Not using desktop Linux? You're wasting your money

[Amedee Van Gasse (ub)]

On Fri, June 18, 2010 06:11, Fred A. Miller wrote:
> On 06/17/2010 11:16 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
>> On Friday, June 18, 2010 10:46 AM, Fred A. Miller wrote:
>>
>>> >    *Not using desktop Linux? You're wasting your money*
>>> > <http://ifwnewsletters.newsletters.infoworld.com/t/6503407/120843337/295823/0/>
>>> >
>>> > There are many instances where the only requirements of the desktop
>>> are
>>> > to act as a portal to a Web-based application and possibly run an
>>> email
>>> > client. With the push toward Web-based internal apps, there's little
>>> > reason to require Windows at all. *Read More*
>>> > <http://ifwnewsletters.newsletters.infoworld.com/t/6503407/120843337/295823/0/>
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>> Please, spare me the 'the network is the computer' tripe.
>>
>
> I didn't write it, I just passed it on. This is what some in the media
> think, right or wrong. I agree with you, but obviously, the press doesn't.
>
> Fred

I find this article relevant for the sounder list.
I may not agree with all of it. If you only need a portal for web apps,
then you don't need a heavyweight distro like Ubuntu either.
There are some motherboard manufacturers that have a lightweight OS
embedded on a chip. Boots up in less than 10 seconds. I don't know what
they are using, probably something light like Puppy or DSL.

I don't think it's the 'the network is the computer' tripe. I work at a
steel mill that was already at the forefront of high-tech in the 1960's.
So we're talking about mainframes and terminals here. Indeed why do our
factory workers need a WinXP pc to operate a mainframe terminal session?
It's a pendulum movement, and the economical crisis is putting pressure on
IT managers so they are considering all kinds of options.