Group Formed to Support Linux as Rival to Windows

The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been
thinking about looking into Linux again myself.

------------------------------------------------------

January 22, 2007
Group Formed to Support Linux as Rival to Windows
By STEVE LOHR

Linux, the free operating system, has gone from an intriguing experiment
to a mainstream technology in corporate data centers, helped by the
backing of major technology companies like I.B.M., Intel and
Hewlett-Packard, which sponsored industry consortiums to promote its
adoption.

Those same companies have decided that the time has come to consolidate
their collaborative support into a new group, the Linux Foundation,
which is being announced today. And the mission of the new organization
is help Linux, the leading example of the open-source model of software
development, to compete more effectively against Microsoft, the world’s
largest software company.

“It’s really a two-horse race now, with computing dominated by two
operating-system platforms, Linux and Windows,” said James Zemlin,
executive director of the Linux Foundation. “There are things that
Microsoft does well in terms of promoting Windows, providing legal
protection and standardizing Windows.”

He added that “the things that Microsoft does well are things we need to
do well — to promote, protect and standardize Linux.”

In data centers, both Linux and Microsoft have benefited from the shift
to data-serving computers powered by lower-cost microprocessors and
other industry-standard hardware using personal computer technology.
These machines, running Linux or Windows, have increasingly replaced
more costly, proprietary hardware, typically running Unix operating systems.

That shift to industry-standard hardware has helped makers of personal
computer chips like Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, and makers of
PC-technology machines including Hewlett-Packard, I.B.M., Dell, NEC and
Fujitsu.

Traditional rivals of Microsoft in the software business, including
Oracle and I.B.M., have championed Linux to undermine an adversary and
have tweaked their database and other software programs to run on Linux.
Companies like Red Hat and Novell distribute Linux and charge companies
for technical support and maintenance.

So while Linux is distributed free, a sizable market has grown up around
it. The yearly sales of Linux-related hardware, software and services is
more than $14.5 billion, according to estimates by IDC, a research firm.

The new Linux organization is “a clear sign that we are going to
continue to work together,” said Daniel D. Frye, vice president for open
systems development at I.B.M.

There is vigorous competition among companies in the market for
hardware, software and services that work with Linux, Mr. Frye said. But
collaboration is also essential to move Linux technology forward, he
said, and avoid the kind of splintering of the marketplace that occurred
in the 1980s, when different companies supported different versions of
the Unix operating system.

The work of two other groups — the Open Source Development Labs and the
Free Standards Group — will be folded into the Linux Foundation, and
those organizations will no longer exist. Mr. Zemlin had been the head
of the Free Standards Group.

Stuart F. Cohen, the chief executive of the Open Source Development
Labs, said he was starting a new venture that would use the open-source
development model to build software applications tailored for individual
industries like financial services.

The Linux Foundation will pay salaries to Linus Torvalds, the creator of
Linux, and a few other key Linux programmers. That support had
previously come from the Open Source Development Labs.

In an e-mail message, Mr. Torvalds noted that some of the original
reasons for forming the Open Source Development Labs six years ago, like
“helping companies come to grips with Linux and open source in general,”
had in large part been addressed.

Referring to the new organization, he said, “The technical, legal and
standards issues do seem to be part of a bigger whole.”

Mr. Torvalds said his role would not change. “I work on the technology
itself, not any of the other issues,” he wrote. “I literally just sit in
my basement and do technical management. Nothing else.”

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

"Sparky Spartacus" wrote in message
...

“It’s really a two-horse race now, with computing dominated by two
operating-system platforms, Linux and Windows,” said James Zemlin,
executive director of the Linux Foundation.

I loved this quote.

"It's really a two-horse race now, telephones and smoke signals".
"It's really a two-horse race now, automobiles and elephants"

Don't you love it when the competitor trying to unseat the huge market
leader tries to include themselves?

Tom

P.S. Tried Linux many, many times. Just can't see any point. Too hobbyist.

"Sparky Spartacus" wrote in message
...
The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been thinking
about looking into Linux again myself.


snip

Not unlike soccer, Linux is poised to take over the world any day now (for
the last 10 years...) g

"S.Lewis" wrote in message
...

"Sparky Spartacus" wrote in message
...
The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been thinking
about looking into Linux again myself.


snip

Not unlike soccer, Linux is poised to take over the world any day now (for
the last 10 years...) g


At least in Soccer, it is huge outside the US.

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:24:22 -0500, Sparky Spartacus
wrote:

The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been
thinking about looking into Linux again myself.

Thanks -- good article.

I think the beginning of the end will be when the major computer
manufacturers offer Linux-based systems for a lot less than Windows
systems. With the higher hardware required for Vista there is a
window (no pun..) of opportunity.

"journey" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:24:22 -0500, Sparky Spartacus
wrote:

The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been
thinking about looking into Linux again myself.

Thanks -- good article.

I think the beginning of the end will be when the major computer
manufacturers offer Linux-based systems for a lot less than Windows
systems. With the higher hardware required for Vista there is a
window (no pun..) of opportunity.

Where are they going to save money? Windows, for a company like Dell, is
pretty cheap. A fraction of the cost of the system. Let's say it is $100
(I believe it is less).

So, if I run a large business, with users already familiar with Windows,
Office and all the other applications.

Then let's say Dell passes on the entire $100.

So, instead of say $1000 for a new machine, I pay $900. Even $600.

Then I have to retrain all my users in the differences of Linux (and don't
give me the "it's almost the same argument" -- it's different enough).
Then I have to train them in a different set of Office tools. I've tried
most of them and they are not exactly the same -- the equivalents to
PowerPoint are a joke.
I have to ensure every peripheral I have is compatible. For example, my
company is a financial institution with check scanners, credit card
scanners, MICR readers, MICR printers and ATMs.

Oh, and I have to retrain my entire tech staff.
And rollout the new Linux machines.

Wait, I should do a lab based QA of all my custom applications. Wait, you
means those applications don't have Linux versions? And I don't own the
source code? I have to PAY the vendor to convert them to run in Linux?

Imagine the costs of an upgrade of Windows and/or Office. Then take it up
an order of magnitude.

You're talking about companies that won't upgrade to Vista for 1-3 years.

And probably still have production Windows 95 or 98 machines.


If I was the CIO of a reasonably sized company (and I was), you couldn't
GIVE me Linux machines.

Tom

S.Lewis wrote:
"Sparky Spartacus" wrote in message
...
The beginning of the beginning of the end for Windows? I've been thinking
about looking into Linux again myself.


snip

Not unlike soccer, Linux is poised to take over the world any day now (for
the last 10 years...) g

LOL, but soccer has taken over the world except for the US (and maybe
Canada?).

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:49:54 -0500, "Tom Scales"
wrote:

Hi Tom, good discussion, see you below. I can easily play devil's
advocate with my own post...

Where are they going to save money? Windows, for a company like Dell, is
pretty cheap. A fraction of the cost of the system. Let's say it is $100
(I believe it is less).

Good point. I was thinking more along the lines of a "less expensive
OS" (and there would still be costs), less expensive hardware, and
more basic software (OpenOffice) synnergistically offering a better
base feature set at lower cost. I don't pretend though to actually
believe this off the top of my head, just food for thought. Obviously,
determining something like this would be a major project, probably
with a committee involved :-)

So, if I run a large business, with users already familiar with Windows,
Office and all the other applications.

Right -- I wasn't thinking in terms of large businesses. Definitely
training costs, infrastructure support group costs, help desk costs,
lost productivity and business opportunities due to having software
possibly paralyaze the productive process, and a whole bunch of other
intellectually-sounding words.

Then I have to retrain all my users in the differences of Linux (and don't
give me the "it's almost the same argument" -- it's different enough).

Definitely different, heck, when I run Linux I am like where the
he**(ck) did my c drive go?!? What is a "root drive"? Where can I
save my documents?

Then I have to train them in a different set of Office tools. I've tried
most of them and they are not exactly the same -- the equivalents to
PowerPoint are a joke.

Well, gotcha here -- Office 2007 is very different (and a resource
hog).

Imagine the costs of an upgrade of Windows and/or Office. Then take it up
an order of magnitude.

Yes, I was product support person for a while for a very large
corporation, including support for Visual Basic, Visio, and other
tools. I had to do extensive testing of different base loads for head
office staff, as well as for the mobile sales and support staff. One
little .dll overrwrite could crash a hundred PC's if not properly
tested.

You're talking about companies that won't upgrade to Vista for 1-3 years.

Right.

And probably still have production Windows 95 or 98 machines.

I hope not. Hopefully Windows 2000 or XP by now.

If I was the CIO of a reasonably sized company (and I was), you couldn't
GIVE me Linux machines.

Tom

I understand. To tout my own horn, I was a mainframe programmer, then
systems analyst, then data analyst / dba (my favorite role) for DB2,
SQL Server, and Oracle, then product support person / Windows
developer, and now I'm dabbling in Windows development (volunteer --
there's no way I'm going back to corporate America, I am done working
as an employee and only do volunteer work right now).

I was just thinking that "the beginning of the end" would be if a
company could offer a consumer PC option with efficent and lower
hardware and bundled software costs, for a lot less than a Windoze PC.

However, even for myself, I wouldn't plop down any money for it right
now. I am too invested in Windows (hardware-compatible and software).
In fact, with my "home office" setup, I'm probably similar to a
company that wouldn't upgrade to Vista simply because of all the
compatibility issues and testing that would be invovled.

My foray into Vista will no doubt be with a "play machine laptop" at
the end of Q2 or Q3 (still can't shake corporate thinking though lol).
I have laptops from volunteer positions (local United Way) that I can
use for my own "out and about data collection device" if I need to. I
just can't load them up with personal software because at times they
are shared.

I'll probably end up with a XPS M1210 Vista laptop because it has the
right form factor.

I have considered getting a really cheap desktop PC and dedicating it
to Linux, or rotating my current E510 into that role and upgrading,
but there are a lot of competing products for my discretionary
spending (like the upcoming Canon S4 IS -- I have high hopes for that;
I like my S3 but it's time for Canon to improve on that and release
something that isn't just a slight upgrade to prior models -- i.e. how
about a 2.5" articulating LCD).

Journey

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:45:54 -0600, "S.Lewis"
wrote:

Not unlike soccer, Linux is poised to take over the world any day now (for
the last 10 years...) g

Just like Java, which is now mostly relegated to a server-side web
language.

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:52:59 -0600, journey wrote:

and now I'm dabbling in Windows development (volunteer

Oops, that should say "dabbling in Web development". Dabbling is as
far as I will go (other than static web pages). I'm familiar with
developing in Java (JSP, Struts, etc), and .NET, and Perl. Right now
I find Ruby on Rails interesting. None of that is of much use for my
vounteer work.

If I ever do any more real development, it will probably be shareware
for Windows Mobile.