Linux Doesn't Cost Anything - But Maybe It Should

Discussions, theses, theories and memes abound around Linux's inability to gain traction in the desktop marketplace. Some think the Linux Desktop is too hard to learn (it's not). Others say Linux Desktop is deficient (it's not). Linux elite (or 1337) say Linux wasn't really meant for the general users anyway (not true). Microsoft says Linux in general is evil (see the Halloween Memo) (oh, and by the way, it's not).



Why, you wonder, when all along we've sung the FOSS praises of GNU/Linux (hereafter referred to as the more simple "Linux," with all deference to Stallman) and that Linux is free? What could be better than free? If Linux Desktop is free and can't gain more marketshare (estimates range somewhere around 1 percent Linux Desktop market penetration) then one or a combination of the above reasons must be why Linux fails. If Linux passes all points in the opening paragraph, what gives?

But Is Linux Really Good Enough? 

Let's revisit the opening common claims to Linux's failings:

• Linux is too hard to learn: Fail. Linux, especially Linux Desktop, couldn't be easier to learn. In the last 10 years Linux usability work has exploded with ideas and implementations. A Linux Desktop may be different (think Ubuntu vs. RedHat, Gnome vs. KDE), but it's only different. I've never had to abandon teaching someone how to use a Linux Desktop.
• Linux is deficient: Nope. Not even close. As an anecdotal example, I recently connected an old XP laptop to my 1920x1200 monitor to make work on that computer easier. Alas, the video drivers available could not drive the resolution on my monitor -- even after downloading and installing updates for XP and the vendor drivers. However, the Linux side of that dual-boot laptop happily fired up and handled the screen resolution perfectly. This is one example of many times I've seen Linux rise to a technical challenge while Windows failed.
This point begs more discussion. In future articles I promise to drill more deeply into this topic. For now, I submit that in my (more than anecdotal) opinion, Linux Desktop is far from deficient.
• Linux wasn't meant for the general user: Uh-uh! Geek elites are confusing technical obfuscation of what is possible to do (Unix command line, etc.) with what is transparently easy to do today on any Linux Desktop (browse and manage files, surf the Internet, write and manage documents, handle e-mail, etc.). Linux can be as difficult as you want it to be to learn, but for general desktop use and day-to-day tasks, Linux Desktop couldn't be more appropriate for general use.

Why Don't Linux Servers Suffer Same Fate?

The users of Linux Server technology are extremely technical, and with good reason. They support technology on which businesses run.
Users of Linux Server barely blink that Linux is free -- they're much more interested that Linux is excellent. Their measuring stick is based on deep technological understanding, and hence they do not need to look to alternate valuations. And in the server market, Linux thrives in spite of being free.

But Linux Has to Be Free!

Yes, Linux is Open Source and Linux is free. But there are myriad ways to combine the free Linux with added value. Water is free too (kind of), and you don't find people hesitate to pay a buck-fifty for 12 ounces of it because it's in a pretty plastic bottle! There are ways.
Then how?
I wish I knew, but I'm in the opinion business. I do think Linux Desktop gains main street cred when someone finds a way to cut, polish and mount a Linux Desktop diamond in the rough. Polished, packaged and priced like a real product, Linux Desktop offers attractive marketing opportunities. Linux Desktop is ready for prime time. Linux Desktop needs to look, feel, smell and cost like prime time. We're more likely to proudly show off our shiny new desktop we bought. And that is how we create a Linux Desktop buzz.
Linux Desktop buzz is what's been missing. Really. And the company that finds a way to create the buzz puts Linux a chip shot away from real market share. Linux Desktop -- it's going to cost you. And it should.

Dell's 'Love Letter' to Linux: Now You See It, Now You Don't?

Dell gave Ubuntu Linux a wet, sloppy kiss on its Web site recently, asserting that the distro is just plain safer than Microsoft Windows. It was item No. 6 on Dell's list of things people should know about Ubuntu, and Linux lovers were pleasantly surprised by the candor. Within days, though, the mention of Windows had been removed. "To be honest, I'm surprised that Dell had that up as long as they did,".

Well, it's been an emotional rollercoaster ride here in the Linux blogosphere in recent days, thanks to Dell's proclamation -- and then apparent retraction -- of its love for Linux.

"Ubuntu is safer than Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows" read item No. 6 on Dell's "Top 10 list of things you should know about Ubuntu" as recently the middle of this month. "The vast majority of viruses and spyware written by hackers are not designed to target and attack Linux," it added.
"Hoorah!" one might say. "At long last!"
Dell's uplifting words of endearment caused considerable joy and jubilation among Linux aficionados far and wide, including The VAR Guy, Network World and the rowdy crowd over at Digg, among many others.
Too bad it didn't last.

'Ubuntu Is Secure'

Sometime between the June 16 and 21, apparently, Dell thought better of its little public display of affection and carefully reworded that particular item.
The new wording: "Ubuntu is secure," item No. 6 now reads. "According to industry reports, Ubuntu is unaffected by the vast majority of viruses and spyware."
Foul!
Bloggers everywhere could be heard expressing sentiments to that effect when the news broke, and Linux Girl was no exception.
 To be honest, I'm surprised that Dell had that up as long as they did."It's not that Microsoft would take objection to their saying nice things about Linux -- Dell is still saying nice things about Linux, after all -- it's that they were undermining the promotion of a competing product that they also sell." The original wording, in fact, "was an extraordinarily bad idea from a business perspective, and somebody at Dell dropped the copy-editing ball by allowing it to be posted,".
Ubuntu may be safer, "but you have to have a CS degree to run it," he explained. "If I lock a Windows box in concrete and bury it, the box will be pretty safe too, but not very usable."
"As long as Dell isn't saying something like, 'Windows is more secure than Linux' or 'Linux is not secure,' and as long as they're actually providing models they certify for Ubuntu, I'll definitely check dell.com/ubuntu before purchasing a computer,"
Even more to the point: "It's safe and secure. Over 95 percent of viruses, spyware and other types of malware are designed and targeted to attack Microsoft Windows," the video asserts. "So, by definition, if you're not running Microsoft Windows and if you're running Linux, you just don't have to worry about malware and viruses and spyware."

The Disruptive Technology Myth

"Disruptive" technologies do not destroy industries -- they may, however, create new ones. Whether we like it or not, we are in a constant state of flux. The technology industry, just like any industry, is incredibly dynamic and changing -- and with change, comes opportunity.

PC World's Dan Tynan gets it. He called out "The 10 Most Disruptive Technology Combinations". ... There needs to be a "two-part punch" to really disrupt the status quo. Industries evolve based on new technology, but the real test is how companies use the technology to change their delivery model and sales structure.
Currently, Web service providers such as Amazon , Google and even Force.com claim that the Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud offerings will change the way the entire world operates -- and, in so doing, will destroy existing technology businesses.
That simply is not true. In fact, Amazon likely buys more computers and storage systems than any other company in the world.
These powerhouse Web service providers are not changing the game; they are simply buying things in bulk and reselling them virtually. What Amazon, Google and Force.com are doing well is creating a new delivery model and a new sales structure so that customers build additional applications on top of their technology foundation until they are at the core of the business itself.

Let us explore the top three myths surrounding the "disruptor du jour": the SaaS cloud.

Myth: The SaaS cloud is disruptive.

Everywhere you look, the SaaS cloud is being pegged as a "disruptive" technology. Many think that if a solution is "in" the cloud -- whether it is customer relationship management software or a service that ensures any file you send to internal/external business partners gets where it needs to be -- it is automatically disruptive.
Providing something virtually is NOT disruptive; cloud computing is not the disruptor. The real disruptor is how you use it, why you use it and where you use it.

Myth: Throw it into the cloud, and it will be a success.

You can toss it up, but there is no guarantee anyone will be there to catch it. Any technology can be put "into" the cloud, but few will be successful. To have a successful SaaS/cloud offering, the underlying technology must be:

1.) Proven 

2.) Secure

3.) Scalable

If you cannot check "yes" for all of those components, then your solution will not be successful -- in the cloud or on the ground. However, a SaaS/cloud technology solution that works and is mature can effectively transform something that is very complicated and expensive, and make it significantly more simple and accessible. If successful, it becomes available to all users at a very low cost, with a very high service level and an incredibly rich set of services.

Myth: The cloud will ruin the technology industry.

The industry "experts" beating this drum are dead wrong. Virtual offerings will not destroy any industry. While cloud-based offerings will continue to make innovators rethink their delivery models, the need for enterprise software/hardware will not go away -- at least, not any time in the foreseeable future.
Computers, hardware, storage, routers, racks and networks -- they are all still here, and they are more critical to businesses of all sizes than ever. They are simply being used in different ways and for different reasons -- and one might argue, much more efficiently.

The technology industry is fluid, and the innovative leaders across all sectors will use the SaaS cloud to make their technology offering more accessible, grow their bottom line, and build on their success. It opens a new door for technology providers to offer enterprises the tools that they need and pay only for what they use -- eliminating previous infrastructure and cost barriers.
While not every technology is made for the cloud, there is significant opportunity to use the cloud to your advantage, whether you are a technology provider or a technology consumer. So, before you bury your head in the sand, think about how you can embrace the cloud and make it work to your advantage.

Calibre-An Elegant E-Book Librarian

Regardless of your take on the iPad as a do-everything replacement device for laptops and netbooks, other e-book readers (EBRs) are gaining a substantial foothold. Devices such as the Kindle and the Nook provide access to volumes of literature and documents without having to lug a fully-functional computer around.



However, EBRs do not completely replace the need for notebooks and netbooks. Depending on your specific needs, both laptop/netbook-based EBR software and a stand-alone e-book device can be indispensable for portable access to work-related and recreational reading. A Linux app called "Calibre" bridges the gap between both reading devices.
Calibre is a free, cross-platform e-book library management application for Linux, OS X and Windows. This open source app goes far beyond letting you access your collection of e-books on a computer. In many ways, Calibre does for e-books what other Linux apps do for your digital picture libraries and music collections.
My first exposure to e-books other than those distributed in PDF format was a handy EBR app called "FBReader,", a free e-book reader that runs on Linux desktop and portable computers. It is a handy program for accessing the thousands of free titles of literature stored on the Internet. It works great as a basic EBR, but its functionality is limited to that narrow focus.
I discovered Calibre while searching for a program that converted e-book formats to the .fb2 code that the FBReader uses. Do not try out Calibre if you are looking for an app to break the Digital Rights Management (DRM) lock some publishers use to protect the purchase price of ebooks they sell. Calibre will not help you there.