I admit it I am a Linux devotee! I also would like to apologise for the
comments make by my cohorts that were counterproductive. I admit I dont like
the M$ method of business - but that is capitalism for you.
I have been using Linux at home for about 2 years. It is not necessarily the
answers to a maidens prayer, but it does the job. I now have a Linux based
network running reliably at home, and I dont have to worry about the knock on
the door for illegal software. I run a home based computer business.
I am now seeing, contrary to what your survey said, that small business is
now prepared to look at Linux, mainly for the small server applications.
Smoothwall is very popular as a firewall solution also (a linux
distribution). The main reason these businesses are using Linux is cost. The
cost to train a person to maintain the system is about the same for Linux as
other systems. Choosing your distribution to suit the customer is very
important, however.
Summing up, I think Linux will have an impact, but it will get a toehold by
stealth. The managers may not know of its use sometimes (eg our hospital put
a temporary office downtown, and the Tech set a Linux server up as a mail
server, and router/DNS box - on a 486 system! Try that on a M$ NT box?) I
also think that the cost of commercial software and the lack of
standardisation in current M$ releases (eg try to open an XP or Office 2K doc
in Office 95/97) will convince the bean counters that saving $700+ software
cost per seat is extremely cost effective, even if some training is required
(remembering that you still have to retrain users when the latest upgrade
from M$ is installed) Also I am hearing that small business dosent like the
idea of renting software (and lets face it this is the direction M$ wants to
go - call it what they may.)
Regards Doug Foskey
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