How Could Vista Boost Linux?
Only in your dreams. As reported on ZDNET, the complexity of upgrading to Windows Vista will create a disruption that would eventually make users migrate to a Linux based platform instead.
In an excerpt:
On the first day of Linux.conf.au, the president of Linux Australia, Jonathan Oxer, told ZDNet Australia that instead of retraining staff on the new version of Windows, administrators could make the switch to Linux.
“People will have the choice — they are going to get a major disruption and have to learn a whole new interface and way of working to switch from a previous version of Windows to Vista.
“It’s just as much disruption — or as little disruption — to move to a version of Linux … So what we will probably see is that a lot of companies now are going to very seriously consider, when they do their next refresh cycle, not switching to Vista but switching to a Linux-based platform instead,” said Oxer.
I admit there will be a disruption upgrading to Windows Vista but consumers are not morons enough not to overcome the transition which would eventually lead to a far better user experience. The amount of effort working on retraining people is miniscule compared to the productivity boost to gain from Windows Vista.
How complicated it is to retrain people?
All I know is I see a lot of 9 year-old-kids playing extremely complicated games and I would not be surprised that high school students find their way around Windows Vista.
Tags: Microsoft, Vista, WindowsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Windows Vista
4 opinions for How Could Vista Boost Linux?
Fota
Jan 22, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I agree with you — what retraining costs? Vista is actually easier to use than XP in most ways.
But also, let’s think about applications, and more importantly, custom applications. No company I know of just runs Windows. They run applications that run on Windows, and not just a plain old copy of Excel. Oftentimes they’ll write VB for A to create new user experiences for those applications.
I think these Linux pundits really need to see how Windows is used in the workplace before they start spouting off randomly about things like this. It’s far more than just “Windows and Office.” It’s “Windows, Office, and a lot of other applications” that they’d have to pick up the slack on. It would be near impossible for many corporations to even consider this kind of move.
Milo
Jan 25, 2007 at 2:46 am
Definitely. Windows Vista is just a slice of the pie in a full course menu. Not to forget Microsoft’s unified communications — Exchange Server and MOSS 2007 which again, are appetizers in your menu… :)
Heather Flanagan
Jan 25, 2007 at 5:46 am
I am going to a “lunch and learn” next week on Microsoft Vista and will post a vodcast on their presentation the link of which I can forward to you if you would like. Just let me know. In the mean time I wanted to show you a video I made at the Microsoft Alumni Network’s “After the holidays party”. I think Microsoft makes an interesting anthropological subject:
http://pugettown.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/is-there-life-after-microsoft/
craig shaw
Apr 23, 2008 at 10:40 am
Well it made me think and i made the change to linux, i considered it a time to either go down one road or the other of a ‘bloaty’ resourceful OS.
Took a bit of adjusting but i can’t see me in a rush to get back at all to be honest i’m happier with Linux.
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