If they really don't plan on releasing this as a commercial product, why did they use the NPL instead of the GPL? Or perhaps a GPL with an out to allow linking with NPL source.
I don't like the fact that there's more source code coming out that's incompatible with the GPL. I'd rather put my support behind TYA.
You're argueing from the manufacturers perspective. Giving away something I can sell is generally not good for me. Open Source (and maybe even open processor design, who knows) works because the consumers have a different perspective.
If I'm in the banking business, I generally have no interest in selling the software I develop in-house. My choices are 1/ keep it to myself so my competitors don't get it, 2/ share it so my competitors get it, but we all can improve on it.
Traditionally most companies go with #1, but it's pretty obvious that #2 is better for banking as an industry (better return on investment - especially with the outrageous fees people like me charge for contract work).
As soon as a few banks get together and produce a good open source product, the incentive to stick with option #1 dissappears - why spend lots of money to develop an inferior product? In that way Open Source is inevitable. Some day (maybe next year, maybe in twenty years) an Open Source banking product will come along. When it does, there will be no turning back for that market.
The same thing applies almost anywhere. Shared development just makes too much sense. It just takes a few initial risk takers to get started (and some market segments are more averse to risk than others).
The NetWinders are cute, but expensive for general use. Maybe HCC can develop a market for them. If HCC is really doing that well, they can push them on their own customers at least.
In the meantime, assuming Corel keeps the Linux ports going, you can bet that they'll support the entire Linux community and not just their own boxes. With all the momentum behind Linux now, they'd be foolish to give up. This is the year when they might see some real return on their Linux investment.
The most promising comment was that other software developers are looking at helping with Wine. If two or three large vendors get their own software working using Wine, the others will fall in line like dominos (just like the database vendors). Wine could be perfect by year's end.
Microsoft will be in business much later than 2020, but they'll lose market dominance much sooner. By this time next year Microsoft's share of the server market will be in rapid decline. Their share of the desktop market will fall slowly, but noticably.
The most important thing that is already happening is that MS will find it difficult to leverage OS dominance in new markets (palmtops, content, real-estate, whatever). The DOJ might have a hand in this, but the real killer will be that potential partners will realize that there are viable (and profitable) alternatives.
MS in 2020 will still be huge, but they'll be huge the same way MacDonalds is huge. Everybody will know them and most will use their products on occasion, but they won't control the market.
Things change quickly in this industry and Linux has a lot of momentum. If 1999 turns out to be anything like 1998, MS will be losing market share by year's end. These are my predictions:
If IBM really backs WINE and a couple of other vendors jump on board, it could be working well by 2000. Clone shops will start to preload Linux just to save a few bucks on the Windows license (margins are really tight in that market).
Guaranteed that every major Unix product will be available on Linux by year's end. Several major Windows products will follow. The games might still take a while, but they'll come.
The only big problem with drivers is the "Win" devices. Several vendors will provide open specs by year's end. The hardware will still suck, but it'll at least work. Within two years you'll see as many Linux drivers shipped with peripherals as you Windows drivers today.
Depends on how you define standard, I suppose. To my mind the opposite of "proprietary" is "standard". Since MS is proprietary, they can't be standard. Anybody have a dictionary handy?
They've realized that 'net access has become a commodity. Microsoft doesn't want to be in the commodity business (that's why they create non-standard OS's).
MS knows that they have no experience competing on price and service, so the ISP business isn't for them.
Slashdot Mirror
The only reason it started was to encourage acceptance of KDE. Between Trolls kind-of-open license and GTK+, the project doesn't need to continue.
If they really don't plan on releasing this as a commercial product, why did they use the NPL instead of the GPL? Or perhaps a GPL with an out to allow linking with NPL source.
I don't like the fact that there's more source code coming out that's incompatible with the GPL. I'd rather put my support behind TYA.
You're argueing from the manufacturers perspective. Giving away something I can sell is generally not good for me. Open Source (and maybe even open processor design, who knows) works because the consumers have a different perspective.
If I'm in the banking business, I generally have no interest in selling the software I develop in-house. My choices are 1/ keep it to myself so my competitors don't get it, 2/ share it so my competitors get it, but we all can improve on it.
Traditionally most companies go with #1, but it's pretty obvious that #2 is better for banking as an industry (better return on investment - especially with the outrageous fees people like me charge for contract work).
As soon as a few banks get together and produce a good open source product, the incentive to stick with option #1 dissappears - why spend lots of money to develop an inferior product? In that way Open Source is inevitable. Some day (maybe next year, maybe in twenty years) an Open Source banking product will come along. When it does, there will be no turning back for that market.
The same thing applies almost anywhere. Shared development just makes too much sense. It just takes a few initial risk takers to get started (and some market segments are more averse to risk than others).
Corel just announced quarterly profits of .10 a share. If they make some money through HCC, it could look even better next quarter.
The NetWinders are cute, but expensive for general use. Maybe HCC can develop a market for them. If HCC is really doing that well, they can push them on their own customers at least.
In the meantime, assuming Corel keeps the Linux ports going, you can bet that they'll support the entire Linux community and not just their own boxes. With all the momentum behind Linux now, they'd be foolish to give up. This is the year when they might see some real return on their Linux investment.
... Ami.
The most promising comment was that other software developers are looking at helping with Wine. If two or three large vendors get their own software working using Wine, the others will fall in line like dominos (just like the database vendors). Wine could be perfect by year's end.
... Ami.
Microsoft will be in business much later than 2020, but they'll lose market dominance much sooner. By this time next year Microsoft's share of the server market will be in rapid decline. Their share of the desktop market will fall slowly, but noticably.
The most important thing that is already happening is that MS will find it difficult to leverage OS dominance in new markets (palmtops, content, real-estate, whatever). The DOJ might have a hand in this, but the real killer will be that potential partners will realize that there are viable (and profitable) alternatives.
MS in 2020 will still be huge, but they'll be huge the same way MacDonalds is huge. Everybody will know them and most will use their products on occasion, but they won't control the market.
... Ami.
If IBM really backs WINE and a couple of other vendors jump on board, it could be working well by 2000. Clone shops will start to preload Linux just to save a few bucks on the Windows license (margins are really tight in that market).
Guaranteed that every major Unix product will be available on Linux by year's end. Several major Windows products will follow. The games might still take a while, but they'll come.
The only big problem with drivers is the "Win" devices. Several vendors will provide open specs by year's end. The hardware will still suck, but it'll at least work. Within two years you'll see as many Linux drivers shipped with peripherals as you Windows drivers today.
... Ami.
The link only gives a list of presentations. I'd like to see a real announcement before I start cheering.
... Ami.
Depends on how you define standard, I suppose. To my mind the opposite of "proprietary" is "standard". Since MS is proprietary, they can't be standard.
Anybody have a dictionary handy?
They've realized that 'net access has become a commodity. Microsoft doesn't want to be in the commodity business (that's why they create non-standard OS's).
MS knows that they have no experience competing on price and service, so the ISP business isn't for them.
Maybe your search was case sensitive?