Linux? No Thanks

[Nomad559]

Linux? No Thanks

The open source Linux operating system gets lots of media hype, but it hasn't caught on with medium-size businesses, a new study says.

Only 27% of midsize companies use Linux, while another 10% say they will evaluate Linux in the next three years, according to a survey of 1,422 firms conducted by Info-Tech Research Group of London, Ontario.

"This was surprising to us," says Frank Koelsch, executive vice president of strategy and research at Info-Tech, who authored the report. "We were expecting to find more interest and more buying intentions among our respondents."

Companies have figured out that although Linux was once touted as a "free" operating system, in fact distributors such as Red Hat and SuSE, a division of Novell, charge money for their products. Red Hat also charges hefty maintenance fees that have risen sharply over the years

Linux zealots will no doubt suspect this is just another Microsoft public relations ploy, but Koelsch insists Microsoft had nothing to do with this study. "It's completely independent research," he says.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050405/to244.html?.v=3

http://secunia.com

[Wickerman]

1. interesting

:popcorn:

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Hubby has machines that use both.

[Nomad559]

8. So do I

I have SuSE Pro 9.2 on one of my systems.
But my preferred poison Is XP Pro.

?click

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. He uses the linux box for his email. And also for loading up game

faqs and walk-throughs, which we play on the windows box. Both are hooked up to the same monitor and we just go back and forth between them.

[Ready4Change]

3. 27%? That's more than I thought. n/t

[bridgit]

4. gorgeous fembots...

http://www.ubergeek.tv/article.php?pid=54

[realisticphish]

5. you mean an open source

operating system targeted towards programmers ISN'T used by massive numbers of office workers!?!?!?! who'd a thunk it!

now ask them how many use unix/linux SERVERS

[SensibleCenterist]

6. Linux Rulz ... whatever

I use Linux in my company and we have thereby saved countless thousands of dollars of fees to Microsoft, plus we get better software. Anyone who thinks they have to have MS Windows and Office is just misinformed or just plain terrified.

The annoying thing is that it is hard to buy laptops without MS pre-installed. An outfit like Dell buys their disk drives with the software already loaded. I have engineers that say they would pay extra to get their laptops shipped without Windows. They're kidding, but just barely.

[mondo joe]

7. My irritating neighbor is always pushing linux

But for all his talk he can't run a lot of programs and his wife can't access her email.

Yuck.