India is shaping up to be a big battleground in a Microsoft vs Linux fight. An estimated 10% of PCs in India shipped with Linux this year, and it Indian software development industry is important for many global companies. With a talented and educated, but still economically disadvantaged, workforce, India is fertile ground for Linux to gain prominence. Microsoft knows what’s at stake, and even recently dispatched Bill Gates to India, though some think that the visit only drew attention to Linux.
Linux can’t be beat in quickly developing 3rd world countries. In fact the price of you legit retial version of windows in Asia is a lot more expensive then here in the U.S. Of course the reasons behind that have more to do with the rampant piracy of commercial software in that part of the world.
India right now has a very strong nationalist movement going around it and Linux is seen as a way to develop an India software industry that is not owned by foreigners like Bill Gates and company.
Is it just me, or does the link have an extra <a href=”?
In order to make Windows XP as affordable in India as it is in the U.S., Microsoft would have to sell it for $1.29 per copy.
Sources:
Cost of Windows XP Home Edition: $99
United States per-capita income: $35,280 (2001)
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=174150…
Ratio of price of XP to income: 2.8%
India GDP per capita = $460 (2001)
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefFAF.aspx?refid=631504782
Ratio of price of XP to income: 21.5%
Yes moron, we do have the internet in India, in fact your beloved microsoft is moving 400 jobs over here and a good chance many more. Guess what, now your unemployed butt can enjoy windows media player via India? Doh. By the way, we get the Simpson’s too, woohoo.
Go, India, Go!!! Love your culture!
I was in India 15 years ago…I was shocked recently to see photos from a friend who was there recently, showing streets of cities I visited, with “Internet cafe” and “e-mail” signs all over the place! India was already quite a culture shock for me, I think it will be one again next time I go! (At least this time I’ll be able to easily commnicate with family and friend – I didn’t find the Indian postal system to be all that reliable…)
Regarding the Simpsons…how do people see Apu over there in India? Is he considered an offensive cliché or a funny character?
Don’t be shocked by anything, India is moving at warp speed in terms of technology. Even the richshaw drivers are text messaging. Nobody here is offended by Apu, because we just don’t have the time to be.
Guess what, now your unemployed butt can enjoy windows media player via India?
Comments like this should take a course on Economics 101.
Here’s a hint: How long do you put up with doing the same amount of work a worker in the US does, after getting his $40k/yr job for $1k/yr, and knowing that the cashflow originates from a corporation that could afford to pay a worker $40k/yr but is going cheap on you?
If you answer anything other than ‘as short as I have to’ then you are indeed stupid and should stick with the $1k/year wage ad infinitum.
3rd world economics eventually even out with their employment-giving and cash-injecting 1st world suitors. In some cases the swing is even too great, and the new 1st world wannabe crashes and burns (increased import rates, increased prices on all commodities, etc.).
Incredible how uninformed some of us here are in the USA about what goes on in the rest of the world and how they live. All this technology and money and people are like this here still?
LOL @ do they have internet in india that’s a classic. Being indian, even thought i was born and raised in the uk it’s great to see my ancestors back home doing their best not to use microsoft products. more power to the people. Ive heard rumours IBM may be working on a chip fabricating plant in india too. Could that mean cheaper G5 macs?
I’d love to see Steve Jobs doing a keynote from bombay, as he announces a new product, they all break out into dance. Oh the geniusness.
Good point. I’ll take a shot at it. Regardless of the outcome Corporations have existed for one purpose only, to create a profit, and not to generate jobs. Indian culture has been around for 5000 years, let me know when your economy gets that far.
Here’s the story
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=2&u=…
> Here’s a hint: How long do you put up with doing the same amount of work a worker in the US does, after getting his $40k/yr job for $1k/yr, and knowing that the cashflow originates from a corporation that could afford to pay a worker $40k/yr but is going cheap on you?
OT:
If one were to go by the income per capita income alone, $1k is still more than twice of that, so I dont see _why_ anyone would complain!
Another point that most of us miss is how far a dollar can stretch in the US and in the so-called (in the US) third world countries.
Doesnt really take Econ.101 to figure that out.
Anyways, back on the topic I think that the 10% of all PCs sold with Linux this year is a very impressive feat whichever way you look at it.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=1&u=…
I friend of mine lived in India and told me India is a beaultiful country with an unique culture. It´s another world.
Abou Windows X Linux, I think all the world must to have access to information and culture. I think Linux is going to help that people to have it.
Go Linux, go India.
Even the richshaw drivers are text messaging.
Wow. I’m speechless. Do the video bus still run on VHS, or have they switched to DVD? Are they still as loud? (Next time I’m going – which should be in a year or two – I’m bringing ear plugs!)
Well, as long as kids don’t run up to me and ask for 256MB SIMMS as backchich, I’ll be okay! 🙂
I am the original poster. This is the correct link — not sure how it got screwed up.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=1&u=…
hey..
The story isn’t about how great (or not) India or U.S of A
is. Its about open source software being adopted in third
world countries: of linux gaining developer mind share.
There will be poor countries, there will be rich ones.
Get over it!. Money isn’t everything (neither is culture),
you know.
Where is Eug? Seriously, who would like this to turn into
another sensless ./?
– xalan
The stories about the adoption of free software in developing countries often miss two points :
a) No country owes anything to Microsoft. It’s almost as if many people think that somehow all PC buyers should send money to Redmond, no matter where they live. Remember the deal between Suse, IBM and the city of Munich ? The city officials felt obligated (sort of) to apologize for not buying Windows. This is wrong. Public servants (whether municipal, provincial or federal) don’t have to justify their actions to any corporation, let alone a foreign one. If India wants to spend money on Linux, it’s their decision. They are free to spend public funds on projects they deem acceptable.
b) Bribery. In a lot of poor countries (I was born and raised in one, so I know what I’m talking about), public officials give contracts to companies hoping they will receive a hefty commission in return for their loyalty. Therefore, if paying 5 million $ for proprietary software will result in a 500,000 $ kickback, no official will ever go for free software that would have otherwise achieved the same goals.
Now to the India bashing, it sounds like parents who when told their children did something wrong, always react by saying : “No, that’s impossible. My kid is incapable of doing that. It must be that other one, you know, the punk whose parents are poor”.
does m$ already own or does linux have a chance?
“b) Bribery. In a lot of poor countries (I was born and raised in one, so I know what I’m talking about), public officials give contracts to companies hoping they will receive a hefty commission in return for their loyalty. Therefore, if paying 5 million $ for proprietary software will result in a 500,000 $ kickback, no official will ever go for free software that would have otherwise achieved the same goal”
Microsft tried that approach and it backed fired badly. Anyone remember the millions BG gave to India’s AIDS fund after trying to fight off Linux in the first round ?
Oh yeah and in other news !
‘Jury Orders Microsoft to Pay $520 Million’
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030811/ap_on_hi…
what about japan, korea, china, tawian, I’d say Japan, Tawian and China are pretty much open towards Linux though I don’t know much about Korea.
“By the way, we get the Simpson’s too, woohoo.”
Apu rulez da world… 🙂
I have plenty of gripes about Microsoft and its business practices, and Bill Gates was a little late to the table in setting up a foundation to share his wealth with worthy causes, but he’s made up for lost time. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has bee very well-endowed and is spending its money in very good ways, putting funds into projects that have wide impact on fighting easily prevented death and suffering. I think it’s an interesting conspiiracy theory that the foundation made a contribution in India to increase MS’s chances of selling more software there, but it’s probably not true. I don’t think that Gates has much involvement in it on a day-to-day basis. India is a country with a loomin AIDS problem, and unlike some African nations where the crisis is past the point of simple preventative action, a little prevention may make a huge difference.
Linux is also a great success in Brazil. We have no money to pay the abusive prices of commercial software and we have many talented people.
I think that americans in general are very skeptic about the potential of linux success. I can understand it because they have a strong software industry and money to buy licences. Some of them still think that Apple is a real competitor. Apple is second only in USA. Linux is now the second platform on other countries.
Linux is the future. Germany, France, Spain, India, Brazil and many countries know this.
First they ignore us
Then they laugh at us
Then they fight us
Then we win.
Mahatma Ghandi
Pacific resistance agains Micro$oft 🙂
>> India is a country with a loomin AIDS problem, and unlike some African nations where the crisis is past the point of simple preventative action, a little prevention may make a huge difference.
>>
What African nations have an AIDs crises that are past beyond “the point of simple preventive action”? What implication are you trying to draw anyhow? That’s a foolish thing to say, David, and instead of sitting on your butt and listening to CNN propaganda, maybe you should book a flight and go see some part of Africa for yourself.
Speaking of Bill Gates and third-world aid, well, I have no clue what his intentions for India was, but yes, they I read the story about how they tried to bribe one African country. It was either Uganda or Kenya, I forget which. Anyhow, the IT person in charge of the particular project stuck with linux., which is good. But I doubt if corrupt third-world governments have the will and strenght to resist pressure from Microsotft.
Humourous that you say that. Quark changes a considerably higher price for all their international versions, yet, for some reason, they charge less for the American version.
Could you please explain that? you can’t honestly tell me that yanks are god fearing, law abiding people who wouldn’t dare pirate a piece of software 😉
This issue also applies to hardware as well. Us “foreigners” have been getting scewed for ages and nothing would please me more than for India, China or some other country to steal the lime light off the US and give the ‘rest of us” a fair deal.
LOL, if you really believe that, you’v got another thing coming!
http://www.lindows.com/lindows_michaelsminutes_archives.php?id=65
Incredible how uninformed some of us here are in the USA about what goes on in the rest of the world and how they live. All this technology and money and people are like this here still?
You are surprised at that? GWB hadn’t been outside the USA until last year. So in other words he sat in Texas for a good 40 years before realising that there is a world outside the US, it isn’t ruled by communists, terrorists or dictators and there isn’t a great ball of “envy” over the US either.
Maybe if EVERY yanked lived outside the US for 3 years then maybe they would see how the rest of the world views them.
In India, they train criminals to do computer programming. It’s nice to know criminals in India get our work.
We need to close borders and penalize every American company who outsources to India and China ASAP. Put up tarifs too.
Chances are the non-americans on this board have more in common with Americans than they have with the majority of the people in their own country. I would presume that computer and internet access would put non-americans in a different social class than the majority of their countrymen. Particularly in third world countries. It seems like a great thing that Indians are adopting Linux in greater numbers. It gives us all (even us EVIL AMERICANS) more freedom from corporate control of our personal lives. Ultimately the best product will win in a free Market and I think that is why Microsoft will finally lose their monopoly. If Linux is the vehicle to economic development in India I’m all for it. I want people to use the best product available to them, I don’t care if they are Indians or Martians.
This India bashing sounds a lot like the grousing about Japan Inc. in the eighties and very early nineties. Get a Republican in the White house and start looking for scape goats. Some things never change.
Lucky for me I have been outside of the USA many times. Your comments are absolutely correct CooCooChoo. What amazes me is that people here with all of this technology at there fingertips. Most arent even curious, most dont watch news from say the CBC, BBC, etc. To see what is going on from another perpective. For me, it is that lack of curiousity. Mostly with the internet as a gateway and people still dont care to find out is unforgiveable. If you cant travel physcially outside of the states. People need to at leat go and seek this information out if not they area living with blindfolds on. Seeing the world from only one perspective and thinking it is the right perspective and the only one. We have so much here in the USA and most dont even use it to learn something. A friend of mine said to me once something that really impacted me that fits this situation. it goes like this: “Some people have so much and do so little, others have so little and do so much” He was absolutely correct.
>>
We need to close borders and penalize every American company who outsources to India and China ASAP. Put up tarifs too.
>>
Don’t make me laugh with your knee-jerk reaction, the US lifestyle is actually mostly funded with capital from outside the US. How do you think the deficit got so huge????
Anyhow, how are you gonna close your borders when every american company wants the 1 billion chineese market? Or the 900 million Indian market?? Selling to just 250 americans won’t cut it.
More seriously, what are you gonna if all other countries pay you in kind, and close their boarders to American goods and businesses? Imagine if Windows was only sold in the US, do you think MS would be so rich? If Microsoft had to choose between selling software to only americans and outsourcing a few peanut jobs to India, it will definitely choose the later.
Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it!
You don’t need to represent America any more. Even though Homer Simpsons thinks of Canada as “America Junior”, we have enough idiots here in the US and don’t need a bigoted Canadian pretending to speak for America.
Why does that link give me a 404 error?
Try faking your indianness better
You don’t need to represent America any more. Even though Homer Simpsons thinks of Canada as “America Junior”, we have enough idiots here in the US and don’t need a bigoted Canadian pretending to speak for America.
Just because you obviously hate America that doesn’t mean everybody else has to follow your self-righteous anti-American ways. I hope you’ll enjoy your career flipping burgers.
You disappoint me Jason. You should know better than to speak against America.
I can see why Linux would be a good choice. Not only for desktop but for servers. Windows server is really crappy compared to linux.
What African nations have an AIDs crises that are past beyond “the point of simple preventive action”? What implication are you trying to draw anyhow? That’s a foolish thing to say, David, and instead of sitting on your butt and listening to CNN propaganda, maybe you should book a flight and go see some part of Africa for yourself.
I’m not certain what I said that you found so offensive. Let me clarify. AIDS is a disease that has an element of exponential growth. It’s a lot easier to get an epidemic under control when a smaller proportion of the population is infected. Therefore, fighting AIDS in India is different (and a chunk of money may go farther) trying to keep the disease from spreading in India than trying to fight it in a country that has a high rate of infection like South Africa. I don’t think that it’s controversial or insensitive to claim that the AIDS crisis in some African countries, Haiti, and elsewhere is very bad and “beyond the point of simple preventive action.” It’s not to the point that it’s hopeless to fight it, but it’s beyond “simple preventative action.”
I hope that makes it more clear. I was not trying to disparage Africa at all. BTW, I have been there, and I don’t watch CNN or TV news at all.
Re: Lindows guy’s consipracy theories about Gates Foundation
(http://www.lindows.com/lindows_michaelsminutes_archives.php?id=65)
Unsubstantiated speculation and conspiracy theorizing. First of all, it’s stupid to criticize the foundation for making more money on its investments than it gives out in a year. That’s how endowments work. They make investments to assure that they’ll be around perpetually, and try to more or less match their investment income and their giving for the year.
It’s certainly true that the foundation must try extra hard that its investments aren’t seen to be conflicts of interest by somehow benefitting MS or Mr. Gates personally. If it were acting to benefit MS corp, its tax exempt status would be in jeopardy. The Cox issue is worthy of criticism. However, I haven’t seen anything trustworthy that links Gates Foundation money to MS’s efforts in India. Perhaps someone is confusing the $400million that Microsoft donated to eduational and other causes in India. Now that’s obviously an attempt to sway public opinion and officials in India. But that was made by Microsoft, not the Gates Foundation.
Yes moron, we do have the internet in India, in fact your beloved microsoft is moving 400 jobs over here and a good chance many more. Guess what, now your unemployed butt can enjoy windows media player via India? Doh. By the way, we get the Simpson’s too, woohoo.
It must be great to pick and choose the parts of American culture you like (the simpsons) while rejecting those you don’t (microsoft) but thats not my point. Once the standard of living rises in india, which is inevitable, a thousand dollars a year isn’t going to be so great anymore, and then you’ll know what it’s like to get f***ed by a corporation.
And if that fails, maybe we should just bomb india back to the stone age. And ban the H1-B too, and let all your people live in your dung heap. Don’t think we won’t? Well, we’ve got a crazy texan in charge of things over here, and probably for 4 more years too. All that needs to be said is that a link to terrorists has been found, no matter how weak, hell it doesn’t even have to be true, and we’ll start bombing. If the rest of the world doesn’t like it…f*** ’em. This has been his policy to date, and no one seems to disagree! So keep talking s**t. Our president is crazy as f***.
And in this case, I’d totally support him. I think it would be hilarious!
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=1&u=…
Hopefully the trolls have gone to sleep…
I work with a lot of people from India (I’m in the US) and we talk a lot about Linux vs. Windows, jobs here and there, and the cost of living among others.
Most of the younger Indian students realise that Linux is the direction that their computing world will be headed. (Lord knows I’ve been preaching that to them for several years.) Many are starting to use Linux (mostly Mandrake at our school) because they want to make sure they won’t be left behind when they do go back home. I love that, especially when we all start seeing more GPL software coming from all the new developers there will be in a few years.
Most of the guys and gals I know are planning on going back to India to take jobs after school, though some of the best and brightest really want to stay here. More freedoms (especially culturally) to do what they want with thier lives, and I can’t blame them for that. Maybe it is just my experience, but it seems that the ones that work the hardest and want to learn the most are the ones that are staying here. I love that too as it is a good thing for our country.
Jobs in India – The figure I hear the most when going back to India is around $400 (US) per month for a college grad. That is for jobs in the Bangalore area. I can’t say what it is other places, but I’d imagine it would be close to the same. Not bad when you consider many things are much cheaper than here. For example, potatoes 2-3 cents a pound there vs. 40 cents here, with most other necessities at the same discount to US prices. Not bad, when you consider cost of living in there…
Interestingly, the most common complaints I hear from the Indian students are that the people from India who are now citizens and making good money here, do very little to help them out as far as sponsoring scholorships or offering decent jobs, etc.
The most startling thing that I’ve learned from working with (and being friends with) quite a few Indians, is that they are a lot more like Americans than most people realise. Never met a one who didn’t like a good dirty joke, who didn’t aspire to doing well in life, and wasn’t horny as hell. Heh heh, that’s good enough for me.
A huge part of the engineering behind Microsoft is Indian. Here in Seattle area, I developped with my wife a cliché game. When at a party we see an Indian guy, we tell ourselve that he’s a highly qualified engineer or developer and work at Microsoft. Then we go ask him. 3 times out of 4 we are right.
Sometimes we, north americans, are so proud of ourselves that we don’t see the rest of the world about to kick our major ass. And I find it pretty funny to watch 🙂
Go India !
“About 10 percent of India’s personal computers will be sold with Linux rather than Microsoft operating systems by March, 2004, says Linux distributor Red Hat Inc (Nasdaq:RHAT – news), up from nothing in January.”
Oh, yeaaaaaaah. Now there’s an unbiased source…
Linux was designed from the ground up to work with emerging technology that software engineers in India are now creating. It’s better and cheaper for them to build their own software economic ecosystem with Linux and oss instead of adopting the technological and economic cancer that brother Bill and the CIA would like to infuse them with.
That sounds like the game I used to play when I was young, except it was called, “spot the yank”. We would be waiting for the plane, as you do, and whilst waiting we would spot a person, decide whether or not they were a yank, why that was our decision then wait till they open their mouth. 8/10 times I was right.
Btw, yes, you can tell the difference between a Yank and a Canadian.
Incredible how uninformed some of us here are in the USA about what goes on in the rest of the world and how they live. All this technology and money and people are like this here still?
Frankly, I don’t really care what goes on in the rest of the world. Linux becoming popular in India doesn’t really affect my life at all. I’ve never understood why the rest of the world is so hung up on getting attention from Americans.
Also, I’m curious how India intends to build an economy based on open-source software. There doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of money in it.
ROFLMAO !! You do know that IBM has made over 1.5 Billion in profit with Linux right ?
Getting attention from americans? If anything they are trying to help us realize that we are not thinking with compassion for the rest of the world. Like a good friend trying to tell us “hey dude you need to wake up to this reality its not good”. This attitude is going to sink us here in the USA along with your other comment about frankly I dont care? Hmm no wonder people dont like us and say we are self centered. If you dont want to care go ahead. Also realize that there are places and people that there whole focus in life is not $$. If it is yours i am happy for you but not everyone is like this here in the USA or in the world. We are all taught as young children to share that sharing is a good thing. Later in life we ar taught that sharing is bad. Go figure. I still like sharing myself
Also, I’m curious how India intends to build an economy based on open-source software.
They don’t have money but a brain ?
Do you really think that giving billions and billions to ONE FOREGIN company is good for the economy of a poor country ?
If so, read this, you will perhaps be shocked
http://www.dewtronics.com/peru2ms/alt_ms_to_villanueva.html
http://www.dewtronics.com/peru2ms/villanueva_to_ms.html
Getting attention from americans? If anything they are trying to help us realize that we are not thinking with compassion for the rest of the world.
Well, one only needs to look at the way the pentagon treats civilian casulties, “they’re *ONLY* civilians”. When one had American is killed there is a big issue, however, when 5000 civilians are killed in a space of two years in Afganistan/Post-Saddam Iraq, one has to wonder where the morals are.
Like a good friend trying to tell us “hey dude you need to wake up to this reality its not good”. This attitude is going to sink us here in the USA along with your other comment about frankly I dont care? Hmm no wonder people dont like us and say we are self centered. If you dont want to care go ahead.
Well, lets put it this way, in Cambodia, over a million people were murdered, yet, when 3000 people are killed in a “terrorist attack” we have the US act like a mad dog attack who ever gets in its way.
Also realize that there are places and people that there whole focus in life is not $$. If it is yours i am happy for you but not everyone is like this here in the USA or in the world. We are all taught as young children to share that sharing is a good thing. Later in life we ar taught that sharing is bad. Go figure. I still like sharing myself
Considering that India wants to be self sufficient instead of being a chariety case, why are there people who belittle Indias efforts?
btw, anyone find it irronic that ALL of Russias former friends/allies such as India are now prosperous vs. US allies such as Pakistan which are a chariety case who are at the constant begging table of the IMF.
Maybe we should have all jumped onto the Soviet Union side, atleast they’re not in the same crap the US is in, in the Middle East.
From the article:
[i]Once a fringe interest for programmers and professors, Linux, created by Finland’s Linus Torvalds, now has a market share of about 20 percent of servers — the workhorse computers that feed Web Sites, email and other data to desktop PCs.[i]
And people wonder why Stallman gets pissed about the name.
-bogey
You are absolutely correct. When people only think about themselves it is hard to see the rest of the world. Starting with the media here almost acts like the rest of the world doesnt exist. And if it is it is only to show that a major natual disaster happened or something to do with american policy only. Also my friend going to public school here they dont teach geography, history or anything to do with the rest of the world (at least when i attended).
In regards to Linux in India, I am glad it is taking hold there. The social ramifications of taking away the entrance fee to windows will open computing to many more people.
I switched to Linux after realizing that the freedom I would have by knowing more about my computer and not having to pay if i dont want to for office software and the os etc. it is the best thing I could of done. To have freedom of choice and absolute freedom. Isnt that what the USA is suppose to be about. But sadly unless the idea comes from here completely then it must not be worthy. One by one I am convincing my friends to break there chains and join the penguins. If they resist thats ok too but most dont. It is just logical to save money and learn. Cant wait to show my kids in the future about how we once were trapped by M$ and one day the people said no more and now my son/daughte you are lucky to have not had to endure this period of computer history.
You are surprised at that? GWB hadn’t been outside the USA until last year. So in other words he sat in Texas for a good 40 years before realising that there is a world outside the US, it isn’t ruled by communists, terrorists or dictators and there isn’t a great ball of “envy” over the US either.
So, what’s wrong with never having need or occasion to leave the country you live in? Once a need and/or occasion presented itself, he did travel abroad right?
So, how about you. Were you just sitting there one day watching “Big Brother” (a really dumb show by the way), thought you’d go to the refrigerator to grab yourself a refreshing Lift and somehow ended up in Cambodia with an inexplicable insider’s view into the culture, an ability to “feel their pain” and a desire to give all you had to the rest of the unfortunate world? It must feel good to be so much holier than all those myopic “yanks”.
Maybe if EVERY yanked lived outside the US for 3 years then maybe they would see how the rest of the world views them.
As a “yank” who has lived for years in Japan, India, Australia, Singapore and other parts of the world, the only conclusion that I, or any other sane or logical individual, can come to is that most non-Americans feel about America (and other foreign countries as well) the same way Americans feel about them. These opinions and biased feelings are largely born of ignorance, and having and nurturing these feelings is assuredly NOT exclusive to “the yanks”.
So, what’s wrong with never having need or occasion to leave the country you live in? Once a need and/or occasion presented itself, he did travel abroad right?
In europe it is considered uncultured if you have not traveled abroud indeed it is a natural rite of passage in one’s teens and twenties to visit other countries to expand your view of the world. Many young americans visit europe and other parts of the world precisely for this purpose.
George Bush and Iconoclast were obviously not amongst them, this is why they are not considered cultured in the rest of the world. George Bush can certainly not plead poverty for his lack of world travel and I unsderstand he went to great lengths to avoid going to Vietnam.
However he does seem keen to encourage young americans to travel to other parts of the world such as Iraq. My only worry is that he does tend to put them, not to mention the inhabitants of these counties, at some risk to their lives.
I have never been to India so my only experience is second hand. I did work for an Indian who I considered to be in the top 0.001 percent of engineers anywhere in this galaxy. Needless to say I am sure he was as much an exception in India as in the US or anywhere else. But on the subject of Microsoft vs. Linux it is so much easier to make that kind of decision in India or other developing countries. India can not afford to squander it’s resources on third rate OS for Mercedes prices. The US can not afford it either but they have not figured out that the ill gotten nest egg M$ sits on came from their pocket. How can M$ even be in the running? Inertia is all Billy Bob has going for him. I would like to see M$ actually compete fairly but I still would not buy from someone with that sort of ethics.
Linux
own your own data
if you don’t like something just recode it
a real OS not a bronze age kludge.
M$
M$ own your data and will let your use it if they wish.
You can’t see the source and it would make you sick if you did.
Such a kludge it can’t be fixed without breaking something else.
it isn’t hard to see why companies and countries that use M$ Win are at a competitive disadvantage and in a few years will be owned by someone else.
Dan near Redmond but not a slave
ROFLMAO !! You do know that IBM has made over 1.5 Billion in profit with Linux right ?
Maybe you should tell IBM. As of 6 months ago, it doesn’t look like they’ve made anything.
“Big Blue said more than a year ago that it would invest $1 billion in Linux–spending money on tasks such as bringing the Unix clone to its full line of servers, bringing its broad software portfolio to Linux, training its services and consulting personnel, and placing advertisements such as full-page ads in major daily newspapers.
“We’ve recouped most of it in the first year in sales of software and systems,” Bill Zeitler, head of the server group, said in an interview before his keynote speech Wednesday at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo. “We think it was money well spent. Almost all of it, we got back.”
http://librenix.com/?inode=1696
Oh, what a whiner.
Also, it is obvious that your extensive European travel and culturing didn’t bestow upon you the valued ability to READ.
George Bush and Iconoclast were obviously not amongst them, this is why they are not considered cultured in the rest of the world.
So what part about my many travels was so hard for you to grasp? Dork.