[KLUG Advocacy] A User Leaving

[John Bridleman]

* Bill Katsma (bkatsma@attbi.com) wrote:
> 
> Right now Linux has its place and Microsoft has theres.  Unfortunately
> Microsoft has what the majority wants which is the ease of use and the
> applications. From what I have seen the Apple is more competition to
> what Microsoft has than Linux it has a robust OS and the point and click
> usability.  It is just missing the applications and lack of upgrade
> ability that one has with the X86 architecture.
> 

The only place I see Windows having an edge over Linux in applications is in the educational area. I'm not so sure that is true in the MAC world. It may be, I just don't do Macs.

As far as ease of use goes I think Linux, specifically RedHat and Ximian Gnome, are almost there. I heard the other day that OEM's won't be able to use Win2K after the end of the month. The only option will be WinXP. I've had to work with WinXP and while it does do a good job of detecting new hardware and installing drivers for it, the rest of the configuration can be a pain to get to. Specifically the network configuration. Give me netconfig any day!

> I would love more than anything to see Linux be a easy system to use
> like Microsoft as long as the user still has the control.  Because Linux
> is not mainstream it get protection from companies trying to exploit it
> with spy-ware and Virus writers attacking with Viruses.  

I think that Linux will take a bigger share of the desktop market. Microsofts latest licensing makes it even more of an option. I had a guy from CDW call the other day and ask if we had all of our licenses purchased. I told him that we should be 100% Linux by the end of the year so we weren't buying into the subscription plan. He said he was hearing that quite a bit from his customers. When I pressured him to give me a percentage he said around 20%. That was higher than I expected.
--
John Bridleman / www.bridleman.org