I believe Linux will eventually take significant share of the desktop. I believe this because of the nature of Open Source. I have linux running my webserver right now, but I have a Windows Box for doing work on. So what would it take to run just Linux? In a word - applications. Open Source allows code to evolve towards what users want. To date the users of Linux have been advanced computer users who wanted a Unix style front end. However there are more and more people (like me) who don't care about the back end OS so much, but want the 'Pretty' GUI RAD development tools we are used to with Windows. JBuilder 3.5 gives us that - and so will Kylix. Once this happens there will be an application explosion for Linux. We all know that the make or break of an OS is applications. Since Kylix and Java are cross platform it will make the OS choice irrevelent. The only difference will be price and support - and ironically it is Linux Companies, not Microsoft providing better support. Linux Companies make their dollars selling support. The price will also be somewhat difficult for MS to beat. Linux will evolve to meet the demands of Desktop. In five years a application released only for Windows will be at a serious disadvantage. In five years Linux (or at least selected distributions of it) will be just as easy to use as Windows. MS will be forced to compete based on quality of product once more. It is vital that applications written for Linux also work on Windows. This is key. Microsofts only winning stratagy is to prevent developers from developing cross platform applications. Peter Harrison www.nothingbutnet.co.nz ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard Vowles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Multiple recipients of list delphi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2000 12:41 PM Subject: Re: [DUG]: Re:: Laurence Bevan - LINUX - It will NEVER make its mark on the desktop > This should perhaps go to off topic, but I'll make a comment - > > I think the big win is in providing the features that an NT Workstation > would have without the licensing costs. An organisation with 100 users could > say 1/2 million dollars in licensing costs. It costs around $4k to get an > RHCE and all the infrastructure software is free. The cost saving is > incredible! And with MS doing some serious nasties with licensing now (see > http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/06/08/0647212) I can see them digging > their own grave... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Zealand Delphi Users group - Offtopic List - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
