[Fsf-friends] Linux Desktop Myths Exploded

[CK Raju]

Dear friend,
You would have done us a great favour had you brought out the linkage bet=
ween=20
the Gartner analyst Michael Silver and Microsoft Inc. Loooking at the ent=
ire=20
arguments, one can only see the conclusions of Silver, based on 'assumpti=
ons'=20
rather than doing any concrete study.

On issues like 'cost', the information in our domain was that Microsoft's=
=20
spokesmen used to initially argue that 'with peanuts, you get monkeys'. W=
hen=20
this argument got few takers, they changed the argument to 'a free puppy=20
would need a dog's food later'. Studying the failure of this argument, it=
=20
appears that Microsoft has finally decided to argue that 'this OS is more=
=20
costly'. How does one draw a bottom line then ?

Surveys at http://www.netcraft.com/survey show a different curve for Free=
=20
Software or other open source products, when compared to the proprietary=20
ones. Why does Silver avoid such results ?

I had done a research on the usage of GNU Linux and other non-Microsoft O=
Ses=20
by Microsoft Inc, itself and found that at least 44 portals of Microsoft =
Inc,=20
of various languages, were using them. This was in August 2001. A portion=
 of=20
this picture, that was available then at the Netcraft's site was captured=
 and=20
published in a handbook that was later widely circulated amongst the loca=
l=20
bodies of Kerala.

Silver might be forced to 'dream' after being paid to bring out a convinc=
ing=20
article, but sadly it misses the target.=20

I have studied at least one such case in history, where Thomas Edison had=
=20
brought out similar arguments about the ill effects of 'alternating curre=
nt',=20
in a bid to promote his 'direct current' (through his corporate venture),=
=20
when the usages of electricity for domestic purposes was setting off cour=
se=20
in US. What happened eventually is before all of us to see. Perhaps Bill=20
Gates and his men, could become more wiser learning from the fate of Thom=
as=20
Edison, than going in for such cheap tricks. These tricks would get explo=
ded=20
as time flies by, as with each 'flawed attempts at exposure', the entire=20
exercise of 'duping' would be unearthed and less and less people would gi=
ve=20
an ear to it.

CK Raju

On Tuesday 06 May 2003 09:11 am, searchlight@sancharnet.in wrote:
> STUDY:
> Linux Desktop Myths Exploded
>
> By James Maguire
> NewsFactor Network
> May 05, 2003
> http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/21431.html
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
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