Posted on 10/21/2009 6:03:15 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
< IBM takes aim at Microsoft Windows 7 with new desktop offering IBM is trying to hit Microsoft where it hurts, with a new offering designed to lure customers away from Windows 7.
The top 7 roadkill victims on the journey to Windows 7
IBM Tuesday said it is teaming up with Canonical to provide cloud- and Linux-based desktop packages in the United States at half the cost of upgrading to Windows 7. It's called the IBM Client for Smart Work package, which was initially launched last month in Africa, as it was designed for emerging markets.
But IBM sees an opportunity to extend the product to the United States "to help companies avoid the higher licensing, hardware upgrades and migration costs associated with Microsoft Windows 7," as IBM said in an announcement.
Despite announcing the product Tuesday, IBM and Canonical say it won't be widely available from its full lineup of partners until 2010. That gives the industry's dominant operating system vendor a significant head start, with Microsoft's Windows 7 set for general availability on Thursday.
But IBM says the Client for Smart Work package, which is based on IBM's productivity and collaboration software, will give customers a less expensive alternative to Windows by taking advantage of existing PCs or low-cost netbooks and thin clients.
"Independent market estimates range up to $2,000 for the cost of migrating to the Windows 7 operating system for many PC users," IBM argues. "New PC hardware requirements account for a significant portion of the added expense."
(Excerpt) Read more at networkworld.com ...
I think this is for theEnterprise....
I have been using win7 for several months and am very impressed. The company I work for is on track to migrate 100,000+ seats to win7. Cloud computing may have a future, but not yet.
OS-2-buntu?
Sounds suspiciously like the old "DOS isn't done until Lotus won't run."
Rumor has it that Windows 7 is DA BOMB. Microsoft is famous for releasing a kick-ass product after getting feedback from a crappy one. IBM is just having sour grapes, IMO. Screw the haters, I’m upgrading to Windows 7 Professional.
Should have piloted this when the execrable Vista was released. I suspect they would have had millions of takers.
Also known as Vista service pack 3.
After a disaster with OS 2 (never could successfully load it - it didn’t like something in my hardware), I will stick to windows. Just ordered a family pack upgrade (3 user) of Home Premium Windows 7.
you will need all new hardware to fully appreciate...
Too little, too late.
They’ll need to up their game in order to compete with Microsoft and, in particular, Win7.
I’m a Linux, specifically Debian/Ubuntu, fanboy. But, Win 7 is a very good product. It’s very, very, marketable, and fairly user friendly, thanks to it’s prolonged beta and rc period.
If MS is cutting deals, and I hear they are, with corporate America, then it will be a huge hit.
How so? That’s not my experience to date. With 2-4 year old machines, it runs flawlessly.
Riiiiggggghhhhtttt... I seem to remember some of my friends who said that very same thing about Vista when it came out.
IBM is just having sour grapes, IMO. Screw the haters, I’m upgrading to Windows 7 Professional.
Have fun with the BSODs!
;)
More important than the quality of the products....cheapest one to do the total job may win...
“Have fun with the BSODs! “
You know not from whence you speak.
I’ve been running Win 7 since Beta 2, and the RC. Haven’t seen one single BSOD or crash of any kind.
Now then, if you’d say something about the libraries or networking interface, or the constant re-indexing of networked drives, then you’d have something accurate to say.
Sadly, you’re correct.
That's great! I'll have to remember to tell that to my friends who encountered BSODs after starting up their brand new computers that came with Windows 7 pre-installed. ;)
In all seriousness I do hope it does end up being a good OS (for users of Windows)...but...we'll have to wait and see.
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