Here's the lesson?
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| Author | Content |
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| mgeddes Nov 10, 2004 4:36 PM EDT |
"If it doesn't work out of the box, you won't win the business. The product has to meet the corporate need. That also means, know the customer need when you come out with a product." I can't think of any product that a large organisation would use that works out of the box. Everything requires some configuration and tweaking. Working around that problem involves managing your customers' needs. I think you raised a couple of valid areas where Linux could improve, but I'm not sure about that terminal services point. Not only is that functionality built-in to the X Window System, but there's also rdesktop, an open source RDP client, if you need connectivity to a Windows-flavoured server. Both of these work fine out of the box with most distributions. A lot of your points tend to point (quite accurately) at the fact that Linux isn't Windows (imperfect A/D, Exchange and MS Browsing integration). It's a pity that people are so determined to stay in a rut though. It is possible to have both platforms sharing the same network space and offering similar or the same services. This is mainly due to concessions made on the Linux side. You're right though. Having manufacturers starting to provide drivers is a necessity. It'll mean organisations don't have to be selective about the hardware they buy. |
| tadelste Nov 11, 2004 1:15 PM EDT |
mgeddes: Hey, thanks for your post. I really love Linux. I liked it the way it was in 1996 when we used it on a DEC multia as a firewall and I liked it when Looking Glass was Caldera's desktop. I liked it when I had to configure X on slackware after I installed the packages I wanted. I worked with a lot of distributions and some work with me. If I take functionality from Xandros and put it in JDS and then kick in a couple of utilities here and there - you have a desktop that would fit into a corporate environment or at home like a glove. In fact, you wouldn't need Windows at all. You could just leave the windows server environment in place and put JDS on the network and that's that. The people who post long diatribes [about how I don't know what I'm talking about] don't touch the customers with whom I work. They couldn't get in the front door much less consult with the CIO and technical people. And I can go talk to engineers at certain Linux distribution makers and discuss changes and get a lot done. I don't say that out of arrogance - it's just what's so. I also have consulted with and worked for some of the Big 5 PC makers about Linux strategies. Here's the point. We are really there. I'm saying that in March, you will see a Linux desktop that's interchangeable with anything Windows can put up. Then, you'll see a couple of product additions in April and May that will complete the desktop. It's Linux and it doesn't have any Microsoft stuff that Sun supposedly got. In fact, the Microsoft deal has turned out like a slow boat to China. So what I'm saying is very simple - if the distributions don't get with it one will emerge. It wouldn't be Novell or Mandrake. I don't think Red Hat will be ready in time. It will be a bunch of silly BSD guys from the 1980's that do it. How do I know? Eyes seen it eh. |
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