HackFUD

So the latest IDC quarterly server report is saying that shipments of servers with Linux on them are on a downturn, compared to shipments of servers with Windows Server on them.

Game over, Linux, you are defeated.

Not. Read the rest of this entry »

Writing the previous article sparked off various thoughts in my head, one of which was “what could be done to get consumers to start realising that there is an alternative to Windows on a PC or a laptop?”.

I let that thought simmer away in the background whilst I went about the business of the day. That’s when the realisation struck me. How many of you go to a PC store from time to time? Probably quite a few of you if not all.

When you’re in the store, if you’re anything like me, you take a look at the sections where they sell the PC’s and laptops - just to see what “latest and greatest” hardware there is for sale. These are all usually powered up and you can tinker around with most of them - I usually take a peek at the hardware of a machine I think looks interesting.

And this is the stage my thoughts reached when my brain started waving metaphorical red flags and saying “Excuse me! I say! Excuse me!” until it got my attention. Read the rest of this entry »

In my previous article I countered some points made by Lee Gomes of the Wall Street Journal.

Every day I seem to read some article on-line which has some sentiment to the effect of “Linux is behind Windows on the desktop”, or, “Is Linux ready for the desktop?” , or “Linux isn’t ready for the desktop!”.

There are a number of reasons why Linux doesn’t have the desktop penetration which Windows currently enjoys. But let’s start with the main, number one reason; Read the rest of this entry »

Lee Gomes over at the Wall Street Journal has written a piece entitled “How Far Behind Is Linux?”

Nice title, but, how far behind what, precisely?

Let’s have a look at what he says. Read the rest of this entry »

I noticed a Technet Blog mentioning that OpenOffice is being made available free via the latest Sun Java update.

Reading further into the blog entry and the following fun and games begin:

Before you’re tempted to install this, maybe consider the following…

Read this for a business perspective which can help understand the “productivity software” claims, for sure a contradiction in terms!!!

Microsoft Office Word 2007 and OpenOffice.org 2.2.0 Mail Merge Comparison

“I was recently employed part time by a charity which uses OpenOffice. A longtime Microsoft Word, etc., user…Mailmerge!! It only took you fifty minutes! Congratulations. It’s taken me hours and hours of puzzling to the point of neurosis and I’m no nearer success.”

And thus begin the attempts at inserting Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. Note that the Mail Merge Comparison was performed by the same blog author on Tuesday, May 08, 2007. Also note that the comparison was between OpenOffice 2.2.0 and Word 2007… Read the rest of this entry »