French police deal blow to Microsoft

Article

 

sudo apt-get arrest

 

I'm sure that's like a grain of sand on a beach in terms of MS revenues.... I'd hardly call it a "blow".

 

Agreeded, sense Mr.Gates is one of the if not the richest person on the planet.
I don't think this will hurt him in any way.

 

I didn't even know France has a paramilitary police?

 

LOL, they're using Ubuntu...

I'm going to test gOS in Vmware today.

http://thinkgos.com/

A quote in that article:

"the Linux interface is ahead of other operating systems currently on the market for professional use."

 

What is interesting is that this is the one of the first signs of organisations taking Linux as a desktop seriously.
Other organisations will take notice now that someone else has taken the first step and test the water and be able to put some real data about cost and benifits.

IMHO Linux will never compete with Windows desktops, but will sit at a level of Apple, having a steady niche market.

Server market is a whole different kettle of fish, where Microsoft is not dominant in any area.

 

This isn't the first signs of organizations taking Linux serious. Linux is taken very serious already around the world by many corporations and governments.

Where were you when M$ lost one of it's biggest bids in Europe to Linux to the German Government In Munich? LOL....

READ:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Microsoft loses bid in Munich to Linux&btnG=Search

 

Stupid Frenchmen, Vista is just so good, they don't know what they are missing ;-)

 

Perhaps a bigger blow to Mandriva?

 

Agreed... Linux is a nice available alternative for some, but IMO it's just not as polished as Win.

 

It would be nice if Linux does forge a bigger niche for itself. Being a great OS it certainly deserves to. I wonder what it'll be like 10 years from now given the rate that it's developing at. I'm looking forward to the further evolution of Linux in all it's many flavours, long may it thrive.

 

Linux is just as polished as Windows, in fact in many respects it is more.

You can't compare apples and oranges, each OS has it's Pros and Cons.

This is like saying OSX isn't as polished as Windows...

 

Not surprising there, but was shocking for me was my local PC Shop completely out of the blue offered me a Linux Disc today

Could this be the beginning of some trend that even is showing up at the mom & pop levels too?

Vista might very well have proven the very last straw for long time Windows users seeing as they ($M) have seen fit to not only turn their back on what catapulted them to top to begin with in Windows 98/Me etc. without first giving those O/S's a last once over to satisfy a critical need for those customers who feel very slighted and shunned by Microsoft's "it's our way or nothing" policy.

It takes a major global country to make that first step away from their arrogant monopoly and neglect to lead the masses, and perhaps more will soon to follow.

My advice i been hammering at for years is that they better get their act together soon before more of the same happens and countries eventually ban anything $M for good.

 

I don't know if i agree. As it stands now, it will at least take time, and it does look like you're right. Windows is in a dominating position vertically (suppliers, clients) and horizontally (competitors and so on).

But imo there are a few variables to that equation that could change that. Hardware manufacturers can very well be critical to Windows market positioning (i don't have factual numbers or studies, so i use can).
Suppose no computers came with Windows. They come with Solaris, or whatever. Now what happens?

In reality, it isn't that simple of course, those manufacturers have a clear incentive to supply Windows, for their own market positioning (that's the power MS has over them in a nutshell). But this isn't the only variable, and the "incentive to supply Windows" is tied to more variables, which i refuse to explore

Hardware compatibility, "ease of use" or intuitive, and compatibility with other people's computers that arises when everyone uses it - documents, spreadsheets, videos etc., at home or work - could be the main variables.
GNU/Linux based distributions or BSD or Solaris could, and some are being built to be easy to use (graphically, using the mouse mainly). Hardware is above, and compatibility is the reason imo they are NOT interested in supporting standards. The profit drives them that way, so to stimulate competition, standards should be enforced by governments, imho. That is their main task. Regulation, as long as not excessive, is needed to foster competition.

 

Some interesting reading at InformationWeek:

(1) 7 Reasons Why Linux Won't Succeed On The Desktop
http://www.informationweek.com/news...DWNGG2QSNDLPCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=201807072

(2) Why Linux Will Succeed On The Desktop
http://www.informationweek.com/news...DWNGG2QSNDLPCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=202600158

I recently installed Ubuntu on a T23 Thinkpad (1.13 Ghz P3, 512 MB RAM) and shipped it to relatives in another state. The result: some are open to change (Windows to Linux) and some are not. Those open to change would not likely have tried Linux had I not shipped the laptop with Linux pre-installed, but are using it and enjoying it. Those not open to change would probably exhibit the same behavior if they were used to Linux and I shipped a laptop with Windows pre-installed. Lots of inertia.

@Pedro
"Suppose no computers came with Windows. They come with Solaris, or whatever. Now what happens?

The internet would be much safer. (Please take this as tongue-in-cheek.) Am currently dual-booting Windows XP and Solaris on my laptop and desktop. It took me well over a day to figure out how to properly set up a static IP address as there was no single information source I could find that included all of the necessary steps, forcing me into trial and error.

 

I had a quick look at this 1, and stopped here

this tells me he's not making an effort to analyse the situation. He's just venting something. I take it that the article is garbage.
When anyone generalizes things that lightly, to me it means he's not going to conclude anything real.
It's like saying Real Madrid fans are so and so (all of them), but hey, Barca fans are all fantastic and always right. Usually at the first opportunity i avoid the conversation altogether, as i see it's useless.

But thank you for sharing, i'm reading the other one. Hope he takes it a bit more seriously.