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I agree the writer also doesn't know his history very well in the late 80's there was only 1 major software company the company was ruthless and exploited its customers charged exorbitant prices -- that company's name was Novell with Netware and WordPerfect.

The public was rescued from their nasty practices by microsoft. Which over time has devolved into much the same brute Novell was. The reason for the switch was on two counts -- 1) NETWORKING Novell could only network locally and windows 3.11 used TCP/IP which allowed it to network with other networks. 2) WINDOWS GUI INTERFACE GUI (point and click flat won over having to memorize hundereds of commands and switch combinations touse in the dos commmand line.

The story about Linux as told by linux zelots isn't quite straight. Until quite recently Linux has been and actually largely still is a computer stone age command line based product -- all the old linux people at UAF gloat over how much more control they have over their files as compared to windows. They actually hate the new GUI interface and consider themselves purists. Their conceit is sometimes hard to take.

In windows you have every bit as much control over files without use of the command line.In the new wave of linux you can now do many things in GUI, but there are still routine things that you need to or are more easily done in the command line.

The average user is pushed away by that -- IT people are afraid to implement because of that very reason. So while Linux has more and more closely mimicked windows the public hasn't charged over their in droves even when it's given away.

Why? People don't like change! While at first glance Linux says "Same!" those who try Linux and star office say "different!" The Networking and GUI issues killed novell and were more than enough that the public overwhelmingly changed sides.

With Linux 2004 there is no compelling reason to change. The fact is the company is a windows wannabe with practically no price tag does not make a Toyota owner want to jump into a yugo!

Nuff Said.

In windows you have every bit as much control over files without use of the command line.

Have to disagree here, there is simply no way (without additional software) to perform batch operations efficiently. To test it out, try and rename all .zip files to .bak from the Windows Explorer.

Depends on the market you're going for. I don't think anyone has said that the home market is ready to switch. The industry rags which have had articles on companys, citys, govts, etc switching to Linux cover the UI issue pretty throughly and the different UI hasn't been an issue. The only issues regarding the UI I remember reading about are how the users grumble they can't modify their system (hotbar anyone?) and the sysadmins rejoice the users can't modify their system.

With Linux 2004 there is no compelling reason to change. The fact is the company is a windows wannabe with practically no price tag does not make a Toyota owner want to jump into a yugo!

Depends again on the market you're talking about. For the home market, you're probably correct, but on the corporate side, I'd have to disagree.

You need to take another serious look at your computer (specifically, network PC) history.

Novell "ruthlessly exploited their customers?" Novell could only network locally? Windows 3.11 used TCP/IP?

While there's a bit of truth in these statements, it's certainly not "the whole truth."

Server and network management requires that you use the most convenient tool to get a job done. In far too many cases, a GUI gets in the way. This has nothing to do with being a purist. It has to do with getting the job done. While I can't speak to Win2003, this is the case in both WinNT and Win2K servers, as well as NetWare and Linux.

Linux won't be supplanting MS products on the desktops for many, many years at most companies, but it is making huge inroads in the data centers, on servers.

Mark

1) NETWORKING Novell could only network locally and windows 3.11 used TCP/IP which allowed it to network with other networks.

Although Netware was native IPX, you could also tie servers together via TCP/IP, AppleTalk, SNA (I think that's the IBM protocal, can't remember now), etc. Windows was native NetBUI, puke.

2) WINDOWS GUI INTERFACE GUI (point and click flat won over having to memorize hundereds of commands and switch combinations touse in the dos commmand line.

I only wish the DOS/Windows command prompt were as powerful as what is available under Linux (Bash shell).