My biggest grip about Microsoft, and her OS/Application stack, is that everything is driven by a paranoid need to maintain a kind of monopolistic dominance. This has created products that are promised way before they can reasonable be delivered, products that are not ready or complete as to original promises when the products are finally released, and wasted time, energy, and money from unnecessary churn, (eg Dropping support for many products to drive everybody to .NET, for example). Microsoft's OS(s) are aggravating in their one way of doing things and the mysterious registry. When working in Linux/Unix, I can do thing any number of ways with access to the configuration files, modifications to source code, the use a batch files, compiling applications from a command line with the desired switches included, etc., so I've learned much more working in Linux form being exposed to much more.
Windows is proprietary, and once I develop an application with a Microsoft product, I'm locked into a never ending cycle of churn. I never upgraded to Vista, but I suspect one of the main forces that drove Microsoft to create Viata was the need to catch up with security feature that had long been available in Linux/Unix. Microsoft still hasn't put forth a really good file system, and she didn't delivery on the promise of an improved file system for Vista. Also, desktop application developed for Windows will not port cross platform to Linux/Unix. Some of what I've mentioned here is irrelevant; because, the real OS today is the internet, including all the OS(s), network hardware/software, infrastructure, etc that make up the internet. As long as applications are developed that adhere to standards of bodies elected to maintain the standards, the application will run cross platform on the internet, not on particular OS(s) like Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac, etc. I do understand your dilemma with Windows though; because, I've been there. LOL Regards, LelandJ Rick Schummer wrote: >>> You could encourage your clients to standardize on one or two of the major >>> favours of Linux.<< >>> > > You are a seriously lucky person to control your clients' infrastructure. I > am a software guy and > dislike working with hardware and appreciate the IT managers and hardware > people I am working with > for my customers. I cannot even control what versions of Windows the clients > are using. In fact, I > don't even control the versions of the developer tools I use for my clients > in some cases. Obviously > you are way more persuasive than I am with my customers, but I like to think > of myself as diverse > and flexible, and working in my customers best interest. > > Think of a vertical market application, which is a market I play in every > day. You have no control, > or very little control over the marketplace and what people run other than to > set requirements for > your app. Tighter requirements only limits your market and the profitability > of your product. I > prefer for my apps to work on 80-90% of the machines out in general business, > and on 100% of my > customer's infrastructure. > > >>> It is true that Windows pretty well owns the desktop, but because of >>> > windows prominence on the desktop, there is much more support > /competition in the Windows arena. Because Linux is less prevent on the > desktop, there is less support/competition in the Linux area which > spells, Opportunity for those that want to develop this niche, but as > you move up the IT and ISP chain, you will find Linux/Unix is, > relatively speckling, used much more than it is at the desktop level.<< > > I don't disagree with this premise in general. I just choose to work in a > business desktop market > that is the larger of the two, that is all. Why is this so hard for people to > understand. I get > Linux and why geeks are attracted to it. Business does not care about most of > the reasons geeks like > it. Business only cares that they can get the job done they have to do. To > force a transition is not > in everyone's best interest. > > I also do not begrudge those who choose a different path than I have and wish > them success in their > ventures. It is also my experience that those customers who get their OS and > apps like Open Office > for free are less likely to pay for other computer related services, and when > they pay they want to > pay much lower rates. I know there are people who see and experience this > differently and I am happy > for them, but the free business model is not working for me, so the niche as > you put it is not > something I can operate successfully in at this time. I pick a different > niche, that is my success. > > You will not find me working in too many Fortune 500 companies. They have > magical accounting > departments with very creative and innovative ways of keeping money in their > banks and out of mine. > > Rick > White Light Computing, Inc. > > www.whitelightcomputing.com > www.swfox.net > www.rickschummer.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Leland Jackson > Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 01:57 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [NF] Why do you think Vista sucks? > > Rick Schummer wrote: > >> Ed, >> >> Once again you play both sides of a smackdown. You call out Al for his >> alleged Linux bigotry (or >> > as > >> I see it, maybe his preference for Windows) and then you play on my >> preference for Vista in a >> > Vista > >> like vs. dislike discussion. Shame on you, but I am accustom to your "fun", >> just like you answer >> serious VFP questions with useless "how it is done with Dabo answers". >> >> If you want a list of things people don't like about Linux, just ask. I have >> two primary ones as >> > you > >> well know: >> >> 1) Does not natively run the most basic apps I use every single day. (and >> no, I am not letting my >> life be run in a virtual machine where life is sloooow). This is known as a >> solid, unemotional >> business decision. >> >> >> > > Things are gradually moving towards OS(s) that are based on 64 bit > hardware and software, and one of the programs you use the most, (eg > VFP), will not run natively in a 64 bit environment in either windows XP > or Vista. So far as most other apps like Office, Excel, MSSQL, etc, > Linux has a very workable, and often free, counterpart. > > >> 2) Incompatibility possibilities based on too many different distros running >> potential vertical >> market applications. This is a technical problem that I need to solve. Not >> impossible, just >> overwhelming when I have so much work to do these days. And yes, almost the >> same as the different >> flavors of Windows, but I for the most part have that problem under control. >> No need to go on >> > about > >> >> > > You could encourage your clients to standardize on one or two of the > major favours of Linux. > > >> choice is good/bad, just a fact of life. >> >> And before you call my preferences anti-Linux or bigotry, forget about it. I >> am neither, I just >> prefer to keep making money on a solid platform that is firmly entrenched in >> my customers' >> businesses. I have Linux in my life, I just choose a working business model >> that is proven for my >> business. >> >> > > It is true that Windows pretty well owns the desktop, but because of > windows prominence on the desktop, there is much more support > /competition in the Windows arena. Because Linux is less prevent on the > desktop, there is less support/competition in the Linux area which > spells, Opportunity for those that want to develop this niche, but as > you move up the IT and ISP chain, you will find Linux/Unix is, > relatively speckling, used much more than it is at the desktop level. > > > Regards, > > LelandJ > >> Thanks for the humor this morning. >> >> Rick >> White Light Computing, Inc. >> >> www.whitelightcomputing.com >> www.swfox.net >> www.rickschummer.com >> >> >> >> >> [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. 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