[mdlug] OT: No BSA in Linux

[Ingles, Raymond]

> From: Joseph C. Bender

> > Ditching all Windows, is easier than either deleting spam or
> > 	 repeatedly rebooting and re-entering into an application
> > 	 that crashes.
> > 
> 	Great.  Tell that to businesses that require Windows-only 
> business-specific applications.

 Um... that wasn't the target market Bob was talking about. Your
objection is true, but beside the point he was trying to make. For
most home users, their main uses are (1) the web, (2) email, (3)
multimedia, and (4) games. Linux can score a solid 3 out of 4, and
it's getting better at (4).

> For business use?  Very difficult for a lot of things, interestingly
> enough.  Every time I hear someone say "Switching is so easy,
> everyone should do it" (or the equivalent thereof), I grit my teeth.

 Maybe you could ask if they mean for businesses *before*
gritting. :->

> Case in point:  I run Linux as the native OS on my laptop.  This being 
> said, I have a VMWare installation so that I can run Win2k.  I *have* 
> to, I don't have Linux-equivalent applications for the phone systems 
> administration that I do.  Or QuickBooks.  I'm waiting for Intuit to 
> port QB to Linux, or GNUCash not to suck.  I'm betting on Intuit.

 For businesses, more and more of the apps are either web-based, or
else are hosted on a Citrix (or equivalent) server. NOT ALL - I want
to make that clear so there's no confusion about what I'm saying.
I'm saying that proportion is *increasing* - I'm not saying it's
for everything, or even the majority (yet).

 For non-administrators, non-developers, Linux on the desktop in a
business makes a lot of sense. Easier to administer, to keep running,
and to protect. It's not a fit everywhere, but where it does I expect
people will get positive exposure to Linux.

 Sincerely,

 Ray Ingles                                      (313) 227-2317

   "The idea that an arbitrary naive human should be able to
  properly use a given tool without training or understanding
  is even more wrong for computing than it is for other tools
 (e.g. automobiles, airplanes, guns, power saws)." - Doug Gwyn
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