Re: novell-suse linux dead meat?

From: Ann (nntpmail_at_epix.net)
Date: 04/09/05 

Date: Sat, 09 Apr 2005 01:45:06 GMT

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 20:24:15 -0400, Darrell Stec wrote:

> After serious contemplation, on or about Friday 08 April 2005 11:11 am
> nntpmail@epix.net wrote:
>
>>> Then get to my special requirements for programming. On Windows (I'm
>>> ignoring the costs associated with 16 years of DOS products purchased)
>>> my programming editor cost $189 and $49 to $99 for updates every year
>>> or so. C/C++ compilers, debuggers, and so on, usually incorporated in
>>> an IDE: ranging in price from $300 to $900 when bought as a 'system'
>>> (Borland, versions 1, 2, 3 and 4 of C++ Builder, version 1 and 3 of
>>> Delphi, M$ Visual C++ of which I only bought one and never touched
>>> their programming products again, $129 for a student version 5). That
>>> all totaled up to something around $3000. I have never had to pay for
>>> any of this under Linux and most of the tools are far superior to what
>>> I had under DOS and Windows.
>>
>> And your income writing Windows software vs that from writing linux
>> software?  It's only been the last couple years that linux IDEs have come
>> into their
>> own.  Before that, imo one would have had a hard time
>> convincing the average programmer that knowing emacs was preferable
>> career-wise to, say, Visual Basic.
>
> That depends upon the nature of the programming. For instance writing
> for the Internet (perl, php, etc.) commands the same amount of income in
> either case, however if one's work computer utilized Linux rather than
> Windows, the "tools" represented a significant savings.

Since the previous poster specified to C/C++ programming, that's what I
was referring to.

> Naturally if one is writing Windows applications vs Linux application,
> what you say is true. Even the want ads for programming positions bares
> that out. It is difficult nonetheless to make blanket statements about
> the programming field. Take writing for microchip and other control
> devices, with a good emulator and compiler it doesn't matter which OS
> one uses. However Linux would seem to be the hands down winner as far as
> cost goes.
>
> And as far as the compatibility issue, what you say is true for someone
> who has bought their computer with Windows already installed. However
> if you have a shop that puts computers together and are trying to save
> your customers some money (and at the same time put more of that money
> in your own pocket) you can find that installing Windows can be a
> disaster. There are so many combinations of peripherals and boards that
> one can purchase that experimenting can be bad for business. While one
> combo of video card, sound card and I/O controller might work, switch
> something and Windows won't even install with no clue as to why. And
> since manufactures often switch chips from one board to another even
> within the same model number, what worked with the batch you bought
> yesterday, won't today. Naturally the same applies to Linux.

I don't see how an independent computer shop makes a go of it in the first
place, considering what Dell, etc sell computers for. Several years ago a
local company that sold PA systems, video tape recording equipment, etc
primarily to church groups decided their customers would also buy
computers. The marketing decision was spot on; they sold a bunch of
computers. The problem was their components procurement policy; seemed to
be whatever was cheapest that week. Took about two years for the warranty
claims to finish the company off.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Demand That Microsoft Sell No Code Before Its Time
    ... > would find that linux vulnerabilities are on the up. ... >> Gate$ a chance to fix a lame product with patch after patch after ... >> patch as they continue to struggle to keep their computers working. ... Windows is less secure just because it is installed on 95% of all PCs. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Linux, GUI & databases...
    ... >> find that many such computers that people run graphical applications on. ... >> developments on writing for machines without X. ... Linux has a lot to offer, but don't expect great technology from it. ...
    (comp.os.linux.development.apps)
  • Re: Multiple keyboards with only one routed to windows...
    ... > I find it stupid to buy three computers for three people costing three ... > times the price for one when beeing able to solve such problems with ... Windows has terminal server. ... > The answer is simple but complex: I don´t like Linux. ...
    (microsoft.public.development.device.drivers)
  • Re: Can Vista be "locked down" ?
    ... Standard users group-These are the least-privileged users, ... It's true that Linux won't run MS software. ... You're one of the two out of five Windows computers that aren't infected. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.general)
  • Re: Can Vista be "locked down" ?
    ... Standard users group-These are the least-privileged users, ... It's true that Linux won't run MS software. ... You're one of the two out of five Windows computers that aren't infected. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.vista.general)