HP Sets Record With $2.5B in Linux-Based Revenue (and other BREAKING TECHNOLOGY NEWS)

eWEEK ^ | January 15, 2004 | Peter Galli

[fight_truth_decay]

Hewlett-Packard Co. on Thursday will announce that it earned a record-breaking $2.5 billion Linux-based revenue in fiscal 2003, with its Linux services and solutions business posting a 40 percent rise over fiscal 2002.

While the revenue was derived from the sale of Linux-related products and services, the Palo Alto, Calif., company did not specify exactly what was included and counted as Linux-based revenue.

[Golden Eagle]

While you not only turn a blind eye, but make poor attempts at humor. The record will reflect that, my friend, choose wisely.

[Dimensio]

Now with Linux, all the R&D that goes into it is immediately via open source shared with the rest of the world, including our potential enemies.

This is the constant whine with you against Linux. It's also, without a doubt, the lamest argument against open source that I've ever seen. I still haven't figured out if you think that we shouldn't use open source because it might be used by our enemies (who could use it even if we don't use it) or if we should try to outlaw open source period -- could you please explain which of those two you prefer?

Why Linux has secretly been chosen by "International Business Machines", who started all this by breaking their contracts and projects with Unix, is the ultimate question.

What contracts did IBM break when they branched off with UNIX? Please show only cases that have already been decided in court or settled out of court.

[Golden Eagle]

I would like to see open source code become public domain, and limit the amounts that corporations could contribute to it. Limit who controls it to a professional group of some sort instead of some lone finlander, along with some sort of vetting to verify contributions don't actually belong to someone else, along with some sort of insurance policy (which we are finally seeing from some of the vendors) for anyone who has their secrets stolen. Would that work for you?

[Glenn]

Bummer.

[Glenn]

Whatever.

[Dimensio]

I would like to see open source code become public domain,

So you want to revoke the copyright on every bit of open source code ever written? By what authority would this be done?

and limit the amounts that corporations could contribute to it.

Ah, so you do want restrictions on what people give away of their own creative work.

Would that work for you?

What, revoking the copyrights of thousands of coders just because you don't like the license that they demand you follow if you distribute their code? No. Telling a corporation that they're not allowed to give their work freely to the software community? No.

[Bush2000]

I would like to see open source code become public domain, and limit the amounts that corporations could contribute to it. Limit who controls it to a professional group of some sort instead of some lone finlander, along with some sort of vetting to verify contributions don't actually belong to someone else, along with some sort of insurance policy (which we are finally seeing from some of the vendors) for anyone who has their secrets stolen. Would that work for you?

I think it would be sufficient to eliminate the GPL. Make free code part of the public domain.

[Bush2000]

Bummer.

Poor Sun -- and other UNIX vendors. These HP purchases are sucking dollars right from their bottom line. Not MS.

[Bush2000]

This is the constant whine with you against Linux. It's also, without a doubt, the lamest argument against open source that I've ever seen.

I can understand why you guys in the Linux community wouldn't want it known that you freely provide computing infrastructure for the Chicoms, North Koreans, Iranians, and other U.S. enemies. It doesn't look good -- in earlier times in our country's history, we used to call this collaborating with the enemy. And before you float the usual canard about commercial vendors doing business in China, let me be clear: I don't think that anyone should help out these Communist/Islamic/Fill-in-the-blank scumbags.

I still haven't figured out if you think that we shouldn't use open source because it might be used by our enemies (who could use it even if we don't use it) or if we should try to outlaw open source period -- could you please explain which of those two you prefer?

The former. We shouldn't be helping our enemies.

[Bush2000]

but, but, but... Linux is a commie OS according to B2K ...

Don't misquote me, troll. Linux has a distribution model that was designed by a well-known Socialist. Its stated goal is to promote free software and eradicate commercial software -- and the sad, practical result has been putting computing infrastructure in the hands of America's enemies AT NO COST. China, North Korea, Iran, and other hostile countries could not have developed Linux on their own. Linux developers are essentially agents of the Chinese government. The only thing they lack is a cubicle in the ChiCom military-industrial pigpen.

[Bush2000]

The end to software and computer industries in the US will come from a lack of innovations. If we allow the industry to become the auto manufacturing of the '70s it will lose ground, but if we innovate, demand better products and not place all our eggs in one basket we will survive and thrive.

Rrrrrright. I can't believe you can type that drivel with a straight face. Try competing against a competitor who gives away his product at below cost: FREE. In any other industry, you would be screaming like stuck pigs; but somehow, when it comes to software, everything's hunky-dory. "Let the ChiComs and Japanese roll over the U.S.," you say. "Innovation will save us." Rrrrrrrrrrright. /SARCASM

[Bush2000]

You seem to be under the impression that MS, IBM, Oracle, Sun are patriotic flag-waving American companies and the friends of the common citizen. The fact is that they are spread across the globe, and outsource jobs and capital at the drop of a quarterly earnings statement. I prefer to reserve my loyalty to people and business that might actually reciprocate.

Get real. An overwhelming percentage of spending on capital and employment for each of those companies occurs in the United States, not abroad. Check the financial reports of each of those companies, if you doubt it. It's all laid out in black-and-white -- and any FUD to the contrary is BS.

[Bush2000]

And if traditional Unix is indeed slowly dying, I think you can thank all of your buddies at SCO for that.

SCO is suing IBM -- not the rest of the Unix industry.

[CyberCowboy777]

Free?

You actually think that quality supported product is or will be free for long?

Your ignoring the situation to serve your agenda.

[Dimensio]

The former. We shouldn't be helping our enemies.

Except that not using open source won't make it go away. Linux didn't come about due to corporate interest, it came about because Linus wanted to make available a free UNIX-like operating system. It didn't attract corporate interest until businesses discovered that they could make money with it. My use of Linux does not give the Chinese government any more power, and no matter how you lie, you cannot change that fact.

[Dimensio]

So you also believe that the US government should revoke the legally held copyrights from thousands of software writers. On what authority would that be done, and how would we deal with other countries (and, I estimate that this would be "Every other country on the planet that currently respects copyrights) that refuse to follow suit?

[TechJunkYard]

SCO is suing IBM -- not the rest of the Unix industry.

Have you seen the news lately? SCO is bullying their own Unix licensees now. That can't be good for repeat business. And how many new customers would want to get into this mess?

[TechJunkYard]

I think it would be sufficient to eliminate the GPL. Make free code part of the public domain.

I can't believe this is coming from you, Mr. IP-Rights-Are-Sacred. Copyrights on free software don't deserve protection like commercial code? My, what hypocrisy.

[AFreeBird]

Linux developers are essentially agents of the Chinese government. The only thing they lack is a cubicle in the ChiCom military-industrial pigpen.

Bwahahaha.. you crack me up. Troll? You're the bigest damn troll here!

And you're an agent for Microsloth. Go on admit it. You're Bill's brown noser. Where in Redmond is YOUR cubicle. Does Bill keep you locked away in some windowless sub level rooom, having you troll all the boards attacking Linux, MAC and and any other threat to M$, real or perceived?

Oh and by the way; didn't M$ agree to show code to those Chicoms you detest so much? (Granted, I'm not real fond of them either) Yea, I knew you knew the answer.

Guess those Chicom agents have infiltrated your beloved Redmond. Money talks, and to Bill it is the language of love. He'll give them any damn thing they want to get a crack a 1.5 BILLION user market.

Keep up the good work, troll boy.

[TechJunkYard]

Try competing against a competitor who gives away his product at below cost: FREE. In any other industry, you would be screaming like stuck pigs; but somehow, when it comes to software, everything's hunky-dory.

Most threatened and actual defections from MS are directly caused by licensing issues and costs. When MS gets a little more competitive on price and loosens up a bit on restrictions, it usually ends up saving its contract.

Quit whining and figure it out.