[Gllug] Microsoft Get The Facts Seminar

[Alain Williams]

On Sun, Jun 20, 2004 at 11:56:49PM +0100, Tethys wrote:
> 
> Huw Lynes writes:
> 
> >http://www.hlynes.com/getthefacts.shtml
> 
> >From the article:
> 
> 	The overall tone of this event makes it fairly clear as to Microsoft's
> 	anti-Linux strategy.
> 
> 	1. Claim that linux isn't free.
> 
> But the fact is, Linux *isn't* free. Yes, it's free to the likes of
> you or me. It's free to companies that have sufficiently clued up
> technical staff. But to the vast majority of companies, it costs them
> money in the form of a support contract with Red Hat or SuSE. It's
> a brave company that decides to ditch Windows in favour of a Debian
> or Fedora install, unless they have a reasonable amount of in house
> technical expertise. And most don't...

More than that -- they have to pay someone to look after the Linux boxen.
So, in that respect, Linux isn't free.

The free (as in beer) aspect of Linux really makes a difference when you are
dealing with: large numbers of machines; not having to worry about keeping zillions
of licence agreements; not paying for upgrades.
OK: this is eroded is you use RedHat/SuSE (and MS wanted comparisons against that scenario),
but there is still an advantage.

-- 
Alain Williams

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