Linux comes of age.
The cost to install Windows XP software with a few supporting office products now exceeds the price of the PC computer hardware. Did you know that RedTitan products and the majority of Windows utility software will run without modification on many Linux distributions costing a mere $50? The office products come for free!
An article by
Peter W. Henry - RedTitan President and C.E.O.
© RedTitan Technology 2005
The cost to install Windows XP software with a few supporting office products now exceeds the price of the PC computer hardware. Did you know that RedTitan products and the majority of Windows utility software will run without modification on many Linux distributions costing a mere $50? The office products come for free!
An article by
Peter W. Henry - RedTitan President and C.E.O.
© RedTitan Technology 2005
Linux is good for server applications and
Geeks but Windows wins on the desktop every time
It's still mostly true but the corporates are
beginning to notice a diminishing return. The home computer market is focusing
on the digital
entertainment center not business applications and Microsoft, still sore that Apple used the iPod to leverage a bigger
share for the Mac, won't give up lightly. In short, Windows XP Home Edition
upgrade for $99 and Full Version for $199 is still worth it to the home consumer
to get all those lovely MP3 and MPEG goodies.
The question is - are these prices good for Mr
Corporate Suit or even the Mom and Pop outfit? Now, it is unlikely the Chief
Executive will stalk into R&D and confiscate the Windows PCs but he is
beginning to worry about the wisdom of giving the sales force $2000
laptops just so they can leave them on the train.
The problem rotates around the collaterals a
business needs to fully load a PC. You have got to have Word, Acccess,
Powerpoint and Excel just to file your monthly report. It soon adds up even if
you do get quantity discounts. If the the hard disk gives up, finding the
distribution disks, restoring the backup and re-activating with Microsoft is
becoming the favourite excuse for a whole new PC.
It's true. There are too many types of Linux
systems. It's a QA nightmare. The Geeks point at a screen full of dots and
slashes and say "look, look it's easy" It might be for them but if your business
is making pizzas you know your staff have only just got around to point and
click.
So if I can't migrate to Linux do I just keep
feeding the Windows Cash Cow?
Not quite. If you can't migrate to Linux why
don't you let Linux migrate to you! There is a wonderful piece of Linux software
called Wine. Wine is a free implementation of Windows on Unix.
YES - IT JUST RUNS UNCHANGED WINDOWS PROGRAMS! Lots of native Windows software
will just work and at this price it is worth trying out your legacy
applications. If you can't face negotiating with the Geeks there are commercial
distributions of this software that you can have pre-installed. For example, XANDROS Desktop
OS is the Debian Linux and comes with a Wine implementation called
Code-Weavers CrossOver all for around $50.
You get everything you need for your monthly
report and more besides. The system comes with the OpenOffice.org Word
processor, spreadsheets, graphics stuff, Mozilla (IE/OE like) and all the
Citrix, Novell, SAP and IBM clients you need to cope with biz
connectivity. The look and feel is all designed to keep Windows fans happy.
It is not going to be an easy ride. You have no choice but to keep Windows but it makes sense to give your kids LINUX before the hamster eats the genuine XP professional holographic label. At the office, XANDROS sits very nicely on the TCP/IP network, VPN connection just works and WINE claims compatability for 95% of Windows apps. Put it this way - if programs your company has written for Windows won't run on Linux you have probably written them wrongly - it's time to ask R&D why.