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Microsoft Linux: Why one free software advocate wants it ... says that Windows 7 is doomed ....
Network World ^ | Wed, 10/28/09 - 3:07pm. | Microsoft Subnet

Posted on 10/30/2009 1:02:46 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Ex-Microsoftie says that Windows 7 is doomed and Linux, free software, will ultimately dominate.

A lot of open source advocates like to rage against the machine at Microsoft, but when a former Microsoft Research employee says that Windows 7 won't stop Linux from market domination, that's an opinion to note. Keith Curtis, author of the book After the Software Wars, says just that. But he goes further. He thinks Microsoft and its customers would be better off if the company ditched Windows and instead built its own version of the Linux operating system.

Keith CurtisThese topics came up yesterday during my interview with Curtis for Network World's Panorama Podcast series. It was an interesting conversation with someone who has crossed over worlds, from Microsoft employee to free software advocate. But it raised as many questions in my mind as it answered.

(Excerpt) Read more at networkworld.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: hitech; linux; microsoft; windows7
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1 posted on 10/30/2009 1:02:48 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: ShadowAce
Also at network World:

Why Windows 7 will crush Linux

By Ron Barrett on Fri, 01/09/09 - 3:04pm.

2 posted on 10/30/2009 1:05:09 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

This is impossible because Linux killed Microsoft in 2003. We all know that. It was predicted confidently.


4 posted on 10/30/2009 1:06:26 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (0bummer attacks not Unemployment, the Taliban, Deficits, China, or the Sudan, but attacks FOX.)
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To: rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; JosephW; ...

5 posted on 10/30/2009 1:07:40 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
One doesn't "own" the open source software world - even Torvalds will tell you that.

MS has representation on many standards bodies. The last thing we need is another operating system from MS right now

6 posted on 10/30/2009 1:09:17 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Somewhat off topic, but saves me from having to post a vanity.

I have a EeePC (701) with Xandros Linux, Firefox 2.0 and Flash 9.0.

The newer EeePC has GNU Linux. I was wondering if anyone knows how difficult it would be to make the switch to GNU Linux and upgrade to Firefox 3.5 and Flash 10??


7 posted on 10/30/2009 1:12:19 PM PDT by smokingfrog (No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session. I AM JIM THOMPSON)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Uhh, okay Keith...whatever you say. /rolleyes

Linuxites have been predicting the triumph of Linux over Windows for a long time. Until vendors start writing drivers to support Linux and programs to work on Linux, this is just the ganja talking.
8 posted on 10/30/2009 1:13:48 PM PDT by Sudetenland (Slow to anger but terrible in vengence...such is the character of the American people.)
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To: stainlessbanner
The last thing we need is another operating system from MS right now

Don't worry--looks like it's vaporware, anyway.


9 posted on 10/30/2009 1:14:08 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; ShadowAce
Windows 7 isn't bad. It seems to be a substantial improvement over Vista.

The XP virtual machine (that comes with Windows 7) appears to work pretty well, although you have to run Windows Update to bring it up to the latest. It actually starts with Internet Explorer 6!!!

It's WinXP SP3. You would think that Microsoft would at least have brought all the other packages to the current release.

10 posted on 10/30/2009 1:14:48 PM PDT by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.)
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To: Sudetenland
Until vendors start writing drivers to support Linux and programs to work on Linux,...

LOL!!

LOL!!

11 posted on 10/30/2009 1:15:38 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: smokingfrog

I can’t answer your question directly - but you have the terminology mixed up. Xandros is a distribution (so that makes sense.) Your use of the term GNU Linux doesn’t. GNU software is part of every Linux distribution. Perhaps you mean Debian or Ubuntu? These are distributions that are FSF blessed (at least Debian is..) and Ubuntu is a Debian progeny.


12 posted on 10/30/2009 1:15:49 PM PDT by fremont_steve
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To: smokingfrog

I think there’s an Ubuntu distribution especially for the EeePC. You might check into that....


13 posted on 10/30/2009 1:15:50 PM PDT by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.)
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To: ShadowAce
LOL!

Love that site. :-)

14 posted on 10/30/2009 1:16:16 PM PDT by TChris (There is no freedom without the possibility of failure.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Who says Microsoft won’t do it if the O/S market becomes weird and unprofitable?


15 posted on 10/30/2009 1:16:21 PM PDT by GeronL (http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com .... I am a rogue nobody. One of millions.)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Linux wasn’t anywhere near viable for widespread desktop use in 2003. However, 2009 is another story. There are distros (Mint in particular) that install and set up everything for the end user, including stuff like Flash and media codecs without any headaches.

The popularity of cross-platform open source applications like Firefox, Thunderbird, etc. make it much less of an issue to make a switch.

And frankly, I find Linux much easier to use. Everything in Windows requires memorizing or Googling some nonsensical method of navigating through a maze of windows. I find Linux much more straightforward.

To each his own, but as I said, as the cross platform applications gain popularity, so too will the willingness of end users to switch to Linux or Mac if they’re rolling in dough for designer hardware.


16 posted on 10/30/2009 1:16:46 PM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm (The worst is behind us. Unfortunately it is really well endowed.)
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To: ShadowAce

You do realize that was an April Fool’s joke, right? :-)


17 posted on 10/30/2009 1:17:21 PM PDT by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.)
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To: justlurking
You do realize that was an April Fool’s joke, right? :-)

Yeah, but the response seemed appropriate. :)

18 posted on 10/30/2009 1:20:28 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Microsoft wins because people are used to it.

The author in the article makes several incorrect statements like Windows has ease of installation. I run Linux and Windows on all my machines. Windows *never* runs correctly until I load all kinds of drivers. Then I have to pay for all the software that runs on it. Sometimes the software costs $20 and does things Windows should just freaking do.

I load Eeebuntu on my Eee901 (for instance), and it just runs. No additional drivers and no additional programs.

Linux will never win simply because of the McDonald’s factor. The food may suck, but at least they know what it tastes like.


19 posted on 10/30/2009 1:23:05 PM PDT by cizinec
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To: justlurking; smokingfrog

eeebuntu is what you want.


20 posted on 10/30/2009 1:23:59 PM PDT by cizinec
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