I have heard enough soothsayers procognosticating that the present is the future. I've seen companies in this industry arguing that if a customer grows to a particular size in computing terms, then they are locked in for life. Some of those companies cease to exist, but their customers carry on happily. People's first reaction to the introduction of new stuff, especially from a company they've never heard from is that they wouldn't touch the stuff with a barge pole. Next purchasing cycle, the new boy is already known, meriting some small trial, if it's good, there is a whole new ball game in the park. "Was he correct ??", you ask - may be, if by always he means the next two years. The guy who headed up IBM's Linux effort said when he first heard in an internal seminar, the question as to IBM's Linux Strategy, said "That free thing ?, Not in a MILLION years"...... GEEEEEEEE!, how time flies - still, now I reckon I'm a million years plus some, next step maybe everlasting life. The difference with Linux is that the coders keep right on coding and improving whatever the pundits say. A point I made many years ago to the naysayers - this Linux stuff will keep on coming, getting better all the time and when the time is right, we'll wake up one day to find out it's everywhere and in everything, whether we(linux) like it or they(Microsoft) hate it, if no one else understands where it's heading, Microsoft certainly DOES - BIGTIME! Regards Sid. Gedi wrote:
I was at a training course a few days ago. Whilst the rest of the group I was with had wondered off to stretch their leg in the break, I ended up on a discussion with the consultant/training officer about Linux, Unix, programming etc...
He passed a comment that Linux would never make it make it into homes or even onto workstations. The average user will always want microsoft product and far too much investment has been made with microsoft as a whole to warrant changing. His argument was, he was a software developer mainly for industry and virtually 100% of his work is for microsoft based software, even though his company offers development on any platform.
Needless to say we ended up arguing!!
As this list is home to many industry proffesionals, I would love to hear your comments on this.
Was he correct??
Will Linux ever be a real threat to Microsoft, not just in industry, but in the household also?
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-- Sid Boyce .... Linux Only Shop.