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VIRTUALISATION The real value of Linux
VIRTUALISATION The real value of Linux | The real value of Linux |
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| by Hamish Taylor | |
| Friday, 19 December 2008 | |
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Linux has a very important role in keeping Microsoft at the top of that food chain. As a Linux user and writer, this might sound a little wacky, but bear with me. Generally speaking, at or near the top every Linux advocate's list of "The best things about Linux" is the word "alternative". Linux gives people an alternative; a choice of operating systems; you don't have to be locked into using Microsoft's, or anyone elses, software. In other words: Linux forces competition into the marketplace. In the mid 90's to early 2000's, Microsoft competed with Unix and Novell for the SME server market. They won significant market share with NT3.51, NT4 and Win2000. This was mostly as a result of having pretty decent products which were relatively easy to use and at pretty good prices. Linux is now competing against Microsoft in many marketspaces, for much of the same reasons. The free availablity and continually improving quality of Linux is forcing Microsoft to pick up their game. It is no coincidence that the rise of the netbook market, driven initially by Linux, saw Microsoft reverse their decision to cease supporting WinXP. Microsoft even extended WinXP's availability and support. They would not have done this if Linux hadn't been chipping away at their market share. When netbooks did begin to appear preloaded with WinXP, there was a significant price difference between the Linux models (cheaper) and the WinXP models (more exensive or with lower hardware specifications). However, this has now largely disappeared, and in some cases even reversed with the Linux models becoming more expensive! Many people believe that Microsoft has dropped the price of a WinXP licence, for the netbook market, to almost nil. We know they can change their pricing structure to suit different markets, as evidenced by various geographical areas having diffent pricing structures. It would be trivial for them to tell OEM manufacturers that WinXP is available to install either freely or at very low cost. Brad Brooks, in a Microsoft press release states that the price cuts are to gain more market share of the "build it yourself types" of computer user, especially in developing countries. Why would they be doing this, if they didn't feel threatened by companies such as the Chinese Red Flag Linux or Canonical, Novell, Red Hat and Mandriva? Please read onto page 2... |
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