Most often correct, however in this model, Linux mostly has no cost, or at least is generally advertised as free and expected by most as a benefit. Free is by definition unfair competition. The overal expected impact is that there are potential savings, but as income is absolutely reduced any potentials are unequivalent.
And in return, we get a lot for free. It is, in action, the Jeffersonian ideal of maximum freedom of inventions advancing the art faster than the monopolies that restrictive copyright creates.
I'm pretty certain Thomas Jefferson wouldn't have been interested in the immediate distribution of technology engineered here on American soil being immediately and completely distributed worldwide via modern day network connections with little to no return revenue. This model only helps those behind the tech reace, and if Linux takes further hold over the *nix market our net result will be a loss.
IBM is thriving on it. Their mainframe sales loaded with Linux are doing very well.
No reason those servers couldn't be loaded with AIX or Windows. The way IBM is acting they'd love to do to Windows what they're trying to do to Unix - which is give all the code away for free. Instead of working with software companies, they're trying to blow the whole market up just so they don't have to pay any licenses back to anyone when they sell a server. But without software income, there's no R&D, and ultimately new products and features.
Some foreign distributors will be leeches, as will some American ones. Other foreigners have contributed a LOT of code in Linux. The IP is coming in our direction, too. Hell, it was started by a guy from Finland.
Uh, yeah, I know, that's the whole point here. These foreigners and hippies here in America are looting our intellectual property and giving it to places like the red chinese military for free. There's no technology coming into to America because of Linux. It's 90% of IBM putting Unix trade secrets into Linux, and letting people like jong jemin download it for nothing.
Unless there's a monopoly situation, "unfair" is the cry of the people whose business model or practices can't hold up in the free market. But "free" isn't really that free. In most operations, licensing costs are a small percentage of TCO. Therefore, Linux cannot win only on free, but on technological merits and other factors involved in TCO.
I'm pretty certain Thomas Jefferson wouldn't have been interested
Thomas Jefferson tried to prevent even the limited monopoly allowed by the Constitution. He new that arts grow fastest when information is freely shared, unencumbered by artificial monopolies.
No reason those servers couldn't be loaded with ... Windows.
Hilarious!
But without software income, there's no R&D, and ultimately new products and features.
There's software income for anything they write on top of it if they want to. Otherwise, they get to cut total system costs by going Linux and then -- oh no! -- make more profit due to OSS.
These foreigners and hippies here in America are looting our intellectual property
Thses foreigners and hippies are GIVING US intellectual property for FREE. I like that.
It's 90% of IBM putting Unix trade secrets into Linux, and letting people like jong jemin download it for nothing
You believe that SCO garbage? Everything so far points to the suit being a sad attempt of the failing company trying to initiate a buyout. BTW, did you know that SCO is in violation of hundreds of copyrights by Linux authors all over the world? Oh yeah, they value IP.
Actually, they can't do Windows on mainframes... VM and MVS, sure... But Windows hasn't been ported to that architecture. On the other hand, Red Hat Linux has. You should see it run on some of IBM's "big iron!" I saw one implementation where there were 165 VMs all running RH Linux! Awesome.
And speaking of R&D, IBM has been doing all sorts of R&D in conjuction with Red Hat, just like DEC and then Compaq did with Microsoft, before MS abandoned the Dec Alpha. In fact, that's exactly what SCO claims, except they claim that the code was stolen.
Mark