Desktop Linux (fwd)

[Jon maddog Hall]

travis at scootz.net said:
> That's what Apple thought too by putting Macs in Schools. That didn't really
> work for them. 

You said "schools", I said "businesses".  That's apples and oranges (pun
intended).

travis at scootz.net said:
> That is true, but there is also a problem with the Linux comunity in that
> they think everything should be free.

You said "Linux community".  I said "businesses".   And I disagree that the
"community" does not buy software.  It is just that they don't like getting
ripped off for it.

But I was specifically talking about the new Linux community, the ones
represented by major corporations and governments who are switching.

>That's been said over and over. When I see it, then I'll be excitied.

SAP.  Peoplesoft.  Oracle.  They come slowly at first, then faster.  It is not
just their server sides, but their client sides too.

> I myself still use Windows on the desktop at work, and OSX on the desktop at
> home.

Well, bless your heart.....probably will be using it for some time in the
future too, I have no doubt.

I said that 2004/2005 will be the years, not 2003+.  And even then, the
"years of the desktop" will be a 20-30% penetration into new sales.  It takes
a long time to replace a whole installed base.

Pardon me, Travis, but I heard the same stuff about Linux ten years ago.  I
was told it was "only a toy", "would never scale", "never be used by the
enterprise".  Very few thought that it would make it this far.

Just because you use other products on the desktop does not mean that some
will not find Linux useful.

md
-- 
Jon "maddog" Hall
Executive Director           Linux(R) International
email: maddog at li.org         80 Amherst St. 
Voice: +1.603.672.4557       Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A.
WWW: http://www.li.org

Board Member: Uniforum Association, USENIX Association

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