Trevor Warren wrote:
My point is that companies like MS have far more $$$ to throw about and bait the ministers/beaureaucrats than most of the other teeny-meeny FLOSS companies. And this is what it takes to buy a deal of this size.
There is an important point that we are missing in this discussion. It is not only about which system is the best or free or secure but what the common computer user population learns as computer literacy. Right from school to adult computer literacy classes, everyone is taught the windows file system, settings and windows based programs from the simple internet explorer, outlook express, word/excel/powerpoint to higher level ones like autocad, dreamweaver, photoshop, corel draw, visual basic, 3d max etc.
This mass of computer literate users cannot be expected to jump on to linux based programs and file systems they are not familiar with. Multimedia is still a weak area in linux. (lets not get too deep into this) The main shift according to my limited knowledge is from M$ based browsers, emailers, office suites and servers to their linux based siblings.
Linux is like a well where we have to come to it an fill our own buckets and walk back with them. This well water is pure and healthy. M$ is like a 24 hour water connection. Sometimes the water may not be clean expecially after an epidemic infection. Still people prefer to use purifiers and filters and other precautions along with their tap water instead of going all the way to the well. Unless linux starts its own 24 hour water supply, many people will still avoid going to the well.
The big hit will come from future M$ OSes that will incorporate the security features of linux and the visual appeal and ease of use of its own. Thats a danger area for linux.
Regards,
Rony.
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