Posted on 01/31/2006 12:04:16 PM PST by N3WBI3
Google is preparing its own distribution of Linux for the desktop, in a possible bid to take on Microsoft in its core business - desktop software.
A version of the increasingly popular Ubuntu desktop Linux distribution, based on Debian and the Gnome desktop, it is known internally as 'Goobuntu'. Google has confirmed it is working on a desktop linux project called Goobuntu, but declined to supply further details, including what the project is for.
It's possible that it's just one of the toys Googleplex engineers play with on Fridays, when they get time off from buffing the search engine code or filtering out entries about Tiananmen Square.
It could be for wider deployments on the company's own desktops, as an alternative to Microsoft, but still for internal use only.
But it's possible Google plans to distribute it to the general public, as a free alternative to Windows.
Google has already demonstrated an interest in building a presence on the desktop. At CES Las Vegas this month, it announced the Google Pack, a collection of desktop software bundled together for easy downloading.
The pack includes many apps which compete directly with the Windows bundle, such as Google Talk, Google Desktop, Mozilla Firefox, the Trillian instant messenger client, RealPlayer, and Picasa photo management.
Going the whole hog and distributing a complete desktop software suite would merely be another step down the same path.
However, entering the desktop software world would be a huge step. Making Goobuntu as easy to use as XP will require a lot more development. It's unlikely to be ready for showtime any time soon, and it's possible Google itself hasn't finalised where the project should go.
Whatever Google's intentions, the input of Google engineers and developers, writing new features and fixing bugs, will be a huge boost to the Ubuntu project.
Ubuntu, funded by the South African internet multimillionaire and occasional cosmonaut Mark Shuttleworth, is already emerging as a leader in the desktop Linux world.
It has built considerable momentum in the Linux community, and is starting to appear more widely. Shuttleworth is seeking to persuade white-box PC manufacturers to start shipping machines with Ubuntu preinstalled.
It is top of the Distrowatch download chart, is installed on up to six million computers, and doubling every eight months, according to estimates from Shuttleworth's company, Canonical.
It has spawned a number of different offshoots, including Xubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu (for schools).
The word Ubuntu means "humanity to others" in several African languages, including Zulu and Xhosa. It's one of the founding principles of post-apartheid South Africa. The origin of the word 'Goobuntu' is not clear, though it does not appear in online Zulu dictionaries.
The Goobuntu.com domain has been registered in the past couple of days, though presumably not by Google. It now redirects to a Cuban portal. Perhaps Google will have to think of a new name for the system before they launch it to the wider public. ®
I'm assuming you phrased that statement very carefully, so that when one of us came back with an equivalent product that performs the exact same functions, you can say "but, but, but--that company doesn't produce a Linux version of "xzy".
Sorry, chap. Ain't gonna play that game.
Think whatever you want, but the only real "news" here is Google rumors never equal reality and their stock is tanking right at this exact moment.
By 'products in production' I am assuming you mean CSS? If thats the case I would like to see a sample of this extensive list. I can think of a few apps but you seem to have knowledge of hundreds of different products..
Didn't really help, they're down $67 in one hour after hours trading to $365. Can you say "ouch"?
No particular love or hate for google from me, I like their product but recent decisions to filter content in china while protect pedophiles here bothers me..
Dude, a lot of what's running on Linux is already open-source. If people can get the source code, or in many instances, the software itself, and the software does the exact same thing the CSS software for $$$ does, then why should people fork out more money for the CSS, when they can get a similar program for little or no cost.
This makes perfect sense. And it's why Microsoft's hurting--both fiscally and in PR. They think the world bows down to them, and there's no accountability with their software. Consequently, the quality of Windows and desktop apps go down.
Then, companies, executives, and individuals frustrated with the unreliabilty of Windows software look for alternatives--and that's usually Apple's MacOS or *nix-based systems. It is here that open-source software--especially popular applications like OpenOffice and Firefox become known.
GE, I've never had, do not, nor will I have problems buying software, even from MS. But as a customer, I expect it to work the way it's intended. Though lately with MS products, this is really (and I mean really) asking for a lot...
Further, have you even considered the fact that people simply want more bang for their buck? Closed-Source software companies were (and still are) more interested in making products to increase profits--that's what any sane business tries to do. But when the quality of the product goes down, and there are more problems, people look for alternatives to maintain productivity.
The longer systems don't work, the more money is lost. OSS has proven through usage that overall it is more reliable, and somewhat less prone to problems. This isn't to say that by using OSS the fear of system crashes disappears--it's not. But it does decrease the risk of having to spend extended periods completely shut down and unable to do business.
This was just some bs put out by google today because the real news - their earnings - didn't meet wall street expectations. Didn't really help, they're down $67 in one hour after hours trading to $365. Can you say "ouch"?
I don't really care how Google performs on Wall Street. Its stock became overinflated because of hype when it had its IPO--resulting from the limited amount of Google shares available (supply and demand). Just as long as I can use it to search when need be--that's all that matters, IMO.
Because it's more typically a substandard product being promoted as equivalent if not superior. I hear open source fanatics claim all the time that Linux is superior to Apple OSX and Windows, which is hilarious when examined as fact. Or when they claim Open Office is better than MS Office, there's just really no basis in fact for statements like that, yet we hear them all the time.
Microsoft's hurting--both fiscally and in PR.
There you go, more ficticious statements. Microsoft has set record profit numbers for several years straight now, to claim they are somehow hurting is ridiculous.
OSS has proven through usage that overall it is more reliable, and somewhat less prone to problems.
Proven? How? On what scale? All the reports I've seen from US Cert and the National Vulnerability Database - official government statistics - show Windows with less flaws, which equals better reliability. I guess you somehow missed these.
I don't really care how Google performs on Wall Street.
I'm not surprised.
I was obviously referring to the Google products specifically mentioned in the article, that only run on Windows, which shows how ridiculous this article was. They didn't mention Google's most famous product, Google Earth, either. Is is compatible with Linux? Of course not.
http://earth.google.com/support/bin/search.py?query=Linux&Action.Search=Search&type=f
Ha ha! Love how you get talked into a corner on one thread so you move on to somewhere I'm not. Clever. You're a real master debater.
I consider OpenOffice superior to Microsoft Office for what I use it for. The beauty of OSS is that its purpose is to make software more adaptable, reliable, and usable to the everyday person. Now, we may be far from that goal, but we in the Open-Source movemen still strive toward such a lofty goal.
We don't claim that Linux is inherently superior to OSX and Windows--we try to coexist with Apple and Microsoft. Yes, we recognize that Linux isn't for everybody and for every situation--there's where OSX and Windows fit in. But most of us who advocate open-source development do so not so much as to eradicate MS and Apple, but that we see the value in the development of software--much in part because we understand the beneficial value OSS carries on everyone who uses technology--from the innovators to the producers to the end-user.
There you go, more ficticious statements. Microsoft has set record profit numbers for several years straight now, to claim they are somehow hurting is ridiculous.
Microsoft's rated at a recommendation of 2.48 out of 5 by Standard and Poor's (arguably the most trusted recommendation) with one being a strong buy and five being a strong sell. If they were having record profits, S&P would be at a 1.5 or lower--effectively making everyone and their dog saying Strong Buy. Meaning, they might have had a good year or two, but evidently, the wiseguys in the offices know otherwise.
The oil industry is making record profits--everyone's buying oil stock for the short term. Right now, they're rated at around a one to one and a half.
You are correct when you say they're doing good--but this is for the past fiscal year. Overall, they've only reached the overperform ratings for bonds--and this was three months ago. Though this overperform was downgraded to neutral. As I've said, if MS is doing as wonderful as you claim, why aren't the benchmark financial institutions on the bandwagon?
When I look at a company, I don't just look at the estimate in stock price and the latest fiscal report--I look at specific items--including bond ratings, volume, and average recommendations by financial firms such as S&P.
They're still struggling with distrust among the public, and among governments. Though, most of the governmental obfuscations have come from more socialist leanings such as China and the EU.
My MS analysis thus stands.
Proven? How? On what scale? All the reports I've seen from US Cert and the National Vulnerability Database - official government statistics - show Windows with less flaws, which equals better reliability. I guess you somehow missed these.
I guess I have. I don't have any reason to read Microsoft's "Get the Facts" propaganda and slick marketing campaigns--this is exactly where this baloney comes from.
I'm not surprised
I din't expect you to be. After all, I for some reason have the hunch you're a MS spokesman.
Do more research before making such claims
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?appId=2292
and screen shots
http://appdb.winehq.org/screenshots.php?appId=2292&versionId=
I know, which is pretty funny!
We don't claim that Linux is inherently superior to OSX and Windows--we try to coexist with Apple and Microsoft.
You may speak for yourself, but you sure aren't speaking for Richard Stallman, "the father" of your free software movement. His stated goal is to make all software free, listed as his quote "ultimate goal" on some of his websites.
If they were having record profits
There is no "if" to it. They have been setting record profits for several years in a row now. Their latest quarter, that just announced last week, was yet another record. It's time for you to deal with it, since it's been happening for consecutive years but you're obviously still stuck in denial.
I don't have any reason to read Microsoft's "Get the Facts" propaganda and slick marketing campaigns--this is exactly where this baloney comes from.
No it doesn't, they're not related, MS has never mentioned the US Cert or NVD stats that I know of, check their get the facts website for yourself. I appreciate you being cordial, it's rare from your "community", but you are flat out wrong on every point you've attempted to make, all of which are easily verifiable.
Only if you run some sort of Microsoft emulator on your Lunix box. Why even waste your time with Lunix, if you have to run all the good stuff through your Microsoft emmulator? Seems rather riduculous to me. "Look, I run Lunix! Just please don't notice I run my applications through a Windows emmulator...since I really really want you to believe everything in Lunix is better".
You're having significant trouble spelling Linux.
I can get a discount on MS software for being a U of Wis system student, but the cheapest editions run for $81. I don't have $81 to spare--for the reasons I listed above. That is not funny.
You may speak for yourself, but you sure aren't speaking for Richard Stallman, "the father" of your free software movement. His stated goal is to make all software free, listed as his quote "ultimate goal" on some of his websites.
If you read a lot of our posts, you find that not a lot of us have a high opinion of RMS. I don't either. Quit trying to paint a "Guilty by Association" on all of us.
I dare you to name five of us here who've tacitly supported RMS on any of these OSS threads within the past six months. You can't.
I don't know why I'm continuing to give my time to this thread with you--it's pretty clear that you're trying to promote MS on our threads by blasting OSS with sham accusations (and then subsequently denying and dancing around our posts)--in short, with nothing new to say in the past few months.
There is no "if" to it. They have been setting record profits for several years in a row now. Their latest quarter, that just announced last week, was yet another record. It's time for you to deal with it, since it's been happening for consecutive years but you're obviously still stuck in denial.
Wow. All I'm going to say is that this one's a keeper for the books. N3WBI3--what you say?
No it doesn't, they're not related, MS has never mentioned the US Cert or NVD stats that I know of, check their get the facts website for yourself. I appreciate you being cordial, it's rare from your "community", but you are flat out wrong on every point you've attempted to make, all of which are easily verifiable.
Didn't we go through this a few months ago, especially when I explicitly chastised you for not being able to prove your points. That's where my evidence comes in. Reread those posts--by all of us.
I've been spelling the "unix" characters in that order for too many years to change it just because some foreign clone came out. If I was doing it to make fun it would be Lienux instead, which is a more accurate description IMO.
Riiiiiight. You do it on purpose.
You seem to have a really tough time admitting you're wrong, which is a serious problem for you, since you're never right.
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9665775
Profits climb at Microsoft
Friday, January 27 2006
The software giant reported net income of $3.65 billion, or $0.34 per share, in its fiscal second quarter ended 31 December, compared to $3.46 billion, or $0.32 per share, a year earlier.
The Redmond-based giant reported sales of $11.84 billion, up from sales of $10.82 billion in the year-earlier period.
Not at all. It makes it a lot easier to type, I don't have to think about it each time like I used to, which I got very tired of. I would literally have to stop and carefully type each character, now I just fly through like normal. The only problem now is, if I ever want to search for something, I have to carefully type it out again. Sorry if it bothers you.
You pride yourself on accuracy. Yet that one word is always spelled wrong?
It's no more an accident than the idiotic "Microsloth" or Micro$oft" or "Windoze." Childish stuff.
Wine is not an emulator it is an API library..
Your statement was:
"Google Earth, either. Is is compatible with Linux? Of course not. "
So given that Fedora comes with WINE (GPL) its fair to say that your statement is wrong. I did not think you would admit it, I just like pointing it out.
It's not always spelled wrong, but let's face it, "Linux" is not an easy word to type, especially if you've been typing UNIX for a long time. Wow, I even amazed myself how easy that was, even with all caps. But, I do like being accurate, so I'll work on it. But it is something I really don't like about Linux.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.