I have several machines with more than 6 months uptime. I used to have a machine with 2 years uptime when running RedHat 3.0.3 (kernel 1.0.33 ? Something like that).
I'm particularly concerned about future releases myself, since my company is all based on Conectiva Linux.
Conectiva has been working on their Conectiva Linux 11 product for some time now. So, I think (hope) at they will go at least that far. After that, it is anyone's guess.
First, the majority of Conectiva users speak portugues, not spanish. I would guess at least 70% of the user base is in Brazil.
Second, Conectiva has been profitable for some time now, so this won't be exactly saving the Conectiva platform, as if it were dying.
Conectiva has some big corporate customers, including several banks. One of them is even using Conectiva Linux on their ATM machine. So I really don't understand why you wrote "customers" (using quotation marks).
Also, it is Conectiva, with just 1 N. Not Connectiva.
About what I think, is that people should do their homework before posting. Then again, this IS slashdot.
I find this particularly intriguing, since ABN-AMRO Bank has been the major shareholder (50%+) of Conectiva last time I checked. Most than US$ 2Mil worth of stocks.
Anyone knows how much (if anything) of Mandrake stocks are held by ABN ?
Looks like (from the numbers) Mandrake is getting only the remaing stocks still help incompany by the original founders of Conectiva.
Unless there is some big involvment of ABN on Mandrake, I find this all very strange.
Actually, the lead developer on apt-rpm was Alfredo Kojuma (from the WindowMaker desktop). The lead developer for smart is Gustavo Niemeyer, which took over the apt-rpm project after Kojima left Conectiva to start his own consulting company (with other Conectiva ex-employers).
The bad apples are the enterprise sales teams. Their policy is to milk each customer for what its worth, and as a result you _cannot_ get honest pricing answers out of them. (To be fair, other enterprise vendors -- bar Sun's new licensing -- are as bad or worse, but MS has to deal with the added stigma of bad press every other day).
Introductory statement: I'm Pro-Linux and Anti-Microsoft.
That said, I have to agree with you. I have worked for a major Linux distrubution, and had many oportunities to visit clients along the sales team. I have to tell you, Linux entreprise sales teams are not much different from Microsoft ones.
If your case, it has nothing to do with cost. You are confortable and happy with the solution you have in place. You think what you are paying is fair, and see no problem with it. You think your security is adequate. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. In any case, you are happy with it.
You are saying there are no alternatives to "a bunch of software" you use, left unnamed. I'm willing to bet there are alternatives to most, if not all of them. But, since you don't have any real reason to change, why should you take the time to look for it ?
No, I'm not being sarcastic. You are right not to migrate to Linux. The cost impact for you is very low. If I get it correctly, you are only running 1 machine, not 26000 (LA). You are happy with your platform. It is doing what you need.
Trust me. Migrating to Linux just because it is the "politicaly correct" thing to do is the worst mistake one can make.
Now, I would want to see you saying the same thing if migrating woul save you US$ 1Mil. Get me ? Different realities.
Just because you are selling 1Mil doesn't mean you are profiting 1Mil.
Considering how much Microsoft spends on marketing, lobbing, lawsuits, employees, failed products, I would say their profit margin is around 20% tops (maybe not even that much).
So, to break using a quarte mil on lobby, they would have to sell at least 1Mil AND a quarter. Of course, that would still be good business, since they would not be loosing and money, and would be able to collect the real profit down the line, by maintaining market control.
I remember a particularly interesting case here in Brazil. The major bank around here (public bank) was looking to provide its customers with a given product. Two companies reached the end of the tests, Microsoft and another one. The product in question was Microsoft Money. The non-microsoft producted ended up being the best choice. So, what did Microsoft do ? Gave Money for free, thus winning.
It all ended up in court. Last time I checked, the other company was dropping the case, because Microsoft was able to push it so long they(the other) were running out of money.
Now, back to the subject, it is even possible Microsoft will be giving Office for free to LA, even tho USA laws are a bit more hard on things like this. Then again, who knows.
As to suing the companies, no, you can't, and shouldn't, be able to sue for that. So long as the company is up-front about the inclusion of such features, you had fair warning, and could choose to purchase a different system.
Warning: This product makes use of ZYX watermarking tecnology.
or
Warning: This product uses a watermarking tecnology that will make it impossible for you to use any devices we didn't approve first, taking from you the right to choose what brand or model you want to have.
I'm serious. Who come the people accept it ? It stupidity to be a new way of life of something ?
I'm all for capitalism, but watermarking the sound my speaks produce ? Isn't that pushing things a bit too far ? Can't we sue the companies for it ? After all, the sound being produced it not the same sound we payed for.
And heck. It is MY computer. I can plug anything I want on it, not only "RIAA approved" devices. And I don't even live in USA, so why should I care if RIAA approved my devices or not ?
I'm still waiting for someone to show up and say: "Laugh! It was all a joke. Gotcha! April fools!"
Slashdot Mirror
I have several machines with more than 6 months uptime. I used to have a machine with 2 years uptime when running RedHat 3.0.3 (kernel 1.0.33 ? Something like that).
What is your point, exactly ?
A united Mandrake+Conectiva distribution would be the prime target for Microsoft aquisition if they were out for it.
So you may not be that far from the mark there.
I define it was in how much money the govenment has that a company can take.
I think that is pretty how much every company defines it.
I'm particularly concerned about future releases myself, since my company is all based on Conectiva Linux.
Conectiva has been working on their Conectiva Linux 11 product for some time now. So, I think (hope) at they will go at least that far. After that, it is anyone's guess.
Let me clear some misconceptions on your post.
First, the majority of Conectiva users speak portugues, not spanish. I would guess at least 70% of the user base is in Brazil.
Second, Conectiva has been profitable for some time now, so this won't be exactly saving the Conectiva platform, as if it were dying.
Conectiva has some big corporate customers, including several banks. One of them is even using Conectiva Linux on their ATM machine. So I really don't understand why you wrote "customers" (using quotation marks).
Also, it is Conectiva, with just 1 N. Not Connectiva.
About what I think, is that people should do their homework before posting. Then again, this IS slashdot.
Good change it will be neither. Odds point toward smart.
I find this particularly intriguing, since ABN-AMRO Bank has been the major shareholder (50%+) of Conectiva last time I checked. Most than US$ 2Mil worth of stocks.
Anyone knows how much (if anything) of Mandrake stocks are held by ABN ?
Looks like (from the numbers) Mandrake is getting only the remaing stocks still help incompany by the original founders of Conectiva.
Unless there is some big involvment of ABN on Mandrake, I find this all very strange.
Actually, the lead developer on apt-rpm was Alfredo Kojuma (from the WindowMaker desktop). The lead developer for smart is Gustavo Niemeyer, which took over the apt-rpm project after Kojima left Conectiva to start his own consulting company (with other Conectiva ex-employers).
True. They should use "Beat the slashdot effect" as advertisement for the subscription service.
It depends on what you describe as a joke
I define this particular joke as something you tell at an technical convention, and everyone laughs. Hard.
And yes, I can see how this can be used as a markting advantage on a less technical environment.
Still sounds like a heck of a good joke.
No removable midia = no backup
How trustworthy is that ?
And I really don't recall (I might be wrong) HP/UX requiring the removal of the floppy drive to be certified C2.
There was some rumors a few years ago about Windows NT getting a C2 "certification" only when you did things like disconecting the floppy drive.
I actually think most of this was the old "poking fun at Microsoft", tho. I mean, if that was the case, I doubt it would get certified.
On the other hand, I never had much respect for those rainbow certifications.
Just tested downloading using Internet Explorer running under Wine.
Installed the ActiveX component, and downloaded just fine.
Tried with the AntiSpyware product of theirs.
How about the LGPL then ?
It is interesting to notice that on gnupg, if you are using DSA keys, you can't use SHA-2 hashes (SHA256+).
So, your best options are still SHA-1 and RIPEMD160.
Or revoking your DSA key and making a new RSA key. That way, you can use up to SHA512 hashes.
Having a friend that works as a developer at Microsoft, I can say I'm not amazed to hear about this.
Accourding to him, Microsoft not only has hundreds of Linux machines, but also pretty much any other OS you can think of (including BeOS).
The bad apples are the enterprise sales teams. Their policy is to milk each customer for what its worth, and as a result you _cannot_ get honest pricing answers out of them. (To be fair, other enterprise vendors -- bar Sun's new licensing -- are as bad or worse, but MS has to deal with the added stigma of bad press every other day).
Introductory statement: I'm Pro-Linux and Anti-Microsoft.
That said, I have to agree with you. I have worked for a major Linux distrubution, and had many oportunities to visit clients along the sales team. I have to tell you, Linux entreprise sales teams are not much different from Microsoft ones.
No, but I can explain it to you.
If your case, it has nothing to do with cost. You are confortable and happy with the solution you have in place. You think what you are paying is fair, and see no problem with it. You think your security is adequate. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. In any case, you are happy with it.
You are saying there are no alternatives to "a bunch of software" you use, left unnamed. I'm willing to bet there are alternatives to most, if not all of them. But, since you don't have any real reason to change, why should you take the time to look for it ?
No, I'm not being sarcastic. You are right not to migrate to Linux. The cost impact for you is very low. If I get it correctly, you are only running 1 machine, not 26000 (LA). You are happy with your platform. It is doing what you need.
Trust me. Migrating to Linux just because it is the "politicaly correct" thing to do is the worst mistake one can make.
Now, I would want to see you saying the same thing if migrating woul save you US$ 1Mil. Get me ? Different realities.
So then, how Did Microsoft Office end up defeating WordPerfect?
I would say the WordPerfect (for Windows) managed to defeat itself.
Same with OS/2. After all, IBM was selling PCs with Windows. Talk about coordination. And yes, I was working for IBM at the time, and saw it happen.
That is what site licenses are for. Not to mention that Microsoft has some softwares to administer that. Which, of course, they charge for.
There are always more oportunities to keep people that are locked on a give archtecture giving you money.
I beg to disagree.
Yes, your view is somewhat correct, but simplist.
Just because you are selling 1Mil doesn't mean you are profiting 1Mil.
Considering how much Microsoft spends on marketing, lobbing, lawsuits, employees, failed products, I would say their profit margin is around 20% tops (maybe not even that much).
So, to break using a quarte mil on lobby, they would have to sell at least 1Mil AND a quarter. Of course, that would still be good business, since they would not be loosing and money, and would be able to collect the real profit down the line, by maintaining market control.
I remember a particularly interesting case here in Brazil. The major bank around here (public bank) was looking to provide its customers with a given product. Two companies reached the end of the tests, Microsoft and another one. The product in question was Microsoft Money. The non-microsoft producted ended up being the best choice. So, what did Microsoft do ? Gave Money for free, thus winning.
It all ended up in court. Last time I checked, the other company was dropping the case, because Microsoft was able to push it so long they(the other) were running out of money.
Now, back to the subject, it is even possible Microsoft will be giving Office for free to LA, even tho USA laws are a bit more hard on things like this. Then again, who knows.
No. Must not say it ... No ... No
GO MICROSOFT GO!
Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I said it !
Please excuse me while I go shoot myself on the head.
Warning: This product makes use of ZYX watermarking tecnology.
or
Warning: This product uses a watermarking tecnology that will make it impossible for you to use any devices we didn't approve first, taking from you the right to choose what brand or model you want to have.
BIG difference, don't you think ?
I'm serious. Who come the people accept it ?
It stupidity to be a new way of life of something ?
I'm all for capitalism, but watermarking the sound my speaks produce ? Isn't that pushing things a bit too far ? Can't we sue the companies for it ? After all, the sound being produced it not the same sound we payed for.
And heck. It is MY computer. I can plug anything I want on it, not only "RIAA approved" devices. And I don't even live in USA, so why should I care if RIAA approved my devices or not ?
I'm still waiting for someone to show up and say: "Laugh! It was all a joke. Gotcha! April fools!"
1) Get off our island earth and spread. Mars?
2) Create powerful space based energy weapons to destroy this big rock.
3) ?????
4) Profit
Sounds fun. When do we start ?