Windows for free???

einander · Post by **einander** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 1:02 pm

M$ has begun the year with a campaign against Linux.

In an effort to win big government and institutional contracts when up against Linux, Microsoft Corp. is prepared to draw from an internal slush fund to offer its software at deep discounts or even for free.

http://www.linuxbusinessweek.com/story/32679.htm
http://www.opensource.org/halloween/

Post by **Dare2** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 1:18 pm

Interesting.

But businesses switch to Linux (and OpenSource) for more reasons than initial purchase dollar.

Now if MS supplied source with their products (not necessarily free, but included in the package price) ...

TronDoc · Post by **TronDoc** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 2:00 pm

isn't that kinda like saying: "here, you can have my broken toy for free!"

LarsG · Post by **LarsG** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 2:34 pm

TronDoc wrote:isn't that kinda like saying: "here, you can have my broken toy for free!"

Post by **Dare2** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 4:47 pm

merendo · Post by **merendo** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 6:56 pm

Nice try, M$ but you will fail. Doesn't really look like they want to agree that Linux is right better.

Dreglor · Post by **Dreglor** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 7:50 pm

linux is better overall but it not for those new to computer type people but some of the distros are becomming more easy and windows like (with out the hassles and frustration)

the only problom i have is that linux doesn't surrport usb networking which i have one and it can't get on the internet with it, unless i use my lan card and get a 30 foot cable that goes across the hall and into the router :/

merendo · Post by **merendo** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 8:26 pm

Sure. Windoze will always (or at least, in the near future) be the first choice for people who need to call their emails once a day using Outlook 6, sometimes shop at eBay and call their daily horoscope (especially women often do that*rofl*). But for the expert or even for the advanced users (like me) Linux is a great choice.

I can understand you: I have DSL and need to connect my DSL-device through a USB port. And there is no driver for it under Linux. Once the manufacturers site said: 'Linux driver under contruction' but i seriously doubt that!

--
edit: DOH! I wrote Windows (again!). Has to be Windoze.

Danilo · Post by **Danilo** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 4:50 am

merendo wrote:Sure. Windoze will always (or at least, in the near future) be
the first choice for people who need to call their emails once a
day using Outlook 6, sometimes shop at eBay and call their daily
horoscope (especially women often do that*rofl*).
But for the expert or even for the advanced users (like me)
Linux is a great choice.

You are a coder, so you have to know how computers work
inside and you have technical knowledge.

Its not only the home users that dont care about the OS.

Why should a professional graphician or a professional musician
care about the console commands and all this?
People want to *work* with computers, and they can do this by
using the right applications.

3D artists install some 3D-programs (3DSmax,Maya,Poser,..) and
use this applications without knowing anything about the computer
or the operating system.

Many ppl even dont care about the OS it runs on, when the
application needs Linux, the admin gives them a Linux PC.
If it needs a Macintosh, they buy and use a Macintosh.

Computers are here to make our live easier and to do some work for us.
The operating system should make things sooo easy that you
can concentrate on your real work (creating 3D art, music, coding).

Linux is still far away from this point, because you still need to
learn too much things to use the OS before you can do your
real work.
Linux is much better now than 8 years ago (the first time i tried it),
but there is still much more to do to make it easy for everybody.

You cant generally say that all people who dont know all the
technical stuff behind the operating systems and computers
are just dumb.
There are people out there that dont know what you know
about computers... but this people actually make big money
by *using* the applications and create some art with it,
without looking how computers work or what commands are
available on console.

Computers are my live, but i still respect people that dont care
about the technical stuff behind computers and OS's - because
some of this peoples do much better work every day than iÂ´ve
done in the last 15 years programming.

Think about it...

TronDoc · Post by **TronDoc** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 9:03 am

I think the general home user could successfully install and
productively use a Linux PC at Linux's current level of development.

I believe if the same inexperienced person just bought a PC
with Linux already installed; they'd never miss WinDoze a bit.
(but of course, if their child's friend has a cool game that is
only distributed in Windows version...)

The first versions I tried were NOgui. I only had fun with them
because I came from command-line backgrounds.

Joe

Psychophanta · Post by **Psychophanta** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:10 pm

@Danilo, you demonstrate to be clever and really analitic.
What you say here is what i think.
Moreover, not only musicians, video professionals, etc, etc, etc. but electronics or computer professionals or vocationals must not prefer neither need linux or whatever concrete OS to develop programs, or hardware.
Sometimes i think that the linux defense against M$ is like a computer religion inside the computer people world.
However, i am in accordance that M$, and any other developer should offer always opensource to all the world; in all cases, not only computers... ...so i see that merchants (business men) are not in pro of human knowledge but only own profit (which is pathological because they have more than they need, and his work is not other than to earn money, there are nothing more in their minds; no intelectual restlessness of any sort), disregarding other matters...

Well, no more comments, because i would write a lot ...

merendo · Post by **merendo** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:28 pm

@Danilo: I was not a coder all my life, when i was very young and using a 166MHz 16MB Ram chest with win95, i was just happy with that machine - because i didn't need to do much with it. I first heard of Linux in a radio report. And i thought 'That might be very interesting' - and i was right. I ordered Mandrake a few days ago and cannot wait to get finally rid of M$ stuff on my machine. But as mentioned: There were times when i also didn't care about OS. There was only Windows.

Sure, it always depends on what people need to do with a computer. On one hand there are very many people who just use Windows because the used Windows since they were young. I am sure, nowadays or in a near future Linux will have a similiar easiness and user-friendly interface like win. On the other hand there ARE people who need to care about OS. Especially network people. Some servers need to handle a few Gigabyte in a second and a crash would be a desaster.

But as TronDoc said: If you would people provide people an 'instant' PC with Linux and everything they need installed, i am sure they won't miss windoze.

People only and only use windows at home because Microsoft offered a 'good', high-capable, affordable and user-friendly OS before Linus Torvalds did - That's it! Wer zuerst kommt, malt zuerst!

And BTW: Perhaps i got you wrong, but i doubt that there are people who do better work in a few days than you in 15 years. They do DIFFERENT work, but not better work. Society needs you as well as a Butcher or a Baker. Correct me if i really got you wrong...

LarsG · Post by **LarsG** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:34 pm

but what does a "dumb" user use his home computer for?!?
It boils down to three things (in general):

1. e-mail (and perhaps chatting using som IM client)
2. surfing the net / forums
3. the odd document (letter)

(4. might be playing solitaire, or some odd game)

That's basically what a "dumb" user uses his computer for...
Linux can already offer this.. (as most other OS's as well, even small ones)

Users who use the computer for playing games (gamers), usually knows just as much about how the computer works, as the "dumb" user.. Still, Linux for them is out of the question, based on the fact that developers don't develop for Linux (too small userbase)

This might change though, if the "dumb" user started using Linux as a home OS...

-Lars

Psychophanta · Post by **Psychophanta** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 12:42 pm

LarsG, you are right, but not all the computer users are "dump", even the majority...

DeeCee · Post by **DeeCee** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 2:09 pm

Windoze -vs- Linux? ...ah, the great debate!

To some, it's simply just a matter of having a choice of:
Stability over instability...
Security over insecurity...
Open-source -or- Proprietary software... (there's room for both, IMO)
Freedom from the dominance of any company, organization or group...

Freedom of choice is good stuff!

-DeeCee-