The issue of cost raises some interesting questions about economic disequilibrium and productivity. One has to wonder whether the cost of the Windows platform is a efficient allocation of financial capital. Windows desktops comprise over 70% of the PC market. If 40% of the PC market shifted to Linux how would this shift in capital translate into productivity and GDP growth.
Windows licensing is a big cost for most companies. Microsoft knows this and is pushing Software Assurance harder than ever. So the question is how does the costs of MS licensing translating into organizational productivity. Can companies be using some of these costs for other things such as enhancing shareholder value. I am not saying that Windows does not deliver value, but only at a very high costs. Microsoft wants everyone to migrate to Vista next year. The cost of Vista enterprise edition is about $300. ----- Original Message ---- From: Tracy R Reed <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Main Discussion List for KPLUG <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 4, 2007 8:36:17 PM Subject: Re: It's a good day to be a Linux professional Randall Shimizu wrote: > I do think that $200 Gpc and the $400 Asus Eee PC 4G will go a long ways to spreading Linux on the desktop. Definitely. The price of "good enough" performing hardware is so cheap that the cost of software is becoming a significant factor. An interview at Forbes: http://members.forbes.com/global/2007/1112/024a.html tells the story of the Eee PC and specifically mentions the high cost of Windows compared to software. I look forward to watching companies like MS get squeezed out of the commodity software business. And speaking of the Eee, I just ordered one last night. I expect to have it in time to show off at the KPLUG meeting. So if you want to see an Eee in person come to the meeting. -- Tracy R Reed Read my blog at http://ultraviolet.org Key fingerprint = D4A8 4860 535C ABF8 BA97 25A6 F4F2 1829 9615 02AD Non-GPG signed mail gets read only if I can find it among the spam. -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
