[Abarbarian]

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/...us-govern.html

Microsoft web software is like a computer virus in government computer systems and must be banned, a meeting of the British Computer Society's Open Source Specialist Group heard last week.

Called by Home Office lead architect Tariq Rashid, the meeting formed part of an investigation into why government open source policy has floundered. Rashid got a clutch of executives from the systems integrators who control 80 per cent of the UK's £16-24bn public sector IT industry, sat them before a room full of open source advocates, and asked them to explain why the computer industry had become so stagnant under their watch.

Looks like some is willing to stand up and fight the Redmond bully boys at long last.

[bootneck02]

Interesting, I used to work for a IT organization for Kent County Council and although I was the bottom of the pile as a caretaker I noticed that all the techies and managers only knew about Microsoft. If you talked to them about it they would say open source was crap, but they had all been indoctrinated on the courses they had been on with Microsoft, and the expense to the public is enormous when they go to the US for a week or to Europe for 4 days for a Microsoft conference.

Their customers are schools all have Microsoft software on their PC's and the servers are run on Microsoft software. As an individual I want to run Linux as I feel that I am held to ransom with their expensive software, the problem with Linux for me is that the world software is written for Windows and is not compatible with Linux OS, the other problem is the terminology for example what the hell is a gimp. If as a normal PC user cannot understand the terminology it is going to take a lot of retraining of IT personnel so that they are able to get their heads around a new system, and training takes money.

Perhaps this site could do some sort of on line introduction to Linux (I am interested in Mint) as I have limited self taught knowledge of IT especially of software and I would guess so have many members of the site who would love to leave the grips of Microsoft. It is just a thought I wonder what others feel.

[Abarbarian]

Doing a google for MINT OS brought up 45,000,000 finds the top one was for the MINT main website where you can find,
The Linux Mint User Guide


http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/20

the other problem is the terminology for example what the hell is a gimp

What is a Photoshop then a shop that sells photos

Googling LINUX APPLICATIONS brought up 175,000,000 finds the top one being,

http://linuxappfinder.com/

The fifth paragraph on the opening page of linuxappfinder.com gives you this,

http://linuxappfinder.com/alternatives

Entering GIMP in the search bar of linuxappfinder.com/alternatives gives you this,

http://linuxappfinder.com/alternatives?search_text=gimp

Total time taken including posting here = ten minutes. Yes I know that is a long time in this fast paced modern world but I'm an old git with arthritic fingers and a slow grey cell.

An yes you are right Windows is an expensive way to provide IT. As a company their morals suck and they employ bully boy tactics and illegal means to make profit.That is why I take delight in posting about their shortcomings.

[floppybootstomp]

So the 'Open Source Specilaist Group' referred to Microsoft Windows as a virus. Well, they would wouldn't they?

Shades of fanboy there, and that was a cheap and nasty shot although possibly justified, partly.

Our Tariq wonders why Open Source has failed to make an impact within Goverment IT circles.

Lemme see.

How many Linux/Open Source IT specilaists are there compared to those specialists familiar only with MS Products?

Human nature. A lot of the people responsible for purchasing software probably distrust something that's free and gain some kind of (false) security by paying money for something. This, in fact, is a large stumbling block for Linux in general which makes me believe there are a lot of stupid human beings on this planet.

Having said that, most Linux server software costs money and prices are on a par with what Microsoft charge. But - the backup is every bit as good as MS's (probably better) and if a Goverment department has 500 computer systems then that's 500 OS installations on desktops that will be free.

500 OS's, how much would MS charge for a licence for that lot?

And if a goverment worker can use Word & Excel, they will certainly be able to come to grips with Open Office. And that's all they need to know, the IT Admin takes care of everything else.

In it's favour Linux OS's are far less susceptible to viruses and are certainly more stable than Windows.

So why the failure for Open Source to make an impact in the Goverment workplace? Perhaps public relations, I don't think Open Source suppliers have quite the same advertising campaign as Microsoft.

Microsft's agressive sales policy and dirty tricks dept is also responsible. The general public largely think Microsoft when they think of computers.

Current IT staff are scared of Open Source, all they know is Windows.

What's needed is more IT Admins schooled in Open Source but that's going to take money, training courses don't come cheap. And as Open Source software has it's roots in being freely available this could be seen as something of a stumbling block, a stalemate if you will.

Ok, terminology - Gimp. Call something Gimp, call something Photoshop, they both do much the same thing, one costs about £500 the other one is absolutely free. I personally find Gimp easier to get my head round than Photoshop but that's just me.

Personally speaking I haven't been able to find Open Source software to do everything that I do in Windows yet. Within Nero I can burn all types of movie files onto a DVD complete with menu and chapters that I can watch in any standard DVD player.

I can't do that in Linux and I've tried about 5 different Open Source programs that I thought might work.

But it's getting better, I can do most other stuff, Scribus does what MS Publisher does, I can record from Line In in Audacity, and so on.

I do use Mint regularly now, I'm still on V8 cos I'm happy with it but will probably change to V10 soon. I also note there's now a version of Mint with a KDE desktop, I'm using Gnome atm but I don't really have a preference between the two. Ok, perhaps I like KDE just a smidgen better

There are a million and one tutorials for Linux available online and a thriving community who offer help. Despite all that I still find some some aspects of Linux a little daunting.

But compared to how things were as little as three years ago Linux is now comparitively a doddle.

So, there ya go, I never expected to say that much but that's my tuppence halfpenny for what it's worth

[bodhi]

I might be in the minority here, but I'm pretty happy with Microsoft, they've allowed me to use computers easily for 20 years.

I actually have a problem with Apple now as I feel they are the real bully boys in the market at the moment, I've had all sorts of problems with the only Apple thing I own (iPod touch from 2 years ago that I got as a present), and their support is awful - "just buy another one" - brilliant.

Oh, and yes, Microsoft is more prone to virus / spyware, but that's because they are a victim of their own success. Wait until Apple / Linux takes more market share, then you'll start to find your OS is a bit more vulnerable.

[Rush]

By Bootneck02

I was the bottom of the pile as a caretaker

probably know more than the top ponchos

[feckit]

A mate got his company of about 40 users to switch to Linux, Open Office & Open Source a few years ago & apart from the odd glitch it has gone very well, he saved the company massive amount's on licences etc and now they have a system that hardly crash's.

Oh and he got a nice bonus for saving the firm ££.

And did his mate who helped in set it up get a meal or a beer, no he did not!

[V_R]

Originally Posted by feckit

and now they have a system that hardly crash's.

But it still does i take it by that comment?

A correctly setup windows client/network can be very reliable you know. If it was that bad do you really think so many companies in the world would still use MS? No they wouldn't....

Personally I dont get the hatred Abarb has for MS, if it wasn't for him using an MS OS on his PC he would never have learned about linux and MS bashing...

Lets face it, its 'cool' to bash Microsoft, that is obvious.

I think what Flops and Bodhi said pretty much sums it up (minus the Apple bit)

...and until you can get a Linux that can fully replace MS then count me out. Win 7 is all i need and more. Can you play your games under Linux Abarb?

[floppybootstomp]

Good comment V_R

No hatred here, I just say things as I see them.

Good and bad in Apple; Microsoft, Linux; Open Source and even Sun.

To my mind Mint is almost as easy to use as Win 7 but as I said, it doesn't do everything.

I think Win 7 is easily the best MS OS so far, even better than Win 2K (although I must admit I only used Win 2K briefly).

Games? Forget Linux, just forget it, games don't even enter the equation, I realised that long ago.

But (and there's always a but) there's an undercurrent to Windows, an undercurrent I'm not fond of.

PS/Edit: Didn't mention: Windows still recognises and can use more hardware than Linux and that's a fact. But, again, it's getting better.

Remember though - Win 7 70 quid, Linux - bugger-all. Yes, it does, and should, make a difference.

[muckshifter]

Linux Mint couldn't handle half of the Governments needs, you'd need the power of a more substantial "Linux version" to fill the gaps in replacing MS ... RatHat isn't cheap.

Get off your bandwagon, I'm getting fed up of hearing the same broken record.

Oracle recently acquired Sun, and all that goes with it, has the largest and most complete set of industry and business applications software on the market, they could easily supply the Governments needs over MS, Oracle Linux out-performs RedHat & Suse Linux, two of "indutries" main contenders, Oracle makes more money than MS.

Oh, not suitable for home users, doesn't "play" games. Stick to MS.