Microsoft officially set the end date for availability of Windows XP Professional to June 30, 2008.
For many reasons, IT decision makers (and retail consumers) might not want to move to Windows Vista.
One argument is that Windows XP Pro is more than 'good enough' and that the cost imposed by upgrading to Vista verses the net benefits doesn't warrant such a move.
The rising cost of doing business is being accelerated by the soaring price of crude oil. As budget deficits grow, it becomes an imperative that Businesses be 'creative' in directing fiscal conservative efforts to reduce operating costs. As a cost center, the IT Department is no less exempt from any other, so alternative replacement solutions to Microsoft must be given serious consideration.
The alternatives include Open Source and Commercial Linux Distributions.
Linux, taken together with other emerging technology solutions such as Virtualization combined with hardware processor advancements that can effectively consolidate many servers to a just a few Virtual Machine (VM) server Farms provides a very attractive cost reduction benefit. Sun, RedHat, Novell SuSE, Citrix, VMware all provide competitive Linux-based VM solutions compatible with interoperability from today's Microsoft world to Linux in a seemless fashion. Coupled with use of Thin Clients, Linux aids in providing cost-effective, secure, centralized application and data management.
Now, more than ever, Linux presents itself as a viable alternative to Microsoft.
Are you considering making the switch?
For many reasons, IT decision makers (and retail consumers) might not want to move to Windows Vista.
One argument is that Windows XP Pro is more than 'good enough' and that the cost imposed by upgrading to Vista verses the net benefits doesn't warrant such a move.
The rising cost of doing business is being accelerated by the soaring price of crude oil. As budget deficits grow, it becomes an imperative that Businesses be 'creative' in directing fiscal conservative efforts to reduce operating costs. As a cost center, the IT Department is no less exempt from any other, so alternative replacement solutions to Microsoft must be given serious consideration.
The alternatives include Open Source and Commercial Linux Distributions.
Linux, taken together with other emerging technology solutions such as Virtualization combined with hardware processor advancements that can effectively consolidate many servers to a just a few Virtual Machine (VM) server Farms provides a very attractive cost reduction benefit. Sun, RedHat, Novell SuSE, Citrix, VMware all provide competitive Linux-based VM solutions compatible with interoperability from today's Microsoft world to Linux in a seemless fashion. Coupled with use of Thin Clients, Linux aids in providing cost-effective, secure, centralized application and data management.
Now, more than ever, Linux presents itself as a viable alternative to Microsoft.
Are you considering making the switch?
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I want to say up front that I'm not a Linux expert by any means. I consider myself to be a newbie. I've tried several distros over the years and I found myself going back to Windows because there was something lacking in Linux. The closest I got to switching to Linux was with Suse 9.1. But even then I had problems with a stable vpn connection to connect to work. That was a deal breaker for me.
As an IT Manager and a consultant on the side, I can't recommend Linux to businesses unless the company is starting from scratch and has no Windows ties. If that's the case, I'll have to refer them to another consulting company because of my limited Linux skills.
As a home user I would recommend to other home users. In fact, I'm writing this with my newly installed OpenSuse 11 on a VirtualBox VM on my work laptop. I'll be trying it on my home computer soon and will try the vpn to see if the stability issues have been fixed.
With every release, Linux is getting better but I don't see it ever replacing Windows completely IMHO.
I appreciate your point of view but would respectfully submit that ALOT has happened since the days of Suse 9.1.
Only because I have a high threshold of pain did I stick with SUSE. :)
Cultivating an informed opinion really requires a significant time investment mixed with a healthy dose of intestinal fortitude.
Some of the features you see in openSUSE 11.0 won't merge to Novell's SLED/SLES until 2009, so to a certain extent you may be on the 'bleeding edge', depending on what you are doing.
Please come back and give feedback on your experiences at home.
Dietrich