tim bray commenting on windows

Jerry Feldman gaf at blu.org
Wed Jan 9 14:13:53 EST 2008


On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:11:42 -0500
Lloyd Kvam <python at venix.com> wrote:

> The strain due to the fact that most business desktops are locked into
> the Microsoft platform, at a time when both the Apple and GNU/Linux
> alternatives are qualitatively safer, better, and cheaper to operate,
> will start to become impossible to ignore.

I think the issue comes down not so much to the fact that Windows may
have higher costs, but the additional training that the IT people must
absorb to support multiple platforms. it becomes very political. IT in
general does not like to support multiple platforms and multiple
applications. Additionally, the cost of the Windows desktops is usually
spread across different cost centers. And, then there is the
interoperability. With a very much improved OpenOffice.org and Star
Office, documents can exchanged between MS Office and others in a
reasonable fashion. 

Personally, I don't see Apple and Linux making any significant gains in
the corporate office desktop space in the foreseeable future, but I do
see some small gains in governments and schools. OpenOffice, for
instance is certainly significantly less expensive than MS office,
especially in constrained public school budgets. 

-- 
--
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id: 537C5846
PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB  CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846
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