Posted on 06/01/2010 9:02:23 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Comments one employee, "Linux is open source and we feel good about it. Microsoft we don’t feel so good about."
And why use Apple, a traditionally closed system? This may stem from the fact that Google and Apple long enjoyed an overly close relationship until the smartphone war transformed the pair to become rivals. Describes one employee, "Particularly since the China scare, a lot of people here are using Macs for security."
Also, some Google employees apparently love their Macs. Another employee chimed in, "It would have made more people upset if they banned Macs rather than Windows."
Macs and Linux systems tend to be attacked far less than Windows systems. That's because the majority of malicious coders tend to target the biggest party -- Windows -- which holds approximately 90 percent of the market.
Linux and Macs, while no more secure than Windows, in most cases don't have enough market share to justify coding malware for them -- thus most attacks on these platforms are essentially academic exercises.
Mac and Linux boxes are vulnerable to cross platform attacks in some cases, but the inability to install malware makes life more difficult for cybercriminals.
Apparently getting a Windows PC these days is almost as hard as getting in to Area 51 -- "Getting a new Windows machine now requires CIO approval" claimed employees."
Google had previously made efforts to move employees voluntarily away from Windows towards Linux, the OS favored by Google. States an employee, "Before the security, there was a directive by the company to try to run things on Google products. [The Windows ban] was a long time coming."
Google is increasingly looking to develop its own operating systems. It currently is dominating the smart phone market with its rapidly growing Android OS, which is based on Linux. And later this year it hopes to unleash a netbook/tablet operating system called Chrome OS onto the world. Chrome OS is a rather unique Linux distribution whose functionality is entirely browser based. All the apps on the tablet are web-based and functions like printing are accomplished via web drivers.
Microsoft has yet to comment on the rejection.
Since the purpose of an Operating System is to facilitate the use of a computer by a user I think the user interface is an essential technical aspect.
For some tasks that are easy to set up in Linux, it's functionality makes dealing with its shortcomings worthwhile.
Of course the same can be said for Windows. It's functionality makes it's shortcoming worth dealing with. However, Windows has a far broader scope of functionality in which it is usable for far more people.
Security is also an essential aspect of a modern OS. In that Windows has come a long way. It's biggest problem is that users commonly don't want to deal with being asked if they are sure they want the app that ran when they clicked object in the email they got from aunt Gerturde to run as Administrator and modify system files. They don't really understand what it means, so they are just going to click OK anyway to make the box go away.
My guess is that Google is thinking the public is the idiot and won’t know they are just laying the ground work to sell their own OS.
That being said I do think Microsoft is in trouble. They simply stopped innovating with the Netscape debacle. Instead of taking Netscape head on with the idea that we will stomp them by making a better browser they got tied up in legal battles and trying to end the life of their competition by any means other than simply making a better product. Microsoft has not had a sense of direction ever since.
It seems like a no-brainer considering that now Microsoft is pretty much a direct competitor.
I would also add that it no longer takes a Geek to run Linux it is now as easy if not easier than Windows. do you run Firefox, OpenOffice opps guess were they came from yep Linux or the open source community, the hardest thing I find in getting used to Linux is the program names Kaffeine, Vlc, These are media player,s! I would also add Smplayer one of if not the best media player around.
Games ah yes the most important thing, try Ultimate Edition Gamer’s download it for free burn it to a DvD and run it live you don’t even have to install to try it.
I am not against Window’s at all I just have a balky computer that did not like Vista instead of paying around $300 for an operating system I installed and started running Linux daily now I love it.
I don't known what compares to Active X ...for 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.