1. [OT] New Desktop OS?
What are they thinking?!
http://www.line56.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=4989
I don't see how this could possibly be successful (read: profitable), unless
it's just a M$ slayer... :-\
2. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
> What are they thinking?!
> http://www.line56.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=4989
>
> I don't see how this could possibly be successful (read: profitable),
unless
> it's just a M$ slayer... :-\
More (and even worse) news here...
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20030916S0006
The article says "$100 per user per year..." For what, you ask? "Now
carrying the moniker Sun Java Desktop System, the SuSE-powered system
includes the GNOME desktop environment, Sun's own StarOffice 7 application
suite, the Mozilla Web browser, and other open-source utilities, including
media players from RealNetworks and Macromedia."
Okay, so it's Linux with some Java apps?!?!? sheesh. This marketplace is
psychotic!!! :)
3. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
> > Okay, so it's Linux with some Java apps?!?!? sheesh. This marketplace is
> > psychotic!!! :)
>
> It seems like a good move to me. The $100 / year inclues support.
> Something MS don't do very well (or at all in most cases). If Sun do
> a good in support the $100 / year is a bargin (for corporate
> customers - it's not aimed at individuals).
Who's their market? Are they thinking they're going to steal big customers
away from M$? Do they think the small mom and pops will buy non-M$? The
latter is more likely than the former. I do agree that if they're throwing
in support with that $100, it could be a good deal (depending on the level
of support :) ).
To be honest, I've never gotten bad support from M$. Even when I no longer
had a key code for my MS Office CD (lost the case), I called MS and got a
new key without hassle. I haven't had to call for support in quite a while,
though, so things may have changed.
4. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
- Posted by eugtk at yahoo.com
Sep 17, 2003
--- "C. K. Lester" <cklester at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Who's their market? Are they thinking they're going
> to steal big customers
> away from M$? Do they think the small mom and pops
> will buy non-M$? The
> latter is more likely than the former. I do agree
> that if they're throwing
> in support with that $100, it could be a good deal
> (depending on the level
> of support :) ).
Their market is medium to large businesses.
Businesses who want to be able to predict and control
their costs.
Even if you ignore the outrageous expense of
Microsoft apps, the $100 per employee/yr is *way*
less than what it costs just to audit to ensure you
don't get raided and fined by the BSA.
Add to that the productivity gains from employees
not being able to download games and viruses, and
the $100 seems like a real bargain.
Irv
5. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
> > Who's their market?
>
> Their market is medium to large businesses.
> Businesses who want to be able to predict and control
> their costs.
Then I ask again... what's the pitch?
"Dump your entire computer system and buy ours. Sure, you'll lose all your
legacy apps (or have to pay to upgrade them), and any data files you had in
a M$ proprietary format will have to be discarded or redone, but, hey! At
least we're cheaper!"
Trust me... I can't wait for M$ to be gone forever and for good... but
trying to bring down the behemoth will ill-made plans doesn't seem right to
me. They aren't showing me an easy migration path if I'm entrenched in M$
hell... I need an easy way out that's also cheap. :)
6. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
- Posted by eugtk at yahoo.com
Sep 17, 2003
--- "C. K. Lester" <cklester at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> > > Who's their market?
> >
> > Their market is medium to large businesses.
> > Businesses who want to be able to predict and
> control
> > their costs.
>
> Then I ask again... what's the pitch?
>
> "Dump your entire computer system and buy ours.
> Sure, you'll lose all your
> legacy apps (or have to pay to upgrade them), and
> any data files you had in
> a M$ proprietary format will have to be discarded or
> redone, but, hey! At
> least we're cheaper!"
Most businesses (unless they just copy the software)
spend far more on Windows, word processing and similar
programs than they do on custom-written apps.
And with Microsoft planning to force new purchases
on everyone in a couple of years, they can probably
see how it will be cheaper to pay Sun (or any good
Java programmer) to re-write those legacy apps.
I'll bet if you bought, say, 100 licenses from Sun,
they'd convert the data for you.
Plus there are at least a few who don't exactly agree
with Microsoft's plan to "own" their data.
Irv
7. Re: [OT] New Desktop OS?
> Most businesses (unless they just copy the software)
> spend far more on Windows, word processing and similar
> programs than they do on custom-written apps.
Okay.
> And with Microsoft planning to force new purchases
> on everyone in a couple of years, they can probably
> see how it will be cheaper to pay Sun (or any good
> Java programmer) to re-write those legacy apps.
"they can probably see" means Sun needs a sales department to "help them
see," because, in my own personal experience in my business, 90% of my
customers are stu- I mean ignorant- of all things PC and OS, and they'll buy
the M$ marketing message, which is "it's too difficult to switch; everybody
uses our products so you better, too; etc..."
> I'll bet if you bought, say, 100 licenses from Sun,
> they'd convert the data for you.
> Plus there are at least a few who don't exactly agree
> with Microsoft's plan to "own" their data.
Disagreeing with them and getting out of their grip are two different
things, unfortunately. :-\
