It is true that most of Akamai's servers are Linux servers. However we also run a large number of Windows 2000 servers, in particular the servers delivering Windows Media format.
More evidence that proprietary File Formats and Protocols/APIs are the two tracks that carry the MS Monopoly Railroad forward.
I know it's been said before, but it's worth saying again -- The way to increase the market share of alternate OSes is not to persuade users to install and use Linux. The way is to persuade users to use open File Formats and Protocols/APIs. Diversification of the OS market place will follow as a natural consequence.
In the example above, when Akamai needed to deliver the open file formats and protocols of the Internet, they had several choices. They decided that Linux best suited thier needs. But when they needed to stream Windows Media, Win2000 was their only realistic choice.
I may be a pessimist... but I fear that WMF is a problem that Open Source cannot overcome. Even if we achieved the tremendous feat of catching up with a patent free CODEC and streaming protocol that is comparable to ASF/WMF, we still would not have success. Big Media thinks OSS is evil -- and MS will pander to Big Media's obsession with total IP control.
I hate to be gloomy, but I think that ASF/WMF is the first viable long-term Internet wedge for MS. I think.NET will be the second, and more are sure to follow.
The future just does'nt look bright for alternate OSes from my POV... But then thats just my opinion... I could be wrong!
Jonathan Weesner
Level D Flight Simulators using Linux from NLX Corporation. That's my idea of FUN!
According to the MPEG4 FAQ, the standard contains a Scene Description Specification in which the "...structure and scene description capabilities borrow several concepts from VRML".
Forget bulky 25 pound flywheels rotating at a mere 60,000 RPM... Acheive the same thing by rotating a nanoscale 1 miligram flywheel at 208 Million RPM.
Devices such as Apple's AirPort send and receive signals inside the home. Wireless transmission of high bandwidth, reliable internet data into the home is still 3 to 5 years out.
Linux has seen a remarkable rise in the high-end embedded space (Simulators, Industrial Appliances.) The company I work for used Linux as the realtime simulation engine for a brand new Class D Flight Simulator delivered in 1999. The RT UNIX system spec'd in the original bid cost over $50,000US for hardware, OS and devel tools. Our Linux solution cost less than $5000US for HW/OS/Tools. More significant savings will be realized during HW/SW maintenance over the projected 10+ year life cycle of the simulator.
Linux is likely to continue down into the Networked-Smart-Appliance market over the next 2 to 3 years, but Linux is too complex to ever be used in trivial devices such as egg-beaters and toasters.
Although Linux as a Home Desktop PC OS will be seen as a failure in 2000, Linux will continue a slow but steady rise onto Hi-Tech Corporate, University and Nerd-at-home desktops.
Penetration of Linux into the home will occur with the rise of Networked-Smart-Appliances such as dedicated Internet and networked 3D game devices. The emergence of Linux as a viable platform for networked 3D games was the unsung Linux story of 1999.(Unsung in the general mass media -- well known here at/. --:o)
...but an increasing effort is aimed at improving the graphical user interface of Linux...it's too soon to tell exactly how the effort will tie in with other user interface efforts such as Gnome or KDE.
Does anyone have more details about this? It looks like the Linux desktop may be fragmenting despite being OSS. Hopefully they will address issues of compatibility before they get too far into the design process.
Leading the effort is Gregg Zehr... whose motto emphasizes simplicity: "One button, no instructions."
Arrg... not the one button thing again. I've got 4 fingers and one thumb on the mouse... why not use them all?
OK... Call me paranoid, but this Cygnus name change has me worried.
There is no official reasons given on thier web site as to why they want to change thier name... just a vague impression that they want to distance themselves from the FSF's GNU project.
IMHO, companies dont change thier name after 10 years -- after gaining prominent name recognition in the community -- without some VERY pressing reasons.
So it seems to me that Cygnus not only wants to distance itself from GNU but is willing to take DRASTIC measures to do so.
The most obvious reason to worry is egcs.
egcs (experimental GNU compiler system ??) has been positioned as the successor to gcc, and in fact is increasingly being relied on by distros like RedHat, Debian and others.
gcc -- the GNU C compiler -- along with glibc (which is also moving towards Cygnus control) are the cornerstones of the GNU project. These products are important to the future of free software.
Cygnus cannot deny that they have been seen in the past as a GNU friendly company... I think that much of the quick acceptance that egcs has enjoyed is due to this perception. egcs has been seen as a "friendly continuation" of gcc rather than a "bad faith fork" of gcc.
So to the folks at Cygnus I say:
Come on guys, this is a community you are dealing with here... sure it's not nice (or even professional) to air grievances in public... but in this case niceties should not stop you from making your case to the community.
If Cygnus has a problem with FSF, they need to inform the community about the problem... and give us some idea about where The-Company-Formerly-Known-As-Cygnus is headed.
If you answer only one question, try this one:
Q: Why should the community trust egcs to be the new cornerstone of free software?
Slashdot Mirror
I know it's been said before, but it's worth saying again -- The way to increase the market share of alternate OSes is not to persuade users to install and use Linux. The way is to persuade users to use open File Formats and Protocols/APIs. Diversification of the OS market place will follow as a natural consequence.
In the example above, when Akamai needed to deliver the open file formats and protocols of the Internet, they had several choices. They decided that Linux best suited thier needs. But when they needed to stream Windows Media, Win2000 was their only realistic choice.
I may be a pessimist... but I fear that WMF is a problem that Open Source cannot overcome. Even if we achieved the tremendous feat of catching up with a patent free CODEC and streaming protocol that is comparable to ASF/WMF, we still would not have success. Big Media thinks OSS is evil -- and MS will pander to Big Media's obsession with total IP control.
I hate to be gloomy, but I think that ASF/WMF is the first viable long-term Internet wedge for MS. I think .NET will be the second, and more are sure to follow.
The future just does'nt look bright for alternate OSes from my POV... But then thats just my opinion... I could be wrong!
Jonathan Weesner
Level D Flight Simulators using Linux from NLX Corporation. That's my idea of FUN!
IMHO, triple licensing is needlessly complex, and renders all 3 licenses essentially meaningless.
Jono
According to the MPEG4 FAQ, the standard contains a Scene Description Specification in which the "...structure and scene description capabilities borrow several concepts from VRML".
I kind of like Technopolis better...
Maybe Carmack will wring a better-than-pathetic OpenGL implementation out of MS and get it into Xbox?? Oh well, I can dream can't I!! Jono
Acheive the same thing by rotating a nanoscale 1 miligram flywheel at 208 Million RPM.
Wee wheels win windfall -- news at eleven
Weesner
Linux has seen a remarkable rise in the high-end embedded space (Simulators, Industrial Appliances.) The company I work for used Linux as the realtime simulation engine for a brand new Class D Flight Simulator delivered in 1999. The RT UNIX system spec'd in the original bid cost over $50,000US for hardware, OS and devel tools. Our Linux solution cost less than $5000US for HW/OS/Tools. More significant savings will be realized during HW/SW maintenance over the projected 10+ year life cycle of the simulator.
Linux is likely to continue down into the Networked-Smart-Appliance market over the next 2 to 3 years, but Linux is too complex to ever be used in trivial devices such as egg-beaters and toasters.
Although Linux as a Home Desktop PC OS will be seen as a failure in 2000, Linux will continue a slow but steady rise onto Hi-Tech Corporate, University and Nerd-at-home desktops.
Penetration of Linux into the home will occur with the rise of Networked-Smart-Appliances such as dedicated Internet and networked 3D game devices. The emergence of Linux as a viable platform for networked 3D games was the unsung Linux story of 1999.(Unsung in the general mass media -- well known here at /. -- :o)
Jonathan Weesner
Jono@JunkFreePleaseWeesner.org
Does anyone have more details about this? It looks like the Linux desktop may be fragmenting despite being OSS. Hopefully they will address issues of compatibility before they get too far into the design process.
Arrg... not the one button thing again. I've got 4 fingers and one thumb on the mouse... why not use them all?
Jono
There's two main reasons to upgrade your kernel:
1. To fix a problem with your current setup, or add an additional feature that you really want.
2. Some folks just like to upgrade thier kernel as much as possible... they like to drive it around and report (or try to fix!) bugs.
If you can't find a good reason to upgrade then don't upgrade. If your system works, why fix what ain't broke?
Jono
OK... Call me paranoid, but this Cygnus name change has me worried.
There is no official reasons given on thier web site as to why they want to change thier name... just a vague impression that they want to distance themselves from the FSF's GNU project.
IMHO, companies dont change thier name after 10 years -- after gaining prominent name recognition in the community -- without some VERY pressing reasons.
So it seems to me that Cygnus not only wants to distance itself from GNU but is willing to take DRASTIC measures to do so.
The most obvious reason to worry is egcs.
egcs (experimental GNU compiler system ??) has been positioned as the successor to gcc, and in fact is increasingly being relied on by distros like RedHat, Debian and others.
gcc -- the GNU C compiler -- along with glibc (which is also moving towards Cygnus control) are the cornerstones of the GNU project. These products are important to the future of free software.
Cygnus cannot deny that they have been seen in the past as a GNU friendly company... I think that much of the quick acceptance that egcs has enjoyed is due to this perception. egcs has been seen as a "friendly continuation" of gcc rather than a "bad faith fork" of gcc.
So to the folks at Cygnus I say:
Come on guys, this is a community you are dealing with here... sure it's not nice (or even professional) to air grievances in public... but in this case niceties should not stop you from making your case to the community.
If Cygnus has a problem with FSF, they need to inform the community about the problem... and give us some idea about where The-Company-Formerly-Known-As-Cygnus is headed.
If you answer only one question, try this one:
Q: Why should the community trust egcs to be the new cornerstone of free software?
J. Weesner