It has always been my opinion that as interesting as Linux is, it was riding a very fragile bubble. This bubble looked like the sort of thing that would bring it to crush Microsoft and Apple, but in the end it was just soap and air. Here is what it was made of…
- Linux will always appeal to a small segment of the desktop population that is curious about geek toys
- Linux is one of a number of free operating systems that will appeal to those who crave Unix.
- Linux is a free operating system, and as such will appeal to a number of companies that don’t want to pay license fees
- For a while, Linux had a edge in capability and stability that neither Microsoft and Apple could match in the server arena
But here is what happened…
- Microsoft did what it does best, looked at the situation and put a lot of very smart people on the problem. WindowsXP, Windows 2003 Server and soon Longhorn are all superior in many ways and absolutely on par with Linux servers.
- Apple picked up their own slack with OSX, a BSD derivative
- Inevitably, Linux became bloated and unstable. Thats inevitable because whenver you have a system coded by thousands of programs of varying skills wihtout strong oversight you get bugs, nightmares and problems.
- Inevitably, the Linux community has shown it’s true colors and is int he process of turning ont he corporate alliances that are the only reason it is taken seriously.
- Inevitably, the Linux community is tuning on it’s own creator when he failed to be rabid enough for them.
So, in one corner we have the offerings of Microsoft. Stable, technically advanced, legally clear and with easily understood licenses. The support is great, and the relationship between youa nd them as a vendor is completely uderstood.
In the other corner is Linux. Coded by thousands of people who were never accountable to anyone. The license is as yet untested for the most part and may yet turn out to be one that has infected the intellectual property of your company. The community is dissolving under it’s own zealotry and it has shown a propensity ti attact, copy and blatantly steal from those corporations who try and work with it.
I know which one I would base my company on. And it isn’t “those unknown, untested and frothing zealots in the corner”.
There was a window of opportunity when MS was vulenrable, it has slammed shut. The “community” blew it. Just like I knew they would.