Dump Microsoft, Use Linux to Save Money, U.K. Officials Suggest

Bloomberg/BusinessWeek ^ | July 09, 2010 | Kitty Donaldson and Robert Hutton

[eaglescout1998]

Somehow, I think the learning curve for a new operating system may be a little too steep for government employees.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It's OK for Bill Gates to want everybody to give away their money just like him, but don't you dare touch where his money comes from.

[snowsislander]

It’s certainly a good idea.

[donhunt]

Why? From my experience with them they don’t know much of anything anyway.

[bamahead]

ping!

[ShadowAce]

[Willie Green]

Somehow, I think the learning curve for a new operating system may be a little too steep for government employees.

Most goobermint employees would never know the difference.
They have some computer geek take care of that crap for them anyway.

[kevkrom]

Somehow, I think the learning curve for a new operating system may be a little too steep for government employees.

It's easy enough to make a Linux desktop look like a Windows machine -- at least close enough so that someone who's only using email, web, a word processor, and a spreadsheet won't notice the difference after a day or two.

[oh8eleven]

I think the learning curve for a new operating system may be a little too steep for government employees.
Sounds like a job for ...

[bigbob]

Hey Brits, why not stop buying Dells, HPs, and the rest and buy “Windsor” or “Royal” PCs instead? What, there *aren’t* any British PC manufacturers?? No major software purveyors either?? Well then sure, go ahead and screw and American business!

I’m not a huge Microsoft fan and think Linux will have a growing role, but bristle at the idea of Brit Gummint lackeys poking the stick in the eye of a US company.

[microgood]

The only problem I see is that Open Office totally sucks.

[napscoordinator]

Actually he gives a ton of money away. Unfortunately it is not to places we want the money to go.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Actually he gives a ton of money away. Unfortunately it is not to places we want the money to go.

I know he does. That's what I said. He wants everybody else to, also.

[Tribune7]

Nothing to stop the Brits from making their own open source alternative.

I've found Open Office (and NeoOffice) to really suck on Macs but it isn't all that bad on Ubuntu. It's certainly worth the price :-)

[napscoordinator]

Well he can want all he wants but I write the checks in my household and do you in your household. I could care less what he wants. I like Microsoft but I don’t like him much.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

He wants rich guys to give it all away to Commies and tinhorn dicatators.

[napscoordinator]

I know. It is crazy. I wish liberals would lose half their beliefs. We would be in much better shape. BTW, I mean as do you not and do you in my last post.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Why? Do you think they owe Microsoft a living or something? The British government has a responsibility to provide the best value for money for the British taxpayer, and the likes of Microsoft and any other company, foreign or domestic should provide a service that is good enough and at the right price for it to be advantageous for the customer to pay the money asked for it. If not, the customer can and should take his business elsewhere, especially when the customer is using taxpayers money like mine to pay for it.
Its a pretty basic free-market capitalist principle. What you are suggesting is a socialist principle without even the benefit of subsidising jobs for British workers. I’ll be damned if I want to pay for corporate welfare for foreign companies like Microsoft and Dell...

[pyx]

Somehow, I think the learning curve for a new operating system may be a little too steep for government employees.

I'm not sure I follow you.

As it is now; on a non-Linux system such as MS Windows;

Almost all employees who use a computer, whether government or private typically, 1.) Log on to a system using his name and a password. 2.) Uses word processing software or uses spreadsheet software or uses database software and may use web browsing software to access the web or email. Or may use specialized email software to access email.

On a Linux system;

Almost all employees who use a computer, whether government or private typically, 1.) Log on to a system using his name and a password. 2.) Uses word processing software or uses spreadsheet software or uses database software and may use web browsing software to access the web or email. Or may use specialized email software to access email.

Using the same computer for doing the same work and from a user's perspective, doing that work in the same way using Linux would not make a "steep learning curve" in my opinion.