Group Formed to Support Linux as Rival to Windows

[waltky]

Would think that going to Linux with its root user account would be not that much different than XP. So why not go the cheaper route? Maybe by the time this goes into effect, web sites will be more Linux compatible.

January 22, 2007 - Linux, the free operating system, has gone from an intriguing experiment to a mainstream technology in corporate data centers, helped by the backing of major technology companies like I.B.M., Intel and Hewlett-Packard, which sponsored industry consortiums to promote its adoption.

Quote:

Those same companies have decided that the time has come to consolidate their collaborative support into a new group, the Linux Foundation, which is being announced today. And the mission of the new organization is help Linux, the leading example of the open-source model of software development, to compete more effectively against Microsoft, the world’s largest software company. “It’s really a two-horse race now, with computing dominated by two operating-system platforms, Linux and Windows,” said James Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation. “There are things that Microsoft does well in terms of promoting Windows, providing legal protection and standardizing Windows.” He added that “the things that Microsoft does well are things we need to do well — to promote, protect and standardize Linux.”

 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/technolo...f=business 

See also:

Two biggest Linux groups merge to be Linux Foundation
2007-01-23 -- The two biggest supporters of Linux software have merged to form the Linux Foundation.

Quote:

A San Francisco non-profit, the Free Standards Group, have merged with Open Source Development Labs of Beaverton, Ore., the organizations said on Tuesday in a joint statement. The Linux operating system competes with Microsoft Windows and Unix as the computer platform for other software programs to run on. It is open-source software, which means the code is publicly available and can be changed by anyone. The Linux foundation's members include major technology companies such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Oracle, as well as the two largest Linux makers, Novell and Red Hat. It will be led by Jim Zemlin, former executive director of the Free Standards Group. The new group will defend Linux vendors and customers against intellectual property lawsuits. It also plans to help increase usage of Linux by aiding development of the software and helping the operating system work with open-source and proprietary software.

 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/23/content_5640559.htm 

Guess these two groups are being supported by IBM, Intel and HP. Maybe IBM is trying to make up for the loss of dominating the OS market with Microsoft during the days of DOS.
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The inability to defend freedom yesterday comes back to haunt us at a great price today and perhaps an even greater price tomorrow

[waltky]

Linux as an alternative to Vista

Penguin at the Window: Linux as an alternative to Vista
Monday 16th April, 2007 - One thing must be said from the start: Microsoft Vista is a modern operating system that offers a variety of genuine improvements over Windows XP. On top of that, Vista also looks much spiffier than its predecessor.

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Even so, there are a variety of reasons not to blindly reach for Vista. A consideration of the alternatives is in order, and Linux is at the top of the list. Among the central features Microsoft is touting for Vista is added security for personal data. While true, operating systems like Mac OS or Linux are considered more secure: there are practically no viruses attacking Linux computers, says Oliver Diedrich from the Hanover-based magazine c't. More  http://www.beijingnews.net/story/241956

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The inability to defend freedom yesterday comes back to haunt us at a great price today and perhaps an even greater price tomorrow

[waltky]

Dell gonna start doin' the penguin walk...

Dell to add Linux as a PC option
May 1, 2007 - Dell Inc., the second-largest maker of personal computers, has chosen a version of the Linux operating system to sell with its consumer PCs as it works to win back customers from rival Hewlett-Packard Co.

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The addition of Canonical Ltd.'s Ubuntu software comes in response to "overwhelming feedback" requesting that the Round Rock, Texas-based company offer Linux open-source software on its PCs, Dell said Tuesday on its Direct2Dell.com Web site. More  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/313929_delllinux02.html

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The inability to defend freedom yesterday comes back to haunt us at a great price today and perhaps an even greater price tomorrow