Dell Introduces a Full Linux Notebook for $299.00
Linux the Clear Winner in Google OS
What does this announcement mean to the computing industry?
Microsoft’s pricing model is not sustainable in the new world of PC/mobile convergence. MSFT as it existed for the past 20 years does not fit into a world of free carrier-backed netbooks and an internet OS. It’s been reported that Windows 7 Starter will be priced around $45 - $55. In a $200 netbook with already razor thin margins that pricing doesn’t work. And it certainly doesn’t work in the world of free PCs subsidized through carrier subscriptions. When PC makers threaten to use another operating system if they don’t get Windows 7 at a lower price they will not be bluffing; Google Chrome, Moblin, and desktop Linux will be free. Microsoft is not blind to this - but it is questionable if their recent moves towards services will happen soon enough.
The new PC model is built around services: Google ads, online music/video/TV services, subscriptions to applications built and run from the cloud. The old world of high margin operating systems and desktop applications is simply not very relevant to this new world. Native applications unique to an OS are just also not very relevant any more. Even such workhorses as personal finance and digital photo applications have moved to the browser, and those apps are available on any OS. Even Microsoft shut down their Microsoft Money product which was built under the old software sales model. Google wants to capitalize on this trend with Google Chrome OS and its own bevy of online services.
Linux (and consumers) are the true winners. Linux is the basis for not only the new Chrome OS but also the other challengers to Microsoft’s desktop monopoly such as Moblin, Nokia’s Maemo, Palm Pre, many versions of desktop Linux such as Ubuntu or Suse, Android and more. (It’s also the basis of all of Google’s application services as well as every major cloud offering.) Linux is the foundation for this new wave of computing because it is available on more architectures and supports more devices than any other OS. (By using the Linux kernel Google Chrome gains the advantage of all of the hardware drivers.) Linux also gives PC makers and mobile carriers the flexibility to use it without onerous pricing and branding restrictions. The more companies and manufacturers base their products on Linux, the stronger Linux becomes. Say goodbye to monopoly pricing.
There are more questions raised by this announcement than answers, but I feel the three points above are clearly strengthened by this news. We look forward to seeing Google collaborate closely with the Linux community and industry to enhance Linux as the foundation for this new computing model.
Open Source Holds an Intervention
The study released today shows, “worldwide revenue from open source software will grow at a 22.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach $8.1 billion by 2013. This forecast is considerably higher than 2008 for three reasons: (1) the bottom-up list used to calculate the revenue has expanded through an exhaustive effort to include more projects in this forecast; (2) open source software has had a much higher level of acceptance over the past 12 months than previously expected, and; (3) the economy accelerated the uptake and use of open source software in the closing months of 2008.”
Economic crisis tend to clarify people’s thinking and accentuate existing trends in the market place. This is no exception. The IDC report underscores the fact that open source provides real value for the money and it took a recession for people to figure that out. For a world addicted to high priced proprietary software this may have been the bottom that will transition the enterprise IT industry to one of shared innovation, true value for the money, and higher levels of service.
Protecting Linux from Microsoft
The details are that Microsoft assembled a package of patents “relating to open source” and put them up for sale to patent trolls. Microsoft thought they were selling them to AST, a group that buys patents, offers licenses to its members, and then resells the patents. AST calls this their “catch and release” policy. Microsoft would certainly have known that the likely buyer when AST resold their patents in a few months would be a patent troll that would use the patents to attack non-member Linux companies. Thus, by selling patents that target Linux, Microsoft could help generate fear, uncertainty, and doubt about Linux, without needing to attack the Linux community directly in their own name.
This deal shows the mechanisms the Linux industry has constructed to defend Linux are working, even though the outcome also shows Microsoft to continue to act antagonistically to its customers.
We can be thankful that these patents didn’t fall into the hands of a patent troll who has no customers and thus cares not about customer or public backlash. Luckily the defenses put in place by the Linux industry show that collaboration can result in great things, including the legal protection of Linux.
The reality is that Windows and Linux will both remain critical parts of the world’s computing infrastructure for years to come. Nearly 100% of Fortune 500 companies support deployments of both Windows and Linux. Those customers, who have the ear of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, need to tell Microsoft that they do not want Microsoft’s patent tricks to interfere with their production infrastructure. It’s time for Microsoft to stop secretly attacking Linux while publicly claiming to want interoperability. Let’s hope that Microsoft decides going forward to actually try to win in the marketplace, rather than
continuing to distract and annoy us with their tricky patent schemes. And, let’s offer a big round of applause to Keith Bergelt and OIN, for their perfectly executed defense of the Linux community.
losing all your data in one sec
The purpose of the script was cloning Core Linux on Pen Drive with some customization for the destination hardware ...
The issue that I had a sleepy head & I wrote in my script `dd on my SDA instead of SDC` :( hehehehehehehe ....!!
FOR This Scenario Always use " My book " Or any other External file Synchronizing for the Important files & data .. ' TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY '
I had been Shocked when I discovered that my Zotero backup wasn't on my external drive :( Right now Zotero doesn't have Online Sync & I am living right now a very bad nightmare ..
By the way , I tried all the available Data Recovery Software for recovering my destroyed Partition ... But dd is the best :(( NO Way Back
Wikimania 2008
Wikimania is a conference held yearly for users of the Wikimedia Foundation projects, including Wikipedia, Wikinews, etc. The first conference was held in Frankfurt, Germany, on August 4-8, 2005. The second conference was held in Boston, USA, on August 4-6, 2006 and the third one was held in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 3-5, 2007. It has been decided by the jury team that Wikimania 2008 will be held in Alexandria, Egypt and Wikimania 2009 will be held in Buenos Aires.
Attend the Forum Virtual
The International Youth Forum
The Power of Youth for Peace
Youth SPEAK we LISTEN !
Virtual
On
Second Life
Venue
Place: Sharm El
Space:
Program
8:00-11:00 1 September 2007
THEME II: ICT FOR PEACE
Session 1B: Rules of Engagement; What it Takes to Be Safe on the Net
The session will present international experiences dealing with internet security and governance. Perspectives from various players will be explored, in an active step towards consensus building. Representatives from youth, international organizations, decision makers, Internet Service providers, the industry, and NGOs will be invited in a free set up to probe into acceptable models that would protect young users from different forms of risks on the net, and maximize its positive usages.
Moderator: Jean Philippe Courtois
Speakers: Stephen Carrick ,Karem beshara ,
Leila Ben Debba ,Mohamad EL Zoheiry
11:30-13:30 1 September 2007
THEME IV: Violence or Peace
Session 2A: A Personal Choice?
There is a critical link between youth and conflict. Increasingly, researchers and development professionals are predicting that our global future depends on how youth view themselves and how they interact with their peers, their families and their communities. Research done by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) indicates that youth are more likely to choose peaceful resolution of conflicts if they have more solid connections with their own communities as well as a sense of empowerment to make decisions affecting their own future.
Moderator: Riz Khan, Former CNN and BBC Presenter
Speakers: Ricard Torrell, Kay Wahlen,
Jamil Mouawad, Dr. Fethia Saidi
12:00-14:00 2 September 2007
Theme III: Youth Leading Development
Creating Economic Opportunities and Breaking the Cycle of Dependence
Youth unemployment leads to exclusion and marginalization and if left unattended may erupt into violent behavior patterns.
An option to combat unemployment is enhancing self-employment by providing all the necessary support required such as access to loan, to credit and to market networks.
In addition the provision of technical assistance to young entrepreneurs enables them to develop small and medium enterprises.
Speakers: Gamal Mubarak , Seif Abou Zaid
Holly Taylor Sargent
Moderator: Sahar Nasr
11:30-13:30 2 September 2007
Theme V: Health for All: Peace for All
Session 4B: Young Minds Enriching the Environment
We live in times where the fabric of our environment is unraveling before our eyes. Climate change, biodiversity loss, Ozone depletion, deforestation and the continuing problems of soil erosion and water availability have become a major threat to the interface between humans and the environment systems on which we all depend. Young people have an enormous stake in changing these trends in order to be able to have a better future. They can help to focus the efforts of the international community towards more cohesive strategies vis-à-vis the environment. They can mobilize public opinion in favour of eco-friendly policies and practices. In addition, they have the potential to find innovative strategies to minimize the negative impact of economic development on the environment and preserve our natural resources.
Speakers: Al-Jayyousi , Poonam Ahluwalia
, Dumisani Nyoni , Hoda Baraka
Moderator: Dr Ismail Serag El Din
