JerryLeeCooper.com

JerryLees response to: 

http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2003-09-17-013-26-NW-DP-SV&tbovrmode=1

JerryLee: This is a rather short sighted move on the part of RedSherriff, Id say.

So, they have managed to save a few measly pounds on software licensesover a short term, and they are gloating about savings ?

Waittill the end of the month, when it becomes obvious that this radicalshift from a stable, integrated, GUI enabled MS-SQLServer to someshareware database system opens up a big set of new costs - as all theusers of this database need to be re-trained.

In the case ofshareware databases such as postgresql and mysql (both cheap clones ofthe original SQL, invented by Bill Gates in his Mum’s garage during hisyears at college - heck mysql even had to steal the name from MSSQL),you will find that there is no GUI at all. This makes them impossiblydifficult to operate - the re-training costs will be huge. Justthe other day, I helped an enterprise client do some work in MSSQL -they had to import LITERALLY DOZENS of customer records from an SQLdatabase into a spreadsheet. We managed to do this quite easily byclicking the mouse for a few hours together, setting the ODBC driversup using heaps of helpful GUI tools. We then managed to get thespreadsheet to AUTOMATICALLY TOTAL all of the postcodes for thecustomer records, and even calculate the AVERAGE of the postcodes.

Try doing THAT with your little shareware database !! Hmmph !

Face it - Microsoft offers lower costs than Linux, as has been PROVENtime after time. When will these shareware guys just give it up ?   

I would suggest that in building any computing aparatus, one first selects the software required, and then builds the rest of system around that.

At the center of this choice would be the Windows Vista of course - preferably in the Business edition, at a low price of $299.

That leaves $200 left, and for that money one could purchase a quality case for about $50, a Microsoft keyboard and Mouse combo .. another $50, and a Motherboard for $100.

Now - anyone with experience in the computing IT industry would know that prices for CPU’s, RAM memory, and Hard Disk memory always drop significantly over time.

A top of the line processor, RAM memory and Hard Disk memory may cost $1000 at today’s prices - however, in a short time frame, these will cost only $200. And so, the wise buyer, by strategically delaying their purchase order, will save $800.

A good quality 19″ monitor - another $200.

Microsoft Office - add $400

Now lets do the figures :$499 for the purchase of the initial equipment.+ $200 for the upgrades later on.- $800 savings by delaying the CPU / RAM / Disk purchase+ $200 for a monitor+ $400 for Microsoft Officce=$499 total

There you have it - a perfectly ‘decent’ computing machine with a legal and licenced copy of operating software (and $1 in change) vs $500 for a somewhat hobbled Ubuntu machine that leaves its user with undeclared balance sheet liablity for patent infringements.

You are kidding arent you ?Are you saying that this linux can run on a computer without windows underneath it, at all ? As in, without a boot disk, without any drivers, and without any services ?
That sounds preposterous to me. 
If it were true (and I doubt it), then companies would be selling computers without a windows. This clearly is not happening, so there must be some error in your calculations. I hope you realise that windows is more than just Office ? Its a whole system that runs the computer from start to finish, and that is a very difficult thing to acheive. A lot of people dont realise this.
Microsoft just spent $9 billion and many years to create Vista, so it does not sound reasonable that some new alternative could just snap into existence overnight like that. It would take billions of dollars and a massive effort to achieve. IBM tried, and spent a huge amount of money developing OS/2 but could never keep up with Windows. Apple tried to create their own system for years, but finally gave up recently and moved to Intel and Microsoft. 
Its just not possible that a freeware like the Linux could be extended to the point where it runs the entire computer fron start to finish, without using some of the more critical parts of windows. Not possible.
I think you need to re-examine your assumptions.

I dont see how this will happen at all.Vista is far more powerful than windows XP, and runs twice as fast. It is also much harder to pirate, and this point more than anything else has the Linux crowd in a panic.
It wont be long until Windows XP is no longer supported, and when that happens, what is Linux going to do ?
Linux will have to find a way to work under Vista from here on, since it wont be able to rely on XP being readily available anymore.
Linux may seem like a good alternative to Office, but all that is happening in linux is that the windows interface is cleverly hidden away. It still needs the drivers and software services in order to run, and in most cases - that happens WITHOUT a valid windows licence.
This is just plain piracy.
Vista will finally put an end to this blatant abuse of intellectual property, and linux should decline, taking the pirates with it.
Anyone that supports the continuation of Windows XP in place of Vista surely has a hidden agenda .. and you will surely be caught out.

Its clearly evident that vista is the future.One only has to watch TV for a short period of time and see the advertising.
WOW !!
I personally love the part where the young man is taking a stroll in the delightful snow covered streets, and sees firsthand a young deer with a gleefull glint in its eye. It sends a shiver down my spine. WOW is all I can say.
Vista is clearly the future of enterprise computing.

Linux looks very interesting, even if some of the screen colours and menu options appear to be a little out of the ordinary.But you are missing a vital point, a point which takes some experience and depth of knowledge in the field of computers. You see, when a computer boots up, it needs to load various drivers and then load various services. This happens long before the operating system and other applications are available.
Linux is a marvellous operating system in its own right, and even comes in several different flavours. However, as good as these flavours are, they first need Microsoft Windows to load the services prior to use.
In Linux, the open office might be the default for editing your wordfiles, and you might prefer ubuntu brown over the grassy knoll of the windows desktop, but mark my words young man - without the windows drivers sitting below the visible surface, allowing the linus to talk to the hardware, it is without worth.
And so, by choosing your linux as an alternative to windows on the desktop, you still need a windows licence to run this operating system through the windows drivers to talk to the hardware. Linux is only a code, it cannot perform the low level function.
My point being, young man, that unless you intend to pirate and steal the Windows drivers and services, how is using the linux going to save money ? Well ? It seems that no linux fan can ever provide a straight answer to that question !
May as well just stay legal, run the Windows drivers, and run Office on the desktop instead of the linus. From:http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12355-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=31199&messageID=579066&start=-9577 

The initial surge of sales for Vista have been phenomenal. So successful in fact, that Microsoft has been taken by surprise, and can barely keep up with the demand.
Vista has been in short supply all around the world due to this rapid take up of the product, and so Microsoft has been working hard to reign in that demand to match the supply.
What you are seeing here, first hand, is the result of the most successful software operating system of all time.
The simple fact of the matter is that Microsoft cannot produce Vista fast enough to meet the current levels of demand, and so they are forced to release older stock back onto the market, or face the prospect of losing customer loyalty.
Its also important that Microsoft take the opportunity to convert their current inventory of Windows XP into cash sales - otherwise that existing inventory would have to be written off.
This is a win-win situation for everyone. Customers are still able to access Microsoft licenses that they desperately need to run their businesses, Microsoft receives a financial bonus as it converts its old inventory of Windows XP into cash .. and the Vista programmers get a much deserved break, which they can use to ramp up their production efficiencies and grow those Vista inventory levels to new highs.
I dont see any of this as negative to Microsoft at all. These are all great signs that Microsoft is healthier than ever.

So, let me get this right - you downloaded a trial version of the linux from the internet, and tried to install it on a perfectly good machine.
Your trial version failed to install. This is most likely because the time period for the trial had expired, so thats easy enough to understand. Another probable reason for the failure to install is because your machine was running too fast - linux works best on machines around the 1GHz mark, and would be very unstable running on a 3GHz machine.
All those facts aside, what concerns me most is that the linux loaded a virus onto the windows petition, and corrupted your machine ?
Astonishing !!
Novell has every right to restrict the distribution of their trial freewares, and abort the installation if the terms of the EULA have not been met. However, it is absolutely against the law for Novell to go that one fatal step further, and install a virus in retribution.
It is illegal for a supplier of software to inflict such punitive measures.
You have an excellent case here for taking Novell to a court of law, and prosecuting this malicious action on their part without predjudice.
I highly recommend that you pursue this course of action.