Microsoft may have been scared of Linux at one time, but that is certainly not true today.
This is because the promise of Linux has been wasted by the lack of production of true killer applications, allowing both Microsoft and Apple to further embed their OS's among their faithful.
New systems shipping with Vista are sticking a finger in the Penguin's eye, because when it comes down to it, its all about the apps.
Unlike Windows, there are no elevator speeches for Linux that will do anything but drive people away from it.
It should be clear by now that 'free' aint good enough under any circumstances. Better? Not if your company runs Exchange. Makes more sense? Not if you dont have Linux geeks on staff.
Sadly, Linux is a religion, and no preacher can finish in 5 minutes.
You make my point in your first sentence, as if the software has already been purchased, in most cases, the decision is out of your hands, and you have a choice to install it, or leave. Hopefully, you are part of the decision, but I would guess that beyond the CIO, most Admins are out of the loop.
But here is the deal; Sooner or later we are going to have to start thinking like the people who would be using these tools on a daily basis, including the IT folks who will have to configure/manage this stuff.
Raise your hand if you are the odd IT Admin who would rather 'install more modules', test it, and roll it out to users in the way that we currently have to using Linux, than pop a couple DVD, follow instructions, and with way less knowledge have an Exchange/Outlook solution working in your small business before lunch?
The problem with us geeks is that we think like geeks on every issue, instead of taking into account that 99% percent of the user communities we hope to serve dont think like us, especially the CIOs held responsible for getting solutions to desktops quickly that do EVERYTHING the users want.
It doesnt matter how much Windows sucks, if everything coming out of Open Source forces compromise, time-to-solution headaches, or unreasonable learning curve for noobs. Microsoft wins because CIOs can blame problems on Microsoft. Who you gonna blame in Open Source when your solution cant read Public Folders? Where you gonna get a rebate that calms down the CIO?
Software is Business, and until Open Source starts taking business considerations into account, nothing is going to change.
All you have to do is read the posts above and below yours.
Its all along the lines of "It does 60-70-80% of what Exchange does."
After awhile, it just gets embarrasing. Yeah, its from Microsoft and it costs a small fortune except run in less than optimal circumstances under SBS, but even Exchange on a Small Business Server is functionally superior to ANYTHING from the Linux community (glad I got spare karma), and this is going to be the case forever, as long as people can still "boast" safely about their 'percentage-of-Exchange' solutions.
"For how long have we been hearing that the lack of Exchange connectivity is what's preventing Linux adoption on the desktop?"
Apparently not long enough for anyone to have done anything about it. I remember two years ago getting flamed over the Exchange issue, because I said that beating Exchange would be the holy grail. Not connecting to Exchange, BEATING Exchange.
Everyone wants to talk about a bunch of lame email/calendaring solutions, but nothing that matches the overall functionality of Exchange/Outlook in the workplace. Someday, maybe enough people will recognize that Linux will always be limited by the lack of this solution that something will be done, but the clock is ticking, if it hasnt already run out.
Maybe its just that if people want to spend the necessary time and effort on this undertaking, it might make sense that they would want to be paid?
Posts like yours make me want to think that some of you sycophants are paid to post this garbage.
Tell me ONE thing that Hillary Clinton has done to distinguish herself as a 'brillant lawyer'?
Just one thing.
ONE.
Then, tell me how this 'brilliant lawyer' lost then 900 FBI background records for 3 years, then miraculously found them sitting on a shelf in the White House?
We may not like the current occupants of the White House, but that doesnt mean that all of us have forgotten the cesspool that was the Clinton White House, and most of us DONT think she is brilliant at anything but covering her increasingly widening ass.
Surely by version 3.0, you will understand that Microsoft has done nothing wrong?
If not, just run Windows update until the whole thing stops bothering you.
Do you think Cable channels have a lot of pixelation now? Well, just wait until they have to start compressing their signal even more to keep up with the HDTV expansion underway by DirecTV. I already switched and have a HDTV DVR which is just 'okay', but those of you still on Cable are going to be pissed when you see what happens to your just barely viewable picture when Cable companies are forced to push even more signal down their limited bandwidth.
And then, when consumers complain, Cable companies will then have to switch out all that MPEG2 hardware for MPEG4, just like the Satellite companies did, and its just going to be bloody hell on you folks.
If they give you what you want, there will be resentment effecting you in ways you cant imagine coming from people who can fuck you from the shadows.
If you accept less, you will have the very same resentment. Just count your losses and move on.
This happened to a friend of mine, who had his offer signed and in writing, and was able to force the company to pay him the cost of relocation in cash, even though he raised such a stink that they no longer wanted him.
No substitute for paper. No paper, no job. Consider it a lesson well learned and find something else.
Spam is NOT free speech. You cant come into my home screaming penis ads at me without getting your ass kicked, so why should you be able to do it into my mail server?
How many solutions do we have to implement before Spam is outlawed? Why is this shit allowed to go on, stealing bandwidth and all?
There is more spam than penises needing enlargement, dammit!
I cant believe this is allowed to go on. How long did it take for callerID and no-call lists to get here? How long before we start putting these people in jail!
What about a serious investigation of whether or not the new features will help his organization?
How about a review of their current users, features used/wanted, to find out whether an upgrade would be cost effective and return something for the investment?
Why does every new MS Office release inspire a new round of articles from dopes wanting someone else to tell them what would be good for their business, without much effort on their own behalf?
Anytime I hear or read someone asking whether they should upgrade to the latest version of ANYTHING, I just want to choke them.
By the time a new product comes out, there has been MORE than enough time for due dillegance, and the answer should be apparent before release candidates are distributed, unless of course, you are an idiot, and your company sucks.
When a owner of smooth running Windows shop with dozens of.NET applications and centralized SharePoint askes me about switching to Linux to 'save a few bucks', I immediately do a quick cost/benefit analysis on whether or not I should just beat his ass and change professions.
Can any company hate the Porn Industry more than Sony?
Porn killed the Betamax, and now it appears they will do the same to BlueRay.
Sony could not understand way back when that people would actually want to watch movies with their VCR's and the first BetaMax units had a one hour capacity. OOPS!
Now, with BlueRay, it costs to much to mass produce copies, and HD DVD actually downgrades gracefully to play on non HD players. I dont know why there was even a contest.
Microsoft should have taught Sony that the best product NEVER wins in the marketplace. The easiest product to live gain access to and live with daily, is the product that wins.
With Porn backing HD-DVD, BlueRay will soon become a novelty.
Everything that Outlook does, but without the learning curve, since it comes with a team of consultants to show you how to assign all your tasks to the flunkies below you.
CRM is the perfect way to turn that nice little 6 month engagement into a 2 year gig resulting in a new home and car for the Consultant.
First, you pitch the incredible benefits of being able to essentially share your contact list and tasks with others, but with the added coolness factor of being able to link contacts, accounts, activities, tasks and messaging inside MS Outlook, or over the Web. (yeah, I know, Outlook does this even WITHOUT CRM.)
You can tell during the pitch its working when the CIO starts repeating the name of the product out loud, because then you know he cant wait to tell his friends at the bar that his company is now moving to a CRM solution, which is going to make them HIGHLY effective. When they ask him what CRM is, he can say "Oh, its complicated, you wouldnt understand without using it yourself", though he doesnt know what the acronym means either.
The ultimate goal: CUSTOMIZATION.
Once you get the client telling you how they want to be able to have different process flows for rainy days, and leap years, you can leave the meeting and head directly for the Porsche dealer down the block.
Although it sucks, since the person will continue to bounce off potential employers until finding one with inadequate screening, it is not in your companies interests to give reasons for rejecting a candidate. You never know when some insecure geek is going to return with a weapon, based on his momma telling him he could code better than God, and anyone who doesnt know it, should die.
You thank them for coming in, validate their ticket, and hope you never see them again.
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This is because the promise of Linux has been wasted by the lack of production of true killer applications, allowing both Microsoft and Apple to further embed their OS's among their faithful.
New systems shipping with Vista are sticking a finger in the Penguin's eye, because when it comes down to it, its all about the apps.
It should be clear by now that 'free' aint good enough under any circumstances. Better? Not if your company runs Exchange. Makes more sense? Not if you dont have Linux geeks on staff.
Sadly, Linux is a religion, and no preacher can finish in 5 minutes.
CIO = "What is this 'ribbon' thing I keep hearing about?"
IT Admin = "Boss, we dont need the ribbon, its just Microsoft hype."
CIO = "Have you seen the ribbon? Bring me the ribbon!"
IT Admin = "Khaaaaaaaannnnn!"
Buy it bitches! (still a shareholder)
You make my point in your first sentence, as if the software has already been purchased, in most cases, the decision is out of your hands, and you have a choice to install it, or leave. Hopefully, you are part of the decision, but I would guess that beyond the CIO, most Admins are out of the loop.
But here is the deal; Sooner or later we are going to have to start thinking like the people who would be using these tools on a daily basis, including the IT folks who will have to configure/manage this stuff.
Raise your hand if you are the odd IT Admin who would rather 'install more modules', test it, and roll it out to users in the way that we currently have to using Linux, than pop a couple DVD, follow instructions, and with way less knowledge have an Exchange/Outlook solution working in your small business before lunch?
The problem with us geeks is that we think like geeks on every issue, instead of taking into account that 99% percent of the user communities we hope to serve dont think like us, especially the CIOs held responsible for getting solutions to desktops quickly that do EVERYTHING the users want.
It doesnt matter how much Windows sucks, if everything coming out of Open Source forces compromise, time-to-solution headaches, or unreasonable learning curve for noobs. Microsoft wins because CIOs can blame problems on Microsoft. Who you gonna blame in Open Source when your solution cant read Public Folders? Where you gonna get a rebate that calms down the CIO?
Software is Business, and until Open Source starts taking business considerations into account, nothing is going to change.
Its all along the lines of "It does 60-70-80% of what Exchange does."
After awhile, it just gets embarrasing. Yeah, its from Microsoft and it costs a small fortune except run in less than optimal circumstances under SBS, but even Exchange on a Small Business Server is functionally superior to ANYTHING from the Linux community (glad I got spare karma), and this is going to be the case forever, as long as people can still "boast" safely about their 'percentage-of-Exchange' solutions.
It is past put-up-or-shutup time on this issue.
Apparently not long enough for anyone to have done anything about it. I remember two years ago getting flamed over the Exchange issue, because I said that beating Exchange would be the holy grail. Not connecting to Exchange, BEATING Exchange.
Everyone wants to talk about a bunch of lame email/calendaring solutions, but nothing that matches the overall functionality of Exchange/Outlook in the workplace. Someday, maybe enough people will recognize that Linux will always be limited by the lack of this solution that something will be done, but the clock is ticking, if it hasnt already run out.
Maybe its just that if people want to spend the necessary time and effort on this undertaking, it might make sense that they would want to be paid?
Tell me ONE thing that Hillary Clinton has done to distinguish herself as a 'brillant lawyer'?
Just one thing.
ONE.
Then, tell me how this 'brilliant lawyer' lost then 900 FBI background records for 3 years, then miraculously found them sitting on a shelf in the White House?
We may not like the current occupants of the White House, but that doesnt mean that all of us have forgotten the cesspool that was the Clinton White House, and most of us DONT think she is brilliant at anything but covering her increasingly widening ass.
Surely by version 3.0, you will understand that Microsoft has done nothing wrong? If not, just run Windows update until the whole thing stops bothering you.
And then, when consumers complain, Cable companies will then have to switch out all that MPEG2 hardware for MPEG4, just like the Satellite companies did, and its just going to be bloody hell on you folks.
If they give you what you want, there will be resentment effecting you in ways you cant imagine coming from people who can fuck you from the shadows.
If you accept less, you will have the very same resentment. Just count your losses and move on.
This happened to a friend of mine, who had his offer signed and in writing, and was able to force the company to pay him the cost of relocation in cash, even though he raised such a stink that they no longer wanted him.
No substitute for paper. No paper, no job. Consider it a lesson well learned and find something else.
Spam is NOT free speech. You cant come into my home screaming penis ads at me without getting your ass kicked, so why should you be able to do it into my mail server?
There is more spam than penises needing enlargement, dammit!
I cant believe this is allowed to go on. How long did it take for callerID and no-call lists to get here? How long before we start putting these people in jail!
No more bandaids, lock these fuckers up!
I would give you mod points if I could stop laughing at you. Thats the joke of the day, beeeaaach!
That sucker must screech like your ex-wife one day after your alimony payment was due.
What about a serious investigation of whether or not the new features will help his organization?
How about a review of their current users, features used/wanted, to find out whether an upgrade would be cost effective and return something for the investment?
Why does every new MS Office release inspire a new round of articles from dopes wanting someone else to tell them what would be good for their business, without much effort on their own behalf?
Anytime I hear or read someone asking whether they should upgrade to the latest version of ANYTHING, I just want to choke them.
By the time a new product comes out, there has been MORE than enough time for due dillegance, and the answer should be apparent before release candidates are distributed, unless of course, you are an idiot, and your company sucks.
When a owner of smooth running Windows shop with dozens of .NET applications and centralized SharePoint askes me about switching to Linux to 'save a few bucks', I immediately do a quick cost/benefit analysis on whether or not I should just beat his ass and change professions.
You know, it is possible to talk about Apple with no mention of Microsoft at all.
No matter how sexy or cool things seemed early on, the day will come when you will wonder what the fuck you were thinking.
Porn killed the Betamax, and now it appears they will do the same to BlueRay.
Sony could not understand way back when that people would actually want to watch movies with their VCR's and the first BetaMax units had a one hour capacity. OOPS!
Now, with BlueRay, it costs to much to mass produce copies, and HD DVD actually downgrades gracefully to play on non HD players. I dont know why there was even a contest.
Microsoft should have taught Sony that the best product NEVER wins in the marketplace. The easiest product to live gain access to and live with daily, is the product that wins.
With Porn backing HD-DVD, BlueRay will soon become a novelty.
Everything that Outlook does, but without the learning curve, since it comes with a team of consultants to show you how to assign all your tasks to the flunkies below you.
CRM is the perfect way to turn that nice little 6 month engagement into a 2 year gig resulting in a new home and car for the Consultant.
First, you pitch the incredible benefits of being able to essentially share your contact list and tasks with others, but with the added coolness factor of being able to link contacts, accounts, activities, tasks and messaging inside MS Outlook, or over the Web. (yeah, I know, Outlook does this even WITHOUT CRM.)
You can tell during the pitch its working when the CIO starts repeating the name of the product out loud, because then you know he cant wait to tell his friends at the bar that his company is now moving to a CRM solution, which is going to make them HIGHLY effective. When they ask him what CRM is, he can say "Oh, its complicated, you wouldnt understand without using it yourself", though he doesnt know what the acronym means either.
The ultimate goal: CUSTOMIZATION.
Once you get the client telling you how they want to be able to have different process flows for rainy days, and leap years, you can leave the meeting and head directly for the Porsche dealer down the block.
Cha-ching, bitches!
You thank them for coming in, validate their ticket, and hope you never see them again.
Like I said, no servers in the home, bitches! They are dangerous.
The phone is no different, except that it seemingly doesnt suck.