Sometime today, jtdyahoo wrote:
[snip] (Microsoft uses huge chunks of BSD code in it's win2000 and XP suites. These form the core of it's .NET strategy. Yet it chooses to place draconian restrictions on usage and blackmouth the very same opensource movement from which it is trying to build a future).
MS has no problems with *BSD and their licenses. They have a problem with the GNU GPL, and they don't use GPLed code. (At least you can't prove they do.)
Added to this is the high cost of traditional proprietary software and it's anglo centric nature. The GNU foundation recognises this draconian restriction and choooses to fight this by providing tools of the information age free of cost and encumberances in the form [snip]
^^^^^^^^^^^^ That's NOT why GNU chooses to offer stuff free of cost. In fact, it doesn't offer free of cost, unless you download from FTP or go and beg them for a CD or other medium. The cost at which you can obtain the stuff is reasonable, and worth it.
The Linux kernel and most of the accompanying software is provided with source code and is essentially free of cost. Thus it is possible to customise and reuse all of the code.
It is possible and legal to customise and re-use NOT because it is free of cost, but because of the way the programs are licensed. They offer you some 4 freedoms, which Philip has mentioned in an earlier post. Please do not confuse the cost factor with the freedom to customise.
These are the prime reason why India must adopt opensource - freedom to innovate and adapt.
I think open source end-user software will turn out to be a lot cheaper for Indian user. At best, you can get it free of cost by borrowing a CD from your neighbour. You cannot do that with proprietary software because that amounts to piracy and illegal use. It will help businesses cut costs by employing software that does not require per-cpu licenses and useless farcical support.
Manish