On 25/09/06, jtd jtd@mtnl.net.in wrote:
That is precisely what the market is delivering these days, set top box, media center, game consoles, phones that do everything except call. The majority use linux. If we are to total these into usage it should outstrip M$ sales by an order of magnitude.
yes very true, don't forget one enterprise owned by yours truely is in joint venture with IIT and DST funding for a book reader which is totally linux based. and regarding set top boxes, there was a big issue where the companies were questioned as to why costeffective technologies as in free license were not used. it so happened that some companies came in india with this product and had windows micro edition on the boxes and as all know the licenses do cost. the question was asked by the government about the cost effectiveness. and a strong reference to linux was made. I don't remember the issue that came up in times, but I will try to dig it up. bottom line is, it is not the m$ vs redhat/ IBM or canonical etc. it just means that you should not be forced to pay for some rights which you get by birth. owning the copy of the software product you bought by paying money is your right. and even after paying license fees to m$ and similar companies, their license staits "you have been granted this license to use the software". it states all the things you can't do with it. so even before I knew gpl, I always asked people, why am I not allowed to do any thing with the software I purchased? don't I have a right to do any thing with my copy? and as jtd rightly said, I never heard a .net enabled mobile phone. I know python is used in nokia hand sets and java enabled phones are common. I have the news from Dr. Nagarjuna that linux phones are also coming up. or may be I am behind the news schedule and they have already come. but all things said and done, no .net or m$ enabled phones. regarding desktops, in many European countries, I personally know companies and organisations who don't have a single trace of windows on their desktop. they rather pay companies like IBM and Canonical for support (even for desktop). why should we not make a huge campain and promote truth and freedom with power and security through gnu/linux? and then there are so many brands to choose from unlike m$? regards. Krishnakant.