"A new analysis of licensing data shows that not only is use of the GPL and other copyleft licenses continuing to decline, but the rate of disuse is actually accelerating." This shouldn't be surprising. The GPL is complex, and I honestly don't blame both individuals and companies opting for simpler, more straightforward licenses like BSD or MIT-like licenses.
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Member since:2010-07-07
Microsoft's contributions where a red herring and Thom knew it. Every single line of their contributions where to support virtualization of Windows on Linux hosts, just so they could keep selling Windows to managers that know nothing else even exists.
As to Microsoft's ubiquity, you really should look into the history, they did things the mafia wishes they would have thought of to get their position.
Member since:2009-02-28
Yes, I am well aware how Microsoft plays the game. I am an OpenGL coder, amongst other things, and I remember when Microsoft purposely crippled their own OpenGL implementation so they could redirect people to their recently acquired Direct3D as an alternative. It took SGI and John Carmack (from Id software, makers of Wolfensteiin, Quake, Doom, etc.) to show OpenGL was fine on Windows platform.
Sadly, too many people have an over-reliance on the Windows platform because of the "drone" mentality, they think "everybody" uses it and so they must use it. This probably comes from the stance that the computer is just a "boring white box" and so they blindly accept the status quo. OTOH, there are the more creative/brave/logical people who realise that the Windows platform is not the be-all-end-all and embrace other platforms because of what they offer (e.g. MacOSX, Linux, OpenSolaris/OpenIndiana, OpenBSD ...).
Member since:2005-08-26
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.
Member since:
2009-02-28
In many cases, where applicable, a lot of people suffer because they choose not to enlighten themselves.
If the GPL creates a level playing field then why is it that the number of Windows desktops thrashes the number of Linux/etc. desktops in the world. Megacorps like Microsoft get by since many consumers refuse or don't realise that they can enlighten themselves in regards to alternative solutions (OS, programs, etc). It's like when layman people invest in Microsoft Office and then I mention the merits of apps like OpenOffice (especially the nil cost) and then they wakeup. Complete control occurs when the "sheep" decide they want to be controlled, decide not to make a stand towards personal enlightenment.
There are people who code for the love of coding and the love of the coded project and have no problems with sharing their efforts through a BSD licence.
While the code may benefit some "evil" mega-corps, the code also has the potential to benefit many other entities be it the student, academician, professional, consultant, etc. within a no-strings-attached context.
This is not the 1980's/1990's where Microsoft had free reign. Who would have thought that Microsoft would contribute to the Linux space. I remember reading Microsoft's marketing material against Linux in the late 1990's, they were scared of Linux back then. Consider the Google/Apple app stores and the rise of standards like OpenGL, etc.
With society-based enlightenment comes a more level playing field.