On Sun, Jan 04, 2004 at 05:19:05PM +0200, Aviram Jenik wrote: > > > On Thursday 01 January 2004 21:01, Shlomi Fish wrote: > > > > Now, some arguments were made that because a business gets a software > > > > for free, he will expect the hackers who have to make it work, to work > > > > very cheaply as well. > > > > > > > Let me give an example from another field. > > > > (snipped example about law practice) > > I think Nadav's example is a great analogy. Let me throw in my 2 cents as > well. > I believe most businesses know open source software isn't free (as in beer), > there is always a cost. However, if the cost is cheaper than closed-source > software (for any reason), they will opt to use it. > > Therefore, as long as the OS programmers don't charge so much as to make it > more expensive than the alternative, it still makes business sense to use OS > programs. For example, if I am Honda, and my options are using WinCE or Linux > for my car computer, I assume I will save a lot by not paying per-seat > license for the software. > Assume a WinCE license costs Honda $1, and Honda makes 1M computer-enabled > cars a year, if the additional work required for migrating to Linux is less > than $1M, than it makes business sense to migrate. >
Just a point in the opposite direction. Depending on the target of your product you may need to get it certified, which can sometimes be a lot easier to do with name brands (one reason a company I know chose to implement their system using IBM computers which cost several thousand NIS more but saved them several tens of thousands in certification tests). That one reason in certain cases there is an advantage for vxworks in comparison to linux in the embedded market. On the other hand thats a case where you would be willing to pay the big bucks to a qualified programmer who can properly prove his/her design rather then go to the kid next door even if she is a wizkid who has just writen a M$ word replacement that actually works ;-) > I don't think Izik Cohen has suddenly become an FOSS fanatic. Also, I *know* > he doesn't think open office comes with no cost. However, he made the > calculation and came to the conclusion that with the current Windows+Office > prices, the Ministry is better off developing an alternative. The same goes > for Japanese car manufacturers, etc, etc. > > > - Aviram > > > > ================================================================= > To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command > echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
