[Sussex] Linux market to exceed $35bn by 2008

[Stephen Williams]

On Thu, 2005-02-03 at 17:28 +0000, Geoffrey Teale wrote:
> On Thu, 2005-02-03 at 17:04 +0000, Angelo Servini wrote:
> > I am now starting to realise that the stance of some of our members on the growth of linux in the "free" market is not just wishful thinking on our part.  I was a little cautious in believing this until I read the following report.  Amazing but true!  I think M$ are a litte bit more than worried.
> 
> Angelo,
> 
> It's all too easy to feel like no-one uses anything but Windows when you
> work in a Microsoft only shop - the sort of people who blindly buy their
> stuff believe the hype, and the policy line they quote themselves.  I've
> been there more than once, people who know very little about the IT
> market as a whole will tell you with absolute confidence that:
> 
>  1. Microsoft is the only vendor of OS's, browser software and office
> software that any business anywhere uses.
>  2. Microsoft cannot be matched for
> quality/reliability/features/security (because they're the biggest
> vendor).
>  3. People will laugh at you if you suggest using anything other than
> Microsoft.

I was seeing a client today who had been grumbling about the cost of M$
software. He'd heard of Linux, but hadn't really contemplated using it
as he's had no exposure to it. So I whipped out my notebook PC with
Gentoo, Gnome 2.8 desktop, OpenOffice, Evolution etc. He was quite taken
aback at how accessible it was. He's in the print business, so you would
think he uses Macs a lot. Well, his designers do, but most of the print
shop machines are Windows boxes. So it may be a bit of time before he
migrates to Linux desktops.

Anyway, he wants some more server capacity and has asked me to prepare a
Linux server box to offer Windows and Mac file serving. From such small
acorns large oaks do grow.

Don't think it'll be Gentoo though. Might have to be Ubuntu. Or SuSE....

> 
> ... all of these ideas are false (except point 3 in the case where you
> are dealing with someone who believes all three points).
> 
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