Do We Still Need Microsoft?/ Part 2

[Germ]

Please take note that the title of the post "Do We Still Need Microsoft?" is the title of the article I am referring to.

MS makes some pretty good operating systems, but I do not like their intrusive behavior or 800 pound gorilla business tactics. And Linux has come a long way in the last couple of years. The truth is, you don't have to run Windows unless you want to. There is an equivalant Linux app to do everything you do on a Windows box.

Now- Everyone play nice!

From OfB:

"There has been a flurry of announcements in recent weeks concerning Linux on the corporate desktop. Red Hat announced a new focus on desktop Linux to complement their server-focused offerings. Sun Microsystems announced a move into low-cost desktop systems running Linux, competing with such companies as Dell. These announcements seem to suggest these companies now believe Linux has matured to the point where it makes sense to run on a corporate desktop."

http://www.ofb.biz/modules.php?name...article&sid=161

[Agent_Embryo]

Short answer: Yes. For how long? Noone knows...

[S.D.Willie]

hey Germ , can you give a diffrent link? i cant access that because it wont let me.

SD

[dunbar]

Link fails - the string contains "..." in the URL, something edited the middle of the URL.

[ngc457]

Yes we do so we can use top quality do something software. Linux has no answer for Dreamweaver, Golive, Illustrator, Flash (authoring not viewer), Fireworks, PhotoShop and many many many coutless many other software Linux has no alternative too.

Here is an example: I need to know when the next time moon will occult Saturn seen from Africa. Tell me where on Africa it can be seen. State in GMT the first contact, second, third and forth to the second of when the occultation occurs in any city you pick that can see the occultation. Be sure to state the city so I can check your answer. Times vary from place to place. Find me the answer using only software that runs in Linux. I can find the Answer in 1 second using Guide www.projectpluto.com that runs in only Windows. Can you with software that runs in Linux. Post your answers I am courious. Those of you with Macs can use a Mac to answer this as well.

[woodbutcher]

Link not working.
Hmmm time to look into building a Linux machine.
Err time to start the homework on it.

WB

[dunbar]

Well, I personally dropped M$ because they simply do not do what I want them to do.

• Phoning home and telling someone what I watch and play is not what I need,
  allowing unavoidable popups in an unremoveable browser despite both my desire to remove the browser and despite my desire to stop the popups is simply caused by the needs of the OS designers over the needs of the OS user,
  survey comment fields limited to 200 characters when I'd need thousands of characters to explain my point of view,
  etc

All that was added up by me to a sum total where I felt I was seeing a company that only wanted to 'tell me where to go today'.
Now factor in the billions of 'Lookout - PressEx' email virus transmissions, add in the full open socks implementation which allows any malicious user to erase ngc457s beloved astronomy files, and for crying out loud, this OS gets less and less user oriented at every possible step.
I need an OS wriitten for me, doing what I want it to do; I will not allow the OS to

• tell me which sites to visit,
  which browser I will use,
  how many characters I can submit,
  popup 'install on someone elses demand' windows,
  etc.

M$ is forgetting the letter U in GUI means user, not D as in Developer.

I do not care what software is not available in Linux, and this thread does not ask about the present shortcomings of Linux software....
When Windows 3.1 was released, ngc457s beloved astronomy software was likely not available then, and probably didn't become available for quite a while; patience paid off then, patience will pay off now as well. Remember: no OS starts off with every possible program being already developed.

Performance is the users need, respect for goals is another user need, proper respect for users relationships is a third need. I think Microsoft has distorted the relationship to their advantage.

[CMonster]

Let me first say that while I don't like MS as a company (Standard Oil, Enron, WorldCom -pale by comparrison, but that is another thread). I am actually glad for MS software because it directly or indirectly acomplishes three main things:

1. It actually suprs on devolopement of software applications by 3rd party, and non-Microsoft competition too, of course.

2. It creates new markets (sheep to flece) by expanding the user base because of a simplified user interface that allows even computer illiterate people (children are the fastest growing user group) to use a computer as an information appliance.

3. It sets a defacto standard by which ordinary users may compare other software products -of course we are looking for products that meet or exceed the standards.



It really depends on the application:

(and a distinction should be made here between Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft applications, and high-quality 3rd party applications -many of which could be easily ported to other operating systems)

For example, in scientific and mission critical applications UNIX has traditionally been the favorite.

In truth, most business do not need Microsoft in the absolute sense; not on an average workstation where they could do without Microsoft -without feeling like they were "doing without" at all. Certainly there is no need at all for using Microsoft in a server role in a business, but for a small business without a dedicated IT person or for a home user with no real computer skills Microsoft may still be the easier alternative to get up and running.

[dunbar]

Quote:

Originally posted by CMonster
1. It actually suprs on devolopement of software applications by 3rd party, and non-Microsoft competition too, of course.

Who is a competitor for Interknot Exposer? Opera? Netscape? maybe, but at what, something like 1/10th the total market share!

Quote:

2. It creates new markets (sheep to flece) by expanding the user base because of a simplified user interface that allows even computer illiterate people (children are the fastest growing user group) to use a computer as an information appliance.

[crouse]

Cmonster and Dunbar pretty much explain it well as far as I'm concerned. M$'s lack of ethic's have driven me to make Linux work on my desktop. (Which basically means I had to learn a few things)

Linux has many top quality software products that allow me to do pretty much anything I need to. As for business.... I don't see anything that can't be done with Linux. In fact after our next AS400 upgrade at work.... I am going to convert all the MS based computers to Linux. The cost of the MS license's and upgrades convinced everyone here that it is almost a neccessity to do so.

In my off hours I do alot of webdesign. I was pleased to find that Linux not only allows me to do everything I did before with my windows machine....but many things worked better for me...... along with the fact that my upgrades an software purchases now are almost zero.

So Linux on the Desktop works for me...