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Scottish police give open source the boot
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Comments (14)
Mmm, hmmm.
I'm not buying this at all. Reports show that Microsoft had some kind of a $180 million fund to do whatever it takes to stop open-source in governments around the world.
Being a scot myself im definately not buying this were so tight fisted when it comes to public money it would make your fingers bleed, I suspect large wads of green stuff and i don't mean grass has been waved around.
I dunno. Seems like they got many ways to make it look like a legal tender eh.
Dumb A** Scottish police
They're switching to microsoft and they say it'll be easier to maintain? How about "it'll be more EXPENSIVE" to maintain!!
Nothing to see here.
Move along...
Move along...
look for the underneath the story media sharks , it's MS pr at full throttle
I think non-bias is so sweet.
I don't defend Linux because I cheer for a football team.
All down to my personal experience.
Now - for real. I install Windows XP on my laptop with all the latest patches. And despite being quite a fresh installation. I already run into annoying problems.
What then of a massive system? May I point out that the Windows XP is not even overworked yet. My past experience would be freezes - crashes - yes blue screens! believe or not (try adding Vivicam 3350B camera via "Add Imaging Device - you will get into a loop of reboots and continuous BSOD)
I have no experience of a massively deployed Linux system. But my ikkle experience of Linux is this - once set its stable and there forever. My experience of Windows is this - once set it degrades with time and it won't cease until you lose some contract deadline or a very important file gets corrupted.
So I don't know. Was the Scottish Police on Windows terminals and using just OpenOffice. Or was even their desktops all Linux?
If they've grown accustomed to a Linux Desktop - migrating back to Windows will be hell.
Also the IT Manager is extremely foolish, seriously.
I know Windows a lot (I am embarrased to admit) - I know (it's becoming past tense now) Microsoft Office a lot: right down to automating components. It is a fickle system.
I wish I was there to see exactly what compatibility issues they are talking about. Office itself is not compatible with previous versions.
They could have used Win4Lin Server or Vmware. (Not sure if Textmaker/Planmaker would be a good idea)
The good thing about Vmware is that it really protects your Windows Environment. Whilst I am already having problems with Windows XP on the laptop. (before SP2 I got infected in a matter of seconds) I never *ever* a problem with Windows XP under Vmware for 18 months now.
I sense bullshit and mediocricity in the IT Department of Scottish Police.
I just won't laugh when things will start going wrong pretty soon - because who will pay the burden and price will be the population (as always).
But it will - without a shadow of doubt. And of course when it does - it won't turn news anymore.
Now - for real. I install Windows XP on my laptop with all the latest patches. And despite being quite a fresh installation. I already run into annoying problems.
What then of a massive system? May I point out that the Windows XP is not even overworked yet. My past experience would be freezes - crashes - yes blue screens! believe or not (try adding Vivicam 3350B camera via "Add Imaging Device - you will get into a loop of reboots and continuous BSOD)
I have no experience of a massively deployed Linux system. But my ikkle experience of Linux is this - once set its stable and there forever. My experience of Windows is this - once set it degrades with time and it won't cease until you lose some contract deadline or a very important file gets corrupted.
So I don't know. Was the Scottish Police on Windows terminals and using just OpenOffice. Or was even their desktops all Linux?
If they've grown accustomed to a Linux Desktop - migrating back to Windows will be hell.
Also the IT Manager is extremely foolish, seriously.
I know Windows a lot (I am embarrased to admit) - I know (it's becoming past tense now) Microsoft Office a lot: right down to automating components. It is a fickle system.
I wish I was there to see exactly what compatibility issues they are talking about. Office itself is not compatible with previous versions.
They could have used Win4Lin Server or Vmware. (Not sure if Textmaker/Planmaker would be a good idea)
The good thing about Vmware is that it really protects your Windows Environment. Whilst I am already having problems with Windows XP on the laptop. (before SP2 I got infected in a matter of seconds) I never *ever* a problem with Windows XP under Vmware for 18 months now.
I sense bullshit and mediocricity in the IT Department of Scottish Police.
I just won't laugh when things will start going wrong pretty soon - because who will pay the burden and price will be the population (as always).
But it will - without a shadow of doubt. And of course when it does - it won't turn news anymore.
apologies for the bad grammar - really tired here .. !
OK. Calm down people. This is madness, but I worked somewhere where this happened too.
Basically we had 5-10 Windows users and 130 Solaris users (CDE/OpenWindows on X terminals). Guess what - the Windows users were directors and other senior people (who had all come from outside the company).
Virtually any VB in a spreadsheet caused StarOffice to print '???????' (or similar) which rendered it useless. So the new IT director shifted everyone to Windows (with real PCs instead of thin clients). I quit. The IT director was eventually given the push.
Never let windows on your network. The incompatibilities will force everyone over.
Shift forward a few years: my current employer forces us to use Windows for Exchange 2003 access (Evolution is dead unstable with Exchange, unfortunately) and our helpdesk client. Neither of these statements were true two years ago and the 10-20% of us with Linux desktops either use VMware or have two PCs.
Never let windows on your network.
Basically we had 5-10 Windows users and 130 Solaris users (CDE/OpenWindows on X terminals). Guess what - the Windows users were directors and other senior people (who had all come from outside the company).
Virtually any VB in a spreadsheet caused StarOffice to print '???????' (or similar) which rendered it useless. So the new IT director shifted everyone to Windows (with real PCs instead of thin clients). I quit. The IT director was eventually given the push.
Never let windows on your network. The incompatibilities will force everyone over.
Shift forward a few years: my current employer forces us to use Windows for Exchange 2003 access (Evolution is dead unstable with Exchange, unfortunately) and our helpdesk client. Neither of these statements were true two years ago and the 10-20% of us with Linux desktops either use VMware or have two PCs.
Never let windows on your network.
I agree.
So why didn't they virtualize?
Or go for thin clients?
Wouldn't it be better & cheaper?
It almost seems that these days "No one ever got sacked for buying Microsoft" as sad as that seems.
Follow the herd - you don't get the sack.
Management isn't about "better", and "cheaper" is difficult to judge (because a manager will change the figures to suit his/her choice). It is about mitigating risk and being innovative is taking a risk - possibly with your company - definitely with your career.
Follow the herd - you don't get the sack.
Management isn't about "better", and "cheaper" is difficult to judge (because a manager will change the figures to suit his/her choice). It is about mitigating risk and being innovative is taking a risk - possibly with your company - definitely with your career.
I wonder why the police didn't try to convince the other departments to switch to FOSS? Oh well, I guess the evil powers are still strong in Scotland
You are right manpnjd
Sometimes we have to stop and think about the real motives.
Microsoft is a brand name, a trendy upbeat logo
They are marketeers and absolutely brilliant at it.
The vast vast majority equate Microsoft with modern computing itself. Digressing from such mainstream seems irrational and illogical.
Kids are being taught Microsoft at schools as young as 7. The conditioning and identification will remain for another generation to come. While it is true that FOSS is one big massive surging wave - Microsoft is one huge damn.
See it this way, it takes a lot of effort to bring in Linux, but hardly any to reinstate Windows. The Scottish Police was one, the Police force of Pernambuco Brazil - another. (Hmm I almost can almost sense a trend here).
I wouldn't trust these officers for wisdom. "Shoot first - cover up later!"
The vast vast majority equate Microsoft with modern computing itself. Digressing from such mainstream seems irrational and illogical.
Kids are being taught Microsoft at schools as young as 7. The conditioning and identification will remain for another generation to come. While it is true that FOSS is one big massive surging wave - Microsoft is one huge damn.
See it this way, it takes a lot of effort to bring in Linux, but hardly any to reinstate Windows. The Scottish Police was one, the Police force of Pernambuco Brazil - another. (Hmm I almost can almost sense a trend here).
I wouldn't trust these officers for wisdom. "Shoot first - cover up later!"
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In a related story, grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry and Mona Lisa was a man.
In all seriousness, it should be noted that this story has been spun somewhat. Of particular note is:
So they're switching where they are being forced to by other agencies that aren't willing to change. They're keeping Linux where they can.