Wow. Even hardcore Windoze defenders should be shocked at the announcement that Amazon saved $17 million last quarter by switching to Linux. That’s the kind of cold hard cash/facts that need to be publicized more if Bill’s stranglehold on the world’s computers is to be challenged.
martin
November 1, 2001 — 8:38 am
Do windows defenders exist? Why would they be shocked? They just use the OS thats there, easy to use that has the software they need on it. The OS is a tool like any other fit for some jobs unfit for others. Being blinkered or evangelical about a particular OS or programming language is all a waste of time really. People should be more pragmatic about such things.
Sorry I haven’t finished my morning coffee yet. 🙂
Jann
November 1, 2001 — 8:41 am
What are you doing up?
martin
November 1, 2001 — 9:34 am
What are you doing up you doley! 🙂 My journey this morning didn’t originate from my normal location….
Kris
November 1, 2001 — 10:51 am
I have to disagree, Martin. (Big surprise there.) Easy to use? You’ve been using Windows too long. Please explain in words my grandpa could understand what a .dll is and where to get/put the one he needs to play Solitare. You can’t do it. In easy-to-follow instructions, tell someone how to change the default application that handles a certain file format in I.E. You can’t do it. Windows is only easy when you’ve been forced to use it for 10 years. I have no idea how to repartition a PC. I figured it out on my iMac in thirty seconds.
As for “being there” and “having the software they need”, you make it sound like it’s just a coincidence that Microsoft fills those requirements. Can you order a PC these days that DOESN’T come with Windows? It’s not easy, and the normal punter couldn’t do it. Microsoft has got both the hardware and software manufacturers tied up with licensing agreements that wouldn’t be allowed in any other industry. Which is, of course, why the Justice Department took them on in the first place.
You think I’m being “blinkered” or “evangelical”, but that’s not the case. I’m not pro any specific OS; I’m just anti big sucky monopolistic corporations. I’ve been using Windows PC’s for about ten years now myself, and to be completely honest, I’ve never been as impressed with any of those machines as I am with my Mac. For God’s sake, my machine at work couldn’t even SHUT DOWN PROPERLY. I’ve had virii and .dll problems and difficulty installing peripherals and crashes and blue screens of death… and I’m not an atypical user! I was just trying to do normal things. I’ve had this machine for a year, and I estimate I’ve had 2% of the trouble my PC gave me in the same amount of time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah… XP is supposed to address all these problems. But that’s all Microsoft ever does, is respond AFTER the fact. We have yet another security hole? Here’s a patch. Oh, Apple has a GUI people are raving about and ours still looks like it did in 1995? Okay, we’ll copy theirs. People are finally catching up to the fact that our OS crashes every day? Okay, we’ll make it our new selling point that it doesn’t. Completely conservative and reactive. They’re not innovating. They’re just doing as much as they have to to protect their market share.
Okay, rant off. 🙂
martin
November 1, 2001 — 3:38 pm
Ah I never said they were innovative. just pointing out that for some people the OS is fir for the job and too be honest the main reaosn why I have a Windows PC is because its easier to err “get” software for it (for me).
I’ve had trouble with Macs before so I can’t really say I haven’t that’s all.
I think the main difference is that you dson’t like MS and I don’t particularly care either way.
I’m just an argumentative sod (and Jann can confirm this as he had to work with me on the AA :-). Though you probably got an inkling whilst I was on clickMan but I’d just started then as was a bit less arsey.
Jann
November 1, 2001 — 6:49 pm
It’s true! He’s a git…
Kris
November 1, 2001 — 8:00 pm
He’s not a git. At least HE updates his weblog every once and a while! *grumble grumble*
martin
November 2, 2001 — 10:20 am
Yeah Jann! and I have to manually copy the XML node fill it with my guff and upload the XML file as I have yet to create my admin system properly. 🙂
You can do yours online? Can’t you?
Plus I’m thinking of overhauling the image display page (not a popup) and adding a comments thing (toying with using *hushed voice* Access as I don’t think my hoster supports mySQL) plus something else which escapes me now.