Windows 2000 is preferred here and XP is on my laptop which also dual boots Linux SuSE 9.1. Linux is what you will find me using on this portable PC most of the time. FreeBSD runs on an old Pentium 200mmx PC that is on this network. I run a dual Xeon server RAID 1 with a Netserver cabinet that is configured RAID 5. Also, there is a Windows 98SE machine on my network and there are two copies of 98SE in the original shrink wrap here for sale if anyone is interested. Soon, another Linux machine will be online, probably Mandrake. So what about piracy? I don't condone or condemn. If you are doing this then you are violating the law. If you don't have a licensed copy of Windows on your Windows machine then you are violating the law. People, be careful concerning this matter; especially small businesses. I've linked to horror tales of BSA rampages several times on this site.
This is the real world. No doubt that folks will use something for free. There is a lot of gray area concerning all this and clarity is not on the immediate horizon. My ability to work demands that I use Windows latest greatest computer mojo. This does not make me especially happy. My admiration for Mr. Gates changing the market still exists. Darth Jobs would only let the rich compute if his initiative had been followed. Still, Microsoft has some problems. They have become Orwellian with their authentication codes. So you can either pay MORE money for an Apple which is even a more closed computing society that has really no hopes of penetrating the market share any further until Steve Jobs is put in a home, or try open source.
FreeBSD is an awesome free download that has a neat Windows type user interface. If you start investigating, you'll find that many many sites on the web use FreeBSD. BTW, FreeBSD is Unix, not just Unixlike. There are many versions of Linux. Beware, Linux Red Hat was storming the market and making headway several years ago then greed-itis struck 'em. They went commercial. Does this remind you of what Benedict Arnold did in the Revolutionary War? This will most likely happen again with some other variety.
Linux has many flavors and seems that most people are leaning towards SuSE. Novell is interlaced in SuSE so I am somewhat worried about possible commercialization, but their SuSE downloads are free and fast. Novell also sent the beach house a copy of their Linux suite for free! Mandrake came out of financial woes and seems to be making a comeback, but they make it damned hard to download their free version. Been trying for several weeks now with no success. They want you to join some club and pay them money. Hey, I thought this was/is called open source? Debian is another Linux flavor that gets favorable reviews and SuSE is closely tied to Debian. Then there's Slackware, TurboLinux, etc.
So, why all the hoopla about Windows cracking down on pirates? This is NOT news. It's been with us for a while. If it goes against your grain, try a sensible alternative . Meanwhile, please remember nothing about this industry is written in stone. Always be ready for another twist in the wallet or purse. 'Let's talk for a bit' means the comments and email are available. Please voice an opinion.
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Captain Jack Sparrow
No comments:
Post a Comment