[SWLUG] Microsoft Vs. Linux Celtic Manor July 7th - anybody going?

[swlug at azem.org]

<<<< taken from the below link


Countering the free software message was the recurrent point that it's the 
integration of your 'software stack' that counts in the enterprise; does your 
j2ee or .net development framework integrate top to bottom for your web 
services platform and your user desktop and can you manage a deployment of 
thousands of dekstops with a couple of mouse clicks from your central control 
bunker? This is probably true if you are Ford or Boeing but whether it plays 
well to the home user, small school or call centre is something else. 
Retreating up the value chain may look appealing as competition enters at the 
bottom, but if in a few years time all the graduates coming into the job 
market have Star Office and Ximian on their laptop it may be a different 
matter. And nobody talked about free as in 'libre', only gratis - a side to 
the debate that's old hat in Open Source circles.

Question time to the panel allowed various digs to be slipped in around 
security, patching and software IPR as well as 'why don't you unbundle 
Internet Explorer?' (courtesy E. Bleasdale, proprietor). Again Microsoft 
'fessed up to security vulnerabilities in the past and said fixing it was 
their number one priority.

Laugh of the day went to Philip Hands who stood up from the floor and said 
that Debian had a better patch distribution system than Microsoft 'would ever 
have'. The compere jibed back 'Oh, so you are are a futurologist as well?' To 
which Philip replied 'Yes, I switched to Linux ten years ago'. Cue hilarity 
from the floor and time to troop out to a cracking free lunch.



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/28/ms_mugs_the_facts/

stu