Should Microsoft be worried about Linux?

As of right now I don't think they should since the main target area for selling is for non computer savay people who buy pc form Dell, HP etc. But in the long run I beleive they need to. Lets say when and if Linux distros become easy enough for anyone to use and it has all the support of Windows by hardware and software sellers, wouldn't it be cheaper for those companys such as Dell and Hp to sell pcs with Linux? I seen some oem pcs over at Wal-Mart with the same specs of the Dells but one had Linux the other had Windows Xp. And the one with Linux was $199.00 US dollars as to the Dell with Xp for $499.00 US dollars. What do you think?

An OEM copy of Windows does not cost anywhere near $300 so there must be something else different with those two PCs.

Linux still has a long way to go as far as usability in the desktop market.

Hardware compatibility would be a challenge-- Microsoft has labs that test hardware and teams that work with hardware developers to write drivers. With Linux, its sort of impossible to have that level of coordination.

It could of been a difference between those to pc as the detail on the side of the packages are always just a breif description of the total specs. But, I think that once Linux is more known in the know non computer savay world and has all the things that is desired out of Windows, Microsoft should be on the look out. Only reason I say this is because money effects what we do. Linux is far less expensive if bought than Windows. And if someone can just buy a copy Linux for less and install it and do everything they can do on Windows with ease I think sells of Windows will drop. I do agree about the hardware compatibility. But I do see a lot of newer hardware with Linux drivers. Only thing I noticed is most of the software does not support Linux. This is the only reason I am not going to try it right now. I have used all of Microsofts Os. And out of all of them Windows Xp is the best. And it will be a while before any Linux products can touch Xp in anyway. I have always used Windows. I have nothing bad to say about it. I know Linux fan say well blue screen this and blue screen that. But in my experience with Windows if you treat it good it will treat you good. I would like to see some competion between a pc Os though. Because it would bring the best out of Windows. So Microsoft won't put out anything like Windows Me;)

A friend of mine who's a diehard PC builder got so fed up after one of the major security breaches with M$ that he made the comment Linux is going to give M$ a run for the money, if not for anything than security. But I'm not so sure about that. Am going to sound like Jane Q. Public here. I try to be security conscious, and my friend installed Linux on here for me (dual boot) but I just could not get used to the look/feel of it, and to be honest didn't want to take the time to relearn the other programs (office programs) that ran on Linux, so ended up taking it off here, needed the HD space.

What is called Asia, is where all the new market is for OS's. And yes, M$ did buy a version of linux.
They finally realized Windows was about a years wages for most of those folks and guess what was free and they probably had someone to help them with the free one at no cost.

Ever wonder why 9x got a 2 year repreive?

The nasty writers are working on linux, have no fear there.

out of date, but take a look at who is making av programs for it.

If anyone thinks that Linux isn't giving Microsoft a run for their money, then you had best take a look here and here and open your eyes to the world of "Open Source" (Open Minds). These operating systems are based on the Linux kernel, come with a plethora of applications you couldn't use in a lifetime, and are as stable as a rock.

Java desktops are going into China 200,000,000 strong (that's something for Billy to worry about)........

How about a "complete" business desktop system (Xandros)(with all necessary and unnecessary applications) for $129.00 plus shipping. Not a bad price for a system that installs in just 4 mouse clicks, is stable, secure, and compatible with M$ applications (thanks to the folks at CrossOver Office and Star Office 7). How much would that cost if it were M$???? Something else for Billy to worry about........

Large companies rely on the stability and security of Linux for their servers. Oops, another worry for M$......

Getting fed up with applications not running unless your OS is upgraded (at your cost) is another reason for worry.........

On the upside, how would you like to go to a site and download the newest version of, let's say Mandrake, just go here and download the latest version. No worries about the Feds coming after you because you put it on both your machine and your wifes (try that with XP and you've broken the law). Yet another worry for them to think about............

In my opinion, I think that Microsoft has plenty to worry about.

To those of you that haven't tried Linux (or a variant such as Xandros or SuSE), give it a shot, you might enjoy it.........

Linux is far from giving Microsoft a run for its money at this point. As for security, since Microsoft's operating systems have the largest presence globally, it stands to reason that the majority of hacking would be directed towards (guess who).... Microsoft.

The saturation of Microsoft-compatible applications will also keep it in the forefront for a while too. Think of the cost of re-licensing that large corporations would have to incur; the OS may be free, but support and most applications that are robust for a large-scale commercial use aren’t. Then you have to educate the end-users.

Now, before I am accused of working for Microsoft or owning their stock, I will say this- Microsoft products are not cheap or necessarily the best at times, but they have gotten tremendously better over the years. I have worked with DOS since its inception and every version of Windows since. There have been some big bumps in the road getting to where Microsoft products are today, but for the most part, it has gotten better. I have also worked on Novell and many other operating systems, but overall when you need the maximum capability with a majority of applications, I have always returned to Microsoft operating systems.

As for large companies relying on Linux for stability, I have consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies and Linux was not prevalent at any of them. Linux was present, but not prevalent.

When I shop for a car, I could get one that costs $1,000 or $30,000. Compare the support that you would get after each; I doubt you would get a recall notice and have a defective part replaced under warranty on the $1,000 car. The more expensive car would probably be a greater target for theft too, wouldn’t it? Starting to sound familiar?

I believe that Linux (in its various flavors) will gain a market share, and to be honest could gain a lot of steam if and when more applications are written for it, but that will take a lot of time and not be an overnight phenomenon.

I will leave you with this bet. The amount of vulnerabilities that will be exposed in Linux and exploits that get written against it as an OS will be proportionate to any increase it gets of the market share because it will be more fun of a target and get more publicity.

I want to try out that linux, where can I get a copy?

Spooky, Look at John's post. Mandrake is supposed to be best for someoen new to Linux.

The key word to all of this it could give Microsoft a run for its money. I don't think Microsoft has anything to worry about right now. But if they let Linux fly in under the radar it could hurt them at some point. As for Linux users saying Linux is more stable than Windows this is an iffy. Windows is on virtually on every type of computer setup in the world. Of course your going to have horror stories about Windows being unstable. I for one get tired of the same old choices Windows and ummm Windows. But I will stick with it until something else can get the job done efficently.

Unless you're a stockholder, why should anyone care what Microsoft may or may not be worried about?

Quote:

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Originally posted by NoBoB
Unless you're a stockholder, why should anyone care what Microsoft may or may not be worried about?

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For me, the biggest reason to be concerned is that MS typically does some underhanded things to crush competition when they get worried! :eek: I've been getting email from Mandrake that supposedly MS is sponsoring some kind of European legislation to introduce software patents that will last indefinately. I haven't read the email carefully yet, but the theme was that the things being looked at here would significantly harm the open source community.

Spooky: I also encourage you to try out Mandrake - it's a pretty nice distro to work with.

I've heard some Linux purists dislike it because it's too "wussy" in their eyes. But to me, it's this kind of ease of use that will be a big factor in making Linux widespread. Most computer users don't want to mess with the systems - they just want them to work.

not to be cheap, but are there any free ones for download? This mandrake you speak of...

Hi Spooky Man G,

If you go to Linux ISO there is a whole slew of different distros to choose from, most of them Free....

Hope this helps.........

Quote:

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Originally posted by Spooky Man G
not to be cheap, but are there any free ones for download? This mandrake you speak of...

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Yeah. If you go to Mandrake's home page, they request you become a member and contribute, but it's not necessary to give any money to download the distros. Typically there are 3 ISO files which you download and burn onto 3 CDRs. Often, only the first contains the OS - the others have extra apps.

Also there are several linux versions that run from a CD so you could try them without any changes to your PC or laptop. Knoppix is the one I play with. Just boot from the CD ROM and as soon as it is installed you can klick on the browser and go on the internet.

NO CHANGES TO YOUR COMPUTER TO DO THIS.

cheers mac :D :D :p :cool:

awesomeful. Is this "linux" compatible with typical windows files?(ie *.txt, .doc, excel, etc)

Could you point me to one of these OS's that run from a CD?

ah, bloody hell, what one to pick :confused: i586, PPC? Besides "page can not be displayed"

Spooky man G, if you can spend a few bucks you can pick up any distro you want on eBay.

http://search.ebay.com/Linux_W0QQhtZ1QQsosortpropertyZ1

As far as Linux I like SuSE 9.0. Has great hardware support built in. The major problem with Linux is adding or removing software. If you can live with the original install and not want to add anything it's great. I've been messing with Linux for about 3 years and it has came a long way in that short span of time. Microsoft has noticed the advancements made by Linux and is working on a partnership with Award/Phoenix, BIOS manufacturers, to make all BIOS proprietary, working only with Micro$oft operating systems. We'll see on that one.

If your computer is new you might have a problem with hardware drivers. But most likely not.

Ive so much junk around, I could probably build a halfway decent computer from the parts... :p
But, I want a sample, like a grocery store, "Try before you buy" I dont want to spend money on something I may or may not like

Hi Spooky Man G,

Go to LinuxISO, select the distro SuSE, and download their live evaluation ISO and burn it to a CD. With the newly created CD, you'll be able to try out SuSE without it ever going onto your computer.

This is probably the best way to introduce yourself to Linux.

Not all Linux distro's are free, although most are. The free distros give you a lot of bang and probably more stuff than most will ever use, while the paid for versions get into distro specific applications, etc.

Hope this helps............

ok, im trying this...
suse linux - suse live-eval 9.0/

But, how do I burn it? Do i burn as image, or just extract it all to the cd and go?

Go to this site and all the questions about turning your ISO into a bootable CD will be answered. Remember to check your MD5 sum to insure you've downloaded your ISO without corruption..........

Hope this helps.........

sorry, im a little P*SSED off. I was most of the way downloading the 600 or so mb file and it disappeared

That's the reason for checking the MD5 against the ISO.........

Talk to you soon.......

I tried Knoppix bootable Linux CD, but I quickly gave that up. It gives a basic flavor, but to REALLY use Linux you have to mess with it. You have to try and do stuff like you do on your Windows machine: play songs, install apps, etc. To do that, you need an actuall install.

You can download the ISOs for Mandrake on Mandrake's page

What I did was to install on a second hard drive. I installed the drive in my case, but I did not connect it. When I want to run Linux, I physically unplug the IDE cable from the main HDD and plug it into the Linux HDD. Kind of a pain, yes, but this way I don't have to mess with dual booting nor am I risking my "main" machine. And this way you don't need to buy a new machine just for Linux.

Once you download the ISO file(s), most burning software has options to burn ISO images as bootable CDs.

hmm... It more or less froze up on the saving printers part. Oh well, its about 11pm here. Besides, John, I believe it was human error, not parity checking or whatever it is

I have the Trois harddrive selector switch installed. When I want to use Linux I shut down-change my switch and boot to my second harddrive which contain my Linux SuSE 9.0 install. Works great and doesn't jeopardize my Windows system.

Cool - where did you get that? I was looking for something like that!

Here's some info on the switch;

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTk3

here's one on eBay. This one is the Romtec II. A later version that the one I have;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=39967

I can't find there web page any more? Wonder if their still in business?

Weird - I could have sworn I went to their website last night, and this morning it's saying "no website at this address" !

Yes, I believe a big difference between Trios and Trios II is that the second design moved split the unit so that instead of being all in one box located in a drive bay, only the faceplate is there and the guts install in PCI slot (but not connecting to the slot). In some of the reveiws of the Trios, they complained that it was hard to connect all the IDE cables to the back, so maybe they switched the connectors to the PCI area to make this easier.

Find some more info on Trios II here

One thing I'd change in the design is not to have the switches exposed. Switching drives is not something you're going to do on the fly. So I'd take a little more precaution to make sure it doesn't happen accidentally.

Or if you would rather prefer, I suppose you could use a HDD caddy/tray/whatever they're called.

;)

The Romtec Trois switch(the original) I have has protection built in so you can change harddrives without shutting down. Safety feature I guess. Tried their web site again-not there?

Largely repeating previous interesting comments in my perspective. Realistically Linux as it stands is not suitable for the average computer user. Windows is a well-tested OS and look how many problems people have with that. Linux is finding small niches among people with more computer savvy so together with Apple is nibbling slightly at MS's heels.

There is a lot to be said for just a few standard OSs. You only have to look at the plethora of video formats, how small the benefits are of each compared to others of the same quality, and the mess that is caused by having so many. Imagine if there were 30 OSs on the market today. The problem is that control of that one main OS is in the hands of one company. In the short term anti-trust legislation and piracy will keep things in check. Should MS manage to overcome those, alternatives like Linux will have a better chance and people will slow down with upgrades for MS products. I still have a 386 that word processes fine, plays Minesweeper, boots in a fraction of the time of XP and you just turn the thing off (awww, why does my xp take so long to shutdown?).

If a significant portion of a law abiding society indulge in piracy or other illegal activities, the problem is not with them. People do not like to be ripped off. Anyone remember the tax on tea?

On the bright side, had IBM not messed up on the copyright of MS-DOS, we would now be using IBM software on IBM computers, if you could afford a special wing in the house to put one!

I think rather than "Should Microsoft be worried about Linux?"

A better question would be "Is Microsoft be worried about Linux?"

And the answer is definitely "Yes"

M$ doesn't like anything that presents a threat to any part of it's monopoly.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/11...x_from_threat/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/tech/2...-microsoft.htm

http://www.itmweb.com/f060903.htm

Hi to all: HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THE TALE (TAIL?) OF THE TORTOSE AND THE HARE (HAIR?) THOUGH I THINK MS IS SMART ENOUGH TO GRAB ON TO WHATEVER COMES ALONG AND LOOKS THREATENING. WITH, AS ACCOUNTANTS LIKE TO PUT IT, LIQUIDITY YOU CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING. LET'S NOT FORGET MS IS A CASH COW, CAPABLE OF EATING ANY GREEN PASTURE OUT THERE LINUX WILL HAVE TO BEEF-UP FOR THE RACE AS MS CAN HIT PRETTY HARD WHEN IT HAS TO, EVEN USING WORFPERFECT'S BUTTERLHY LOGO IN IT ADS. REMEMBER TOO, THE TIFF WITH APPLE A NUMBER OF YEARS BACK. YES, THERE'S A MOVE TO LINUX, SLOW, MEASURED, AND WHEN IT GETS TO BE A REAL THREAT, MS IS BOUND TO TINKERWITH SOME OF ITS BETTER POINTS. REMEMBER THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE! J

Read int he newpaper where Microsoft is now going to support a OS for 10 years. To many businesses were complaining it seems. Plus it keeps M$ on computers that may well have changed over because of the cost.

Jim1
Please do us a favor, do not use all caps because even with glasses, it is darn hard to read. Actually closer to impossible for some of us. :(

Now the vb code does actually help us out if it is used right.

My biggest complaints about Linux..

1/ DOCUMENTATION, either assume too much or too little, always out of date.. or just plain incomplete..
2/ The smart A$$ Linux users who
a: can not answer your question other than to say.. this distro is better..
b: stick their heads in to a windows problem thread with "Load XXXX Linux" as their solution.
c: And who's complaints about windows are still from the Windows 2.0 days. Granted security issues..
d: expect ALL computer users to know and understand the command line interface (CLI), newbies included
3/ If you get a FREE (that is no cost) version you get what you pay for.. to get good linux distros you realy do need to BUY the offical release versions.. BUT the Support is shocking.. well Red Hat was in Australia a couple of years ago..
4/ Software compatability.. you need to make sure that the software you are getting is suitable .. not only for your Harware specifications but also the Distro Version, and the (for the gui ops) Xwindows version.

I certainly will continue recommending Windows to my customers.. and playing with Linux distros to learn.. in my spare time..

Cheers

Totally off the topic... but if the Alpha Geeks at LinuxWorld were going to run a Linux World Expo, don't ya think they might have wanted to host its web site on, uh... maybe Linux, and not Windows web servers ???

Whoops.
:confused:

They use Windows-based servers for their own web site while they tell everybody how much better Linux is? Hmmmmmm
(Sorry, couldn't resist)

Isn't that ironic.:D