Posted on 12/04/2008 7:18:52 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
IBM says it has created a "Microsoft-free" virtual desktop -- a complete suite of applications that run on a backroom server and don't require Microsoft software or costly desktop hardware.
The software package, available immediately, uses the Linux operating system and a set of IBM office applications that can be displayed on so-called thin clients, which don't have processing units or hard drives.
IBM, based in Armonk, N.Y., says pricing for the Virtual Linux Desktop would range from $59 to $289 per user, depending on what software and service level the customer chose.
IBM estimates that a corporate customer licensing the software would save $500 to $800 a year per user, compared with buying a license for Microsoft's Vista operating system, Office suite and collaboration tools.
Microsoft declined to comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I used to sy that a day in the computer room was a cold day without sunshine!
No comment from Microsoft?
Comeon Mr. Balmer, are you going soft? You recently trashed the Android mobile phone system when it came out, but you have no comment on Big Blue invading your turf?
I’ve got an HP Thin Client that I’m running a server on. It’s got a Transmeta Efficeon 1.2 GHz processor and 512MB of flash memory (no hard drive).
I had one and thankfully only one experience with IBM OS2( think that was the name)
“I had one and thankfully only one experience with IBM OS2( think that was the name)”
OS/2 was way ahead of the curve at the time it was introduced. You forget that ms-dos was the dominant OS at the time. Microsoft Windows was a joke (I’m not sure they had even introduced Windows 3.1 at the time OS/2 was released.)
IBM’s huge mistake was allowing Microsoft to develop OS/2 for them while Microsoft was also stating to develop their own graphical OS (Windows). Microsoft undercut OS/2 at every opportunity. People were already comfortable running a Microsoft OS on their PC, so when it came down to a choice between OS/2 and Windows, people UPGRADED to Windows instead of REPLACING their OS with OS/2.
Microsoft has never dominated because they had the best OS, but because they were the best marketers.
“How do you get Office for $30? Even with a corporate discount and a student discount, I had to pay more than that.”
Unless your school requires Microsoft Office, you should download and install Open Office. It’s free, reads and writes MS-Office format files, and is just as functional.
Honestly the only reason to go with MS-Office over Open Office is you you can put MS-Office experience on your resume.
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