Temlakos wrote:
Mike McCarty wrote:
taharka wrote:
Feb. 08, 2006
As you may know, Google is close to making a deal with Dell in which
the
search giant will get to preinstall its software package on Dell PCs.
What you may not know is that Google may be spending a billion dollars
over three years for the privilege.
Why should I care? (This is a serious question, not irony.)
Full story at; http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2572482759.html
[QUOTE MODE ON]
What does that have to do with Linux? Everything.
Microsoft may say that what ends up on the desktop is all about
having the best products, but that's hooey. I don't say that as a
Linux supporter, I say that as someone who knows how the desktop
market works. Most users, I'd say 80 percent, stick with what comes
on their desktop. Period.
I know this. Microsoft knows this. Everyone in the desktop business
knows this, even though we may disagree on the exact numbers.
So, the real way to win the desktop, as I've long said, is to get
Linux on it before a user ever sees it.
[QUOTE MODE OFF]
Is "winning the desktop" (whatever that may be) a goal? For me?
I guess I just don't understand the big picture or sth. This just
looks like more "I hate MicroSoft" propaganda than anything worthwhile.
Could someone explain why this is important?
Mike
I'll try to explain.
If we ever expect to quit having our local CIO's roll their eyes at us
when we say that we want /Linux/ desktops and /Linux/ client machines,
because we know that Linux will cost the company much less overall
than buying a bunch of Windows boxes, then we'll need some more
attractive options than:
1. Buying a bunch of machines having Windows pre-installed on them.
2. Nuking the hard drives.
3. Installing Linux on them.
Either that, or:
1. Buying a bunch of machines /without/ hard drives.
2. Buying hard drives /separately/.
3. Installing the hard drives.
4. Installing Linux on these systems.
It's a bit funny that you should imply that these are the only two
options, when the vendor mentioned above is Dell, and Dell are quite
happy to sell you a PC with Linux preinstalled. (Now, I'm not entirely
happy with their Linux *user support*, or lack thereof, but I guess they
don't offer a lot of software support to Windows users, either...)
- T
