-Davis. Yawn. As I mentioned before, I've loathed Ziff-Davis ever since they bought and folded Creative Computing (remember them? the very first computer magazine ever?). They understand nothing but greed, and never will understand anything else. The only thing we should do is point and laugh at them.

    --
    At least mafia-owned pizzarias make excellent pizza. Compare to Bill Gates.
  146. Right On by Industrial+Disease · · Score: 1

    Yes, IT professionals should base their OS decisions on technical merit rather than popularity. Unfortunately, they usually don't; after all, how do you think they got into the Windows NT mess in the first place?

    --
    Weblogging Considered Harmful:
  147. So What ! by pestihl · · Score: 1

    Just to back up your case.
    I work for IBM, in the IGS dev dep.
    IBM is only supporting OS/2 for germany, go figure it took off there.. No New dev products on os/2, instead everything is being ported to NT, and everything more then 4 years out for release ported to linux.

    --
    "What do you do with the mad that you feel when you feel so mad you could bite?" - Mister Rogers
  148. Heh. by jwriney · · Score: 1

    I never meet a single one, and I know a lot of Linux users.

    Well, my name's John, nice to meet you.

    See there? You just met one.

    --jwriney
    John Riney III
    jwriney@awod.com

  149. Sombody needs to start investigating this guy. by Hesperus · · Score: 1

    Berst is just too consistent as a Microsoft booster. I've read his badmouthing of MacOS and OS/2, and now this unwarrented attack on Linux. He's got to be taking MS money, either behind Znet's back or with its cooperation. It seems to me that reporters have gotten in a lot of trouble for this sort of thing. Is there anybody out there in a position to look into this?

    --
    ____________________________________

    -- I beleve you'll like this -->
  150. Petreley? by jkdufair · · Score: 1

    It was Berst, not Petreley. Petreley has actually had some interesting things to say about Linux and OSS/Free Software. Not that I necessarily agree with him, but he at least appears to think things through a bit.

    ZD makes money from advertising. Micros~1 advertises a lot. Who would bite the hand that feeds them. I used to enjoy PC Magazine, but I know I was reading Windows journal. As far as credibility, I think it is difficult in general to trust the ad-based commercial media. ZD, Berst, Dvorak, et al included

    Jason Dufair
    "Those who know don't have the words to tell

    --

    Jason Dufair
    "Those who know don't have the words to tell
    and the ones with the words don't know too w
  151. Want to see a /.-effect in action ? by Dilbert_ · · Score: 1

    Check out the results page of the poll and hit reload a few times... The first option is soaring :-)

    --
    superblog.org: all your favourite blogs on o
  152. Well, if you don't want them to get hitss... by Mr.+Piccolo · · Score: 1

    Don't check out the comments at the bottom. Suffice to say that the large majority are saying that the article is crap.

    Of course, I went over there before reading the comments here about how this is all a plot to get ZDNet hits.

    --
    Glückwünsche, haben Sie Slashdot ermordet, indem Sie zum korporativen Druck beugten und Subskriptionen einlei
  153. Right On indeed by pong · · Score: 1

    Yep, I don't see the problem with this article either. I once cheered for the Amiga platform, but abandoned it in favor of x86 PC's long before the commodore went out of business. There is not point in putting your money and spirit on a _dead_ horse.

    Linux on the other hand is far from dead, but from a corporate perspective it is definitely an outsider! Sadly, the concept of denial is not too alien to a lot of linux supporters. One should hope they grow out of their infancy soon - they represent a tarnished spot on an otherwise great OS and community.

    Just my $.02

  154. Burst report by rhburton · · Score: 1

    What I love about this is the blatant way they destroy their own, ah, credibility:
    "Despite this progress, Linux still has weaknesses and dangers, as we've pointed out in the past. Click for more."

    So you click for more. And all you get, all you find is the same *claim* repeated over again that there are "more" problems besides the claim that it's a problem that there's no "commercial entity" to turn to for support (itself a false claim to begin with, persuading no one).

    Digging their own grave.

  155. Giant conspiracy theory by kmactane · · Score: 1
    OH yes, this is certainly true. I just love when the same says different things in the same article! "I like linux, linux is good." "Don't use it." Huh?

    I see him saying more of "I like Linux, Linux is good, but if you want to cover your ass, think really hard and carefully before deploying it at your workplace (or being the one to recommend deploying it there)."

    Which, much as we may dislike it, actually makes sense. If you work for a boring corporate monolith or a pointy-haired individual, making a recommendation for a change is putting your ass on the line. If anything goes wrong with it, or the higher-ups just aren't satisfied with it, you could be in trouble.

    Most people really like to avoid trouble.

    And yes, it's really easy to say, "these folks should get better jobs", but that isn't always an option for them. For someone who wants to try to get Linux in place at their workplace but is worried about financial security, Berst's comments are relevant.

    --
    Kai MacTane: Web developer for hire in San Francisco
  156. Stating the obvious by kmactane · · Score: 1
    In the both cases, you spend money for hardware and the labor to set it up and install clients on PCs.

    In the Linux case that's all you spend.

    And actually, in the Linux case you can spend a little less on the hardware, since Linux will handle quite a bit more mail traffic per unit time than NT will. This is one of the problems that keeps bedeviling Hotmail -- Microsoft keeps hassling them to make it work on NT (instead of, I think, Solaris, which was in place before they got bought by MS). Every time they try NT again, Hotmail performance drops through the floor again.

    I'm on a mailing list for Qmail (a sendmail replacement/competitor/alternative), and every so often we get a bunch of questions about "is there something wrong with my mail queue? There are lots of messages stacked up and undeliverable." Then it turns out they're all destined for Hotmail.

    --
    Kai MacTane: Web developer for hire in San Francisco
  157. the sloth is dying anyway by davek · · Score: 1

    Micro is going to be dethroned, and while it probably won't die out completly, it will fade from its behemouth status sometime in the future. That will require another OS to take the place of windoze. Whether it is linux or something else remains to be seen, but there is much that can be said about the open-source movement and the tremendous development base that Linux has. Thus guy sounds like his greed is enough to keep as part of "The Machine."
    -davek

    --
    6th Street Radio @ddombrowsky
  158. missing the point rather badly by NumberCruncher · · Score: 1

    Jesse seems to have missed the point rather badly, which is suprising in that he made the point quite eloquently previously.

    That is, you use the right tool for the right job. Jesse seems to miss this point when he recommends MSFT over Linux, as he argues that it really cannot win.

    His arguement is chock full of reasoning by incorrect analogies and many other well known logical fallicies. Well, I guess this is to be anticipated, as there is no linux gravy train for journalists...

    Seriously, if Jesse wants support for Linux, my company would happily sell it to him, as would a number of others. Single point of contact, multibillion dollar corporation that will not be going away any time soon.

    One shouldn't make decisions with their heart, as he did (or wallet?). The decision needs to be based upon sound reasonable practices and information. With that in mind, there is little reason to deploy an NT server, where a less expensive to implement and maintain, and more stable Linux platform would do a better job. The same is true on the desktop.

    Joe

  159. Typical ZDnet garbage. by MrHyd3 · · Score: 1


    Seeing how the media is, I am not suprised. It's probably not Microsoft at all, just the media needs something to talk about. Besides, HE who has the power and money talks in the papers.

    --
    -------- Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. --Ozzy
  160. Acceptance of Ideas by ArchiBear · · Score: 1

    a) It'll never work.
    b) It might work but no-one would want to do it.
    c) OK, someone might want to do it, but they'll be
    sorry.
    d) I always said it was a good idea.

    I think we've reached (c) - just one more to go!

  161. Berst by Jim+Hurlburt · · Score: 1

    Looks like linux is doing just fine.

    First they ignore you
    Then they laugh at you
    Then they fight you
    Then you win.

    Or--
    Linux who?
    Not a chance.
    Well, maybe someday.
    I knew it all along.

    --
    It's bad luck to be superstitious
  162. Bubble Bersts.. by STP · · Score: 1

    I'm sick of Berst's cheap attention grabbing headlines.. certainly gets a few responses here.. but I suggest people unsubscibe to the newletter / forget the site altogether and read some quality!

    Past rubbish includes.. 'Is Java dead?' etc etc... The Fleet Street of online IT media..

  163. This will help you sleep nights... by unicron · · Score: 1

    Ok...so the buisness men who don't know shit about shit about shit about computers come out and say "oh no! never as popular as windows!" WHO CARES!? What these people fail to remember is that people our age want to be k-r4d h4x0r5...and how you gonna gain the respect of your peers? Run linux and only linux. These kids will be the sysop's and developers of the future...they will run linux..not windows...so basically...the next generation of computer users will help linux replace windows...and the companies they work for will have to adjust! sp0rk!

    --
    Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
  164. OS/2 users have seen it all... by dtjohnson · · Score: 1

    I have been waiting for this to start. Microsoft has a lot of friends in the Computer Media as a result of the enormous wealth they have spread around. (And don't forget it was OUR money.) Do you really believe that the media will embrace a platform that might leave them paupers? Ask yourself who will win and who will lose if Linux market share shoots up to 50 percent? OS/2 and Mac have been the target of very effective FUD for years. Linux will be too.

  165. Buddha by TheShoe · · Score: 1

    >So Buddha walks into a pizza parlor and says:
    >"Hey, make me one with everything."

    Then Buddha pays with a $20 bill, but gets no change back. Buddha asks for his change and the pizza dude replies:

    "Change comes from within."

  166. people can say what they want... by trey · · Score: 1

    i really don't care, i know that my system runs like a dream (which is what linux is), it was so hilarious, i was in a computer lab this morning, this girl beside me was in windows, and it crashed twice, in just 15 minutes. One time it was because "Windows is out of virtual memory!" and who knows the other time it just blue screened and then she reboot. All she was doing was viewing websites in MS IE. If people want to use an OS that crashes, i don't care, i know i've got the best one, i guess they just like their crashes and half-assed control over their computer with a PoInT aNd ClIcK oS.
    my 3 cents is better than your 2 cents.

    --

    he who has the fastest cart always has the best lie.
  167. FUD by bitwize · · Score: 1

    One of the rules used by Mac fanatics in their arguments is that a person or institution has no credibility unless and until they praise the Mac. For example, PC Week is a biased publication that sold out to the PC crowd where as macspeedzone.com is honest, fair, and rational.

    The above post seems to apply that rule to Linux as well.

    Linux is a great OS. But due to its hacker-oriented nature I don't see it becoming a cookie-cutter-clone, "it just works out-of-the-box" type of deal any time soon. It's like a box of Legos that YOU have to shape into whatever suits you best, not a pre-assembled gimmick. People with ingenuity and a sense of wonder will be drawn to it. People who just want to shop online or do basic word processing and stuff like that will be repulsed by it. Linux has a market segment that it appeals to. (I won't say "niche" because it marginalizes it; Linux could easily appeal to more than just your typical computer geek). So do OS's like MacOS and BeOS. Windows has so degraded in quality that anyone who knew better wouldn't even consider it.

    It's getting people to know better that's hard. And I think that's what Petreley is saying.