On Mon, 2006-02-13 at 15:06 -0500, Fred A. Miller wrote: > "Some smart white box retailers are now cottoning on to the fact that they > can > offer Linux based systems running Open Office.org on the same computers to > customers for hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Microsoft versions. The > challenge for Microsoft, which has become addicted to making huge profits > from selling its commodity software, is how it can convince customers that > continuing to pay through the nose for its brand of software is worth it. For > Microsoft, that is becoming an increasingly harder sell." > > http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/3272/106/
This is really a matter of debate without clear winners one way or another. One of the difficulties of the discussion is the common misunderstanding of just what Linux is and offers. The short consideration regarding Linux is that every Linux distribution turns one's computer into a server. The applications such as Open Office which allow each distribution to function similarly to a Windows or Mac applications are merely pluses, to Linux -- not Linux's main function or capability. Many focus upon the features available or not available in Open Office without realizing or attempting to learn the added capacity which Linux provides as a completely different and more flexible and definitely truly more powerful OS. Most focus on what they know or are aware of regarding one application feature or another. Open Office and other applications which are by definition open source can come close to what is desired, but companies which have made their bread and butter providing features which people have gotten used to are not going to just give up and go away; allowing themselves to be easily replaced. They will build upon their core applications and make them better. It may be an interesting dance between who does Tango while others do Hip-Hop; meanwhile people will need what they need to work professionally and it is not clear which OS or architecture makes the most sense. By architecture I mean Intel and compatibles, Sparc, PPC. They have unique strengths for different purposes, which can be exploited by those who do know and cannot be even dreamed of by those who do not. This note, is just a footnote providing hopefully a small highlight regarding the overall discussion. Good Luck ... --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
