On Tuesday 07 June 2005 01:40 pm, Meyer, David R wrote:
> I think it is going to put a big hurt on Linux on the desktop (I'm
> switching to it already (I have new macs at home). I am keeping my
> Linux servers for now, but this is something that Linux needs to keep a
> sharp eye on. I don't think it will hurt FreeBSD, but I think Linux
> (unfortunately) needs to get going if they don't want to get run over.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: flalug@nks.net [mailto:flalug@nks.net] On Behalf Of smitty
> Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 1:33 PM
> To: Florida Linux User's Group listserv
> Subject: [flalug] The Mac-Intel Computer
>
> I've seen comments that this will hurt Linux. I would agree with that
> on the laptop and desktop, but not significantly in the server market.
> I do see this as the beginning of the end of FreeBSD. There will be
> less justification for its development now.
> Smitty
> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1824705,00.asp
I didn't see anything in that article indicating trouble for Linux, but I saw
something elsewhere by Stevie Vaughn-Nickols that did say the Linux desktop
was toast unless the "Linux community" put their priorities straight.
I disagree.
First of all, what Linux desktop market? Except for a few folks like us, few
are using Linux on the desktop yet. The number is growing every year, but
it's tiny next to MS Windows. So it's not like we'll get bombed back to the
stone age -- we're already there. One could make the argument that an Intel
Mac could stunt our growth on the desktop, but so what -- we're still
growing.
My IceWM might not have all the gegaws of MacOS, but I needn't buy a specific
hardware to run my IceWM. If Apple goes for the high margins like it did in
the 80's, it will lose on price again, like it did in the 80's. But now,
there will be two beneficiaries of its loss -- Microsoft and Linux. If Apple
prices its equipment right and continues delivering an outstanding desktop
OS, there will be little need for a LInux Desktop except for people like me
who want to run cheapo white boxes and think IceWM is just fine with them.
But I think there's little likelihood of that.
I predict MS and Apple will get into a spitting contest, diverting MS's big
guns from Linux, and in the long run the Linux desktop will benefit.
And as Smitty started this thread by saying, who needs a pretty desktop to run
server apps?
SteveT
Steve Litt
Founder and acting president: GoLUG
http://www.golug.org
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