David Alitz wrote: > I have no love for IBM either. It's obvious that IBM and Linux is a > marriage of convenience; but sometimes those arrangements work out. > I'm afraid I don't see IBM and M$ as bedfellows. I would expect low > end IBM servers to be running Windows if that were true. Of course, > I'm finding it a bit incredible that RedHat would recommend Windows on > the desktop. Maybe IBMs relationship is about getting RedHat to fall > on their sword and make way for M$? It sounds more than a little > far-fetched to me. I don't find it all that odd. They have a fast growing core business consisting of providing software, support and training to corporate clients. This is fairly high margin because they can focus their efforts much more narrowly than playing in the general market. They also know that there is a practical limit on how fast they can grow and still keep the wheels on the wagon. So you dump the non-revenue stuff into a separate organization and give it some support to get things going while you focus on the higher margin corporate environment. As an end-user I have mixed feelings, but as a shareholder I think its the right move. I keep hearing that Linux is ready for the desktop but my experience is substantially different. OO still isn't real competition for Word although I often use the spreadsheet, Gimp is nowhere as powerful as Photoshop nor as easy to use as PictureIt or Elements, I've yet to find a Linux MP3 app that is as convenient as Musicmatch Jukebox or the new iTunes. I've used Unix for 20 years and run Linux in my machines at home, but it is a real drag at times. If I want to use my Rio 500 under XP I just tell Jukebox to download the necessary driver and I'm set to go. If I want to use it in Linux I have to build a new kernel and select a handful of obscure options in order for it to be recognized and work properly. Which do you think my parents or co-workers would prefer to do? Most people have something they want to do. Maybe its reading e-mail, browsing the web, writing documents, processing some digital photos or perhaps listen to their music. They don't want to compile an application, build a kernel or learn a programming language - to them a computer is a tool, not a lifestyle.. MS and Apple understand this, but my impression is that most of the Linux community doesn't. Linux is certainly getting more sophisticated but it certainly isn't getting easier. BTW, I'm running into an increasing number of people that I knew use to run Linux who are carrying around iBooks or Powerbooks. I expect that my next computer will be a 12" iBook. After 20 years I've compiled enough kernels and tracked down enough driver issues for one lifetime :-) --rick _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list