All over the web the trolls have regrouped and are attacking any who criticize M$ or praise FLOSS. Over at ComputerWorld, SJVN is heavily under attack for stating his opinions which are well-founded. At DesktopLinux.com, the trolls are becoming mellow in their old age finding ad hominem attacks are counter-productive. Here is an example:
“Linux can only succeed on the desktop if it can be offered by one of the major suppliers. So far, none of them want to take the time and expense needed to even try on any massive scale. The lesson of the netbook has been learned by all, too. Linux was an early offering, but XP now totally dominates sales. People did not flock to Linux at the price differential supported by the manufacturers.
There is no reason for the OEMs to try to offer a cheaper unit unless they can profit from the effort. If all they manage to do is sell the same number of computers to the same people but at a lower price, they have failed badly and will never recoup their costs of adding Linux.”
This sounds so sweet and reasonable, doesn’t it? This is just begging the question, politely. Suppose none of the major suppliers puts GNU/Linux on the desktop but all of the smaller players do. That’s about 42%, according to IDC. OEMs of all sizes will have to push GNU/Linux on netbooks if the small guys do. Small operations all over China are cranking out netbooks based on ATOM, VIA and ARM. It is all good.
Only a few weeks ago, the trolls were overrun by positive comments about GNU/Linux on the web. They have regrouped and are trying different tactics but they are still trolls. The willingness of manufacturers to push GNU/Linux puts the lie to the comment quoted above. The cost of not adding GNU/Linux to the mix is loss of business as the unit price/ASP drops. They have to increase volume to compensate. The OEMs who add needless features to keep their prices up will be in the same leaky boat as M$ by next year.
On Amazon.com, I found about 200 “netbooks” and 33 “netbooks linux”. Amazon even suggested I search for “netbooks linux” as a related search. They must be getting a few hits. Prices ranged from $200 to $735 for Linux and $285-$1300 for that other OS. No room to hide at the low end and the low end is creeping up. By next year, GNU/Linux will be competing with that other OS on every type of PC in every price range. The trolls will not accept that GNU/Linux sells until the roller passes over. They are either well paid or in denial.
Nice writing style. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Chris Moran
You are not alone in sensing some kind of organized offensive in the comment sections of blogs and articles regarding Linux and Open Source. I have noticed a consistency in tone across all the sites I visit. There are different types too. I have seen a lot of “Linux is ok for servers. I’ve used it myself but it’s not ready for serious desktop use”. Then there are the hate filled, ridicule inspired posts that use the same key words and phrasing. It’s impossible to avoid thinking that there is some coordination behind these wide spread but similar posts. There also appears to be an effort to discredit the Linux poster. First they ask for “proof” in the form of links. When you give them some links they say they are biased or wrong. When you inform them why your links are valid the insults and ridicule fly. I’ve seen this over and over.
People change and time will reveal much of what is hidden today. There’s a lot of money keeping mission critical secret agendas under wraps. That money is slowly leaking away. It will be interesting to read the book “How Our Blind Reliance on Microsoft Hurt Us” (or whatever it will be called). It will be interesting but not surprising.
The book has already been written, in 2003, “CyberInsecurity – The Cost of Monopoly“. An appendix should be added with the high cost of attempting and not succeeding at keeping malware out of that other OS. The fellow who is the lead authour was fired…
His employer did a lot of business with M$. I hope a few people got fired for buying Vista… How are their businesses doing now that there is a downturn?