This was a bit of a weird week for OSNews. Monday and Tuesday I was unable to reach OSNews and its related domains from home; we still don't know why, but the end result was that I could not work on OSNews, meaning very few items. For the rest, it was a very quiet and relaxed week, with little going on.
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Member since:
2005-07-06
I wouldn't get concerned about MySQL. It'll be simply known as 'Oracle training wheels edition' where any new feature requests will be answered with a "we suggest you upgrade to Oracle" and only bug fixes will be focused on. It'll be used as a step ladder to get people into more expensive services so that the entry price into the Oracle eco system is low and over time they'll eventually push you up into more expensive products and services.
What I think is more interesting is where the OpenSolaris desktop strategy sits into the grand scheme of things. I know Larry has always wanted to be in a situation where he can offer a desktop solution and thus have a complete end to end competitive line up with Microsoft. I always wondering this because I still see desktop orientated features being added to OpenSolaris so I wonder whether either they're continuing or putting a greater emphasise on it. Imagine OpenSolaris + OpenOffice + Oracle backend for all your collaboration requirements. It would put Oracle in a powerful position when offering a solution to businesses; especially those who want an out of the box solution with minimum fuss and bother.
Member since:2007-09-08
Unfortunately, I suspect that you might be right. After all, neither BerkleyDB nor InnoDB have been significantly updated by Oracle since they bought them.
Which is a shame, because the set of applications where MySQL is appropriate does not overlap at all with the set of applications that actually need Oracle, and you wouldn't want to use Oracle unless you actually needed it.
Oh well. It's not like there are no alternatives. PostgreSQL or Firebird, for example. Or Sqlite on the really low end (embedded applications). Or one of the inevitable forks that will occur should Oracle cease development of MySQL. Even something like HBase or HyperTable, if it's appropriate.
Member since:2009-05-20
Oh well. It's not like there are no alternatives. PostgreSQL or Firebird, for example. Or Sqlite on the really low end (embedded applications). Or one of the inevitable forks that will occur should Oracle cease development of MySQL. Even something like HBase or HyperTable, if it's appropriate.
There has always been alternatives.
My understanding of the issue is that the value of MySQL has always centered around the brand rather than around any technical merits. And as a good brand, it is indeed an ideal product for those stepping stones kaiwai mentioned.
But OpenSolaris interests me more.
Not that I use OpenOffice or Oracle, but I wouldn't mind a solid open source offering instead of the one alternative to which the word "solid" never quite seems to fit.
Member since:2005-07-06
My understanding of the issue is that the value of MySQL has always centered around the brand rather than around any technical merits. And as a good brand, it is indeed an ideal product for those stepping stones kaiwai mentioned.
But OpenSolaris interests me more.
Reminds me of a discussion with a friend where he raised that issue; MySQL on paper when compared to other free alternatives either comes off equal or inferior. Its only saving grace has come from the LAMP being pushed left, right and centre; MySQL being heavily marketed by the main players in the Linux market and heavily pushed as the backend to many forums.
The problem in the open source world is that there isn't a company yet who can bring an integrated desktop/server strategy that integrates the client into the server via way which Microsoft does. Take Office and Sharepoint; there are projects that already do exactly that but why hasn't someone bought the projects together in one cohesive package for end user consumption?
Edited 2009-09-07 20:58 UTC
Member since:
2008-06-30
Member since:2005-11-10
Member since:
2005-07-06
Remotes and connectivity: I don't care to be honest. It's not an issue you can give s sufficient answer to.
Opera 10: I've had a go at Opera whinging about getting their browser on peoples' desktops but not looking at what they can do to increase their usage. However, in this day and age where Microsoft no longer cares about IE at all it's still nice that putting new features into a browser for someone is still important. Opera is still irrelevant to me though because no matter how ACID compliant they say they are you can't run a hell of a lot of AJAX applications on it.
Apple and Psystar: Apple clones are here to stay because Apple cannot enforce their EULA.
Gnome 3 Launcher: I can't say this was worthy of front page news. For starters, there is no Gnome 3 right now, apart from a few off-shoots, and only applications can decide whether another window should be opened or not because only an application knows about its own functionality.
EU and MySQL: Honestly, I think it is refreshing that a regulator has asked questions about this rather than simply rubber stamping it and saying "Oooo, technology. We don't want to deal with that!" Given that MySQL is open sourced then no one will be left in the lurch, but it is concerning that Oracle now owns the copyright to MySQL code. It needs to be asked whether any lock-in can occur there.
Kubuntu: While what the developers are doing is admirable with limited resources, I just think the situation is like trying to build a house on quicksand sometimes.
Firefox: Like it or lump it, a lot of people use Flash and sometimes you have to make sub-optimal decisions for the sake of your users - if they're using Firefox.
Edited 2009-09-07 15:33 UTC