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Profits come from volume.
The key to the story is the fact that distributions of Linux vary so substantially that it's difficult for apps providers to keep up with each. That's a significant limitation for future development.
What Linux is offering is basic bare-bones computing, at least on the desktop. That's not a dramatic reason for places with Windows to switch when a change would be costly. But competition with Windows is still a distant prospect.
Now, as we all know, Linux is chewing through Unixes in places with a large, experienced, expensive staff. While that's damaging to the comparatively small number of people who worked on those Unixes, most Unix-world employment is not affected.
The risk I worry about is whether Linux standardization is going to make it easier for corporations to do away with their IT cost centers. We're already seeing a lot of out-sourcing and off-shoring. How much of that is made easier by implementing Linux?
(Interesting that while non-standardization is limiting Linux on the desktop, standardization is a selling point elsewhere.)
To me, that's the one central Linux issue. It can't help increase employment because it's a replacement product, but does it hurt?
Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 12/22/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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Misleading  nite_w0lf | 12/22/03
Hear hear!!  NemesisNL | 12/22/03
Did you guys actually read the article ?  GLMarx | 12/22/03
perhaps multi desktop environments is not bad  nocturnalsleep2001@... | 12/22/03
Well said  jsygxh | 12/22/03
Desktop Linux Adoption: The Penultimate Goal?  bhartman24 | 12/23/03
More Precisely  Mark Gist | 12/22/03
yes  ryusen | 12/22/03
no linux standards  Joe Blow_z | 12/22/03
I partly agree  NemesisNL | 12/22/03
True  issthatso | 12/22/03
Home users  Joe Blow_z | 12/22/03
And they deserve the opinion.  Damon K | 12/22/03
RE: Home Users  belad@... | 12/22/03
You need a history lesson.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Your premise?  IT_User | 12/22/03
re: Home Users  ryusen | 12/22/03
Watch out, don't let the arrogance bite !  GLMarx | 12/22/03
Never had a game plan  IT_User | 12/22/03
Overlooking custom applications  wolf_z | 12/22/03
Post doesn't make sense.  libertyaikido | 12/22/03
Wolf, you're in that "left behind" segment  IT_User | 12/22/03
the longer term...  ryusen | 12/22/03
Installation ease,  Update victim | 12/22/03
I agree  nite_w0lf | 12/22/03
Debian  Sagax | 12/22/03
WishFUDfull thinking  jellyclock | 12/22/03
Not true.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
True, $hill. "Thousands" of Win shells?! You're delusional... or a liar.  dicktaurus@... | 12/22/03
windows shells  Joe Blow_z | 12/22/03
Joe, I guess Google is more than he...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
The $hill plays a bad Shell game, LOL... Google THIS.  dicktaurus@... | 12/22/03
Yes, It's true  nucrash | 12/22/03
How many  michael-t | 12/22/03
None of what you wrote is worth a hill of beans !  GLMarx | 12/22/03
Re: WishFUDfull thinking  mbraincell@... | 12/22/03
big f'n deal  dick lechter | 12/22/03
Profits come from volume.  Anton Philidor | 12/22/03
Might hurt some, definitely benefit others  IT_User | 12/22/03
PostgreSQL -- not MySQL  webmstr_dave@... | 12/22/03
Perens will fail ...  George Mitchell | 12/22/03
the problem i see is...  ryusen | 12/22/03
Ultimately, ego will make Linux fragment  marksashton | 12/22/03
Linux and the dumbing down of corporate America.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Mainframes? User software?  hrlngrv | 12/22/03
I would disagree...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
I agree with you  Michael Kelly | 12/22/03
I leanered AutoCadd on a Main Frame  voska | 12/22/03
I don't believe so.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Standardization vs. Customization  bhartman24 | 12/24/03
hrlngrv, Interesting how the pedulum swings: Centralized, distributed, ...  Plain Logic | 12/22/03
These aren't second rate  IT_User | 12/22/03
I agree about setting policy.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Collaberation in Office products is overrated  voska | 12/22/03
Only to those that can't or won't use it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
That's an understatement!  IT_User | 12/22/03
Not true.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
So you did  IT_User | 12/22/03
Why is it ....  oxymoronx@... | 12/22/03
Good post!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
OK - Up to a point  Sagax | 12/22/03
What a rant  voska | 12/22/03
My, aren't we full of vitriol!  IT_User | 12/22/03
You are uneducated  mslicker | 12/22/03
Why is it ....! Because  nite_w0lf | 12/22/03
Talkback-ers  pschroeder@... | 12/22/03
Because they are direct competitors  Michael Kelly | 12/22/03
Not much else thay can do really.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Now that's funny  voska | 12/22/03
Well, that's one opinion.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Quality != License  IT_User | 12/22/03
All depends what you want I suppose.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/23/03
You ever use K3B?  Damon K | 12/22/03
Don't believe so.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
You haven't use Mozzilla  voska | 12/23/03
On the topic of IE  voska | 12/23/03
it's always funny how...  ryusen | 12/22/03
Yeah, right bitty  NoB$ | 12/22/03
Wouldn't be a party  voska | 12/22/03
This is a comedy club?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/22/03
Because Zdnet inspires nothing else  FilledOut | 12/23/03
Fighting  pschroeder@... | 12/23/03
I agree  FilledOut | 12/24/03
Choose Your Desktop  TuxSolution04 | 12/22/03
Why not just leave it up to the admin?  Suicida| | 12/22/03
Because that would be too easy and too democratic!  George Mitchell | 12/22/03
He's Wrong and Mistaken  mslicker | 12/22/03
The sharper Corporations are beginning to adopt Linux  Plain Logic | 12/22/03
Objectivity  nyabdns | 12/23/03
The business aps that businesses use to run business  IT_User | 12/23/03
Standards  gsteele531@... | 12/23/03

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