To:"Mike Swier" <mswier@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 20:53:00 -0500 (EST)
From:"Linux-Pipeline-Newsletter" <linuxed@TECHWIRE.COM>
Subject: [LPN] Linux Pipeline Newsletter - 2.24.2004

LINUX PIPELINE NEWSLETTER
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/
February 24, 2004

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Editor's Notes
- Microsoft Vs. Linux: The Best Outcome Is No Winner
- Announcing Our New RSS Feeds
- New Linux Penguin Wallpaper - Just Too Darn Cute
2. Only the Best Linux and Open-Source News
3. Interview: Martin Taylor, Microsoft's Top Anti-Linux General
4. Expert Views: Linux Is No Threat to the Economic Recovery
5. How-To: Land a Linux Job
6. Expert Views: Linux's Biggest Problem? Neither Microsoft nor SCO
7. How-To: Figuring Out Where Linux Makes Sense In Your Organization
8. Review: SUSE 9.0: A Distro Worth Paying For
9. Voting Booth: Is Desktop Linux 5-10 Years Out?
10. Dig Into Desktop Applications In Product Finder
11. Check Out The Linux Pipeline Topic Categories
- Core Linux
- Applications
- Enterprise Open Source
- Business
12. Tell A Colleague About Linux Pipeline Newsletter
13. Have You Discovered The Other Pipelines?
14. Change Your Subscription Options

------- Advertisement -------------------

Need to keep your sanity while working in Windows?
MKS Toolkit brings the power of Linux to Windows. Linux scripts,
commands, applications and your skills are immensely powerful tools
that when mixed with over 450 utilities and a complete application
SDK make even Windows palatable. Whether you have code to create or
systems to administer the MKS Toolkit product family is essential to
your Windows experience. Call 800-637-8034;+1 (703) 803-3343.
Request a free 30 day Evaluation:
http://www.mkssoftware.com/eval/default.asp?distrib=LinuxPipeline

-----------------------------------------

1. Editor's Notes

MICROSOFT VS. LINUX: THE BEST OUTCOME IS NO WINNER

Microsoft has faced some tough competition before, but what's
particularly challenging about Linux and open source is that, this
time, Microsoft isn't just competing with another product and
company - it's competing against a whole different business model.

The competition is exciting, and can only benefit users of both
Microsoft and open source. Indeed, Microsoft's own customers are
among the biggest beneficiaries, as Microsoft learns from its
competitors' business practices, adapts them and adopts them as its
own.

No, strike that. Microsoft doesn't just "learn from" its
competitors' business practices and technologies. It STEALS them.
Let's not try to pretty it up.

The result is good for everybody but the competition itself. It's
certainly good for the competitor's customers, because the
competitor has to put every effort into keeping the customers'
business. There's nothing worse for a business's customers than when
the business has it easy.

But the problem with this competitive process is that eventually it
comes to an end. Microsoft wins, Microsoft relaxes, and Microsoft
customers have to take what Redmond is putting out.

Microsoft's major competitors have, in the past, included IBM,
Borland, Novell and of course Netscape. In each case, Microsoft
adopted a three-fold strategy for competition: First, Microsoft
sharpened its own, competing technology: Competition with IBM and
Novell resulted in the introduction of and improvements to Windows
NT, competition with Borland resulted in improved development tools,
competition with Netscape resulted in improvements to the Microsoft
browser and web servers.

The second prong of Microsoft's competitive strategy is to offer low
prices and bundling deals to make Microsoft products more attractive
than the competition.

Which leads to strategy #3, the one that leads to the presence of
Bill Gates's picture on so many dartboards: Dirty tricks. Microsoft
blackmails PC vendors to get them to stop supporting competitive
products, it proposes alliances with competing vendors and then uses
the competitors' secrets in Microsoft products. And that's where
customers are hurt, because their freedom of choice is diminished.

The ultimate goal, for Microsoft: Cut off the competition's supply
of money, by strangling revenue from customers, investors, and
cutting off access to sales channels.

But now, Microsoft faces some unique competitive conditions. Open
source isn't produced by one company, it's produced by a legion of
developers, some working for private companies who get their profit
from customizing, and servicing open source, or selling hardware
that open source runs on. Other developers are working for free.
It's hard to cut off the money supply for technology that doesn't
require much money to survive, and which has a great many sources of
revenue, investors and channels.

Microsoft can't compete on cost. Linux and open source software is
has, of course, no licensing cost. Linux and open source runs on the
same Wintel architecture that runs Microsoft software -- often
requiring less powerful hardware. And, as we reported last week,
Linux staff works cheaper than Microsoft support; that's bad for
Linux job-seekers but good for the people who hire them.

Linux Salaries on the Rise
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/17701060

But Microsoft is adapting. Today, Linux Pipeline carries an
interview with Martin Taylor, Microsoft's top anti-Linux general.
Taylor describes plans to compete with Linux, including segmenting
the market into small, medium and large businesses. Taylor also
defends the security and innovation of the proprietary development
process against open source critics.

Interview: Martin Taylor, Microsoft's Top Anti-Linux General
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/18200168

Microsoft and other proprietary vendors still have the advantage
over open source in a couple of areas. Among them: marketing. Open
source advocates are still somewhat clumsy about explaining the
advantages open source technology. (Consider the slogan: "Free as in
speech, not as in beer." What is that supposed to mean to the
average person?) Microsoft and other proprietary vendors have a lot
of money to pay skilled marketers to throw FUD at the problem.

Some open source advocates seem to want to put Microsoft out of
business. But the better alternative is for both Microsoft and open
source to be strong and locked into perpetual competition. Monopoly
isn't good, even if it's our guys who have the monopoly.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW RSS FEEDS

You can read Linux Pipeline on RSS.
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/rss/all.jhtml

If you consume RSS, do. If you're saying, "RSS? Whuzat?" - or "Hey!
I just clicked that last link it looks all funny," then see this
explanation:

http://wagblog.internetweek.com/archives/000951.html

We wrote the explanation quickly when we launched the RSS feed for a
sister publication, InternetWeek. It'll tell you what you need to
know.

NEW LINUX PENGUIN WALLPAPER - JUST TOO DARN CUTE

So I get this e-mail the other day from a colleague at Network
Computing magazine, suggesting that we promote their new Linux see-
through penguin wallpaper.

My first thought was: "WALLPAPER?! We are SERIOUS BY GOSH
JOURNALISTS! There is NO ROOM on Linux Pipeline for FRIVOLITIES such
as WALLPAPER! I'm going to GIVE THEM A PIECE OF MY MIND, I will!"

And then I clicked on the link and said, "Aww, that's really cute.
We ought to promote that."

Here it is
http://www.nwc.com/go/t11-xray.jhtml

--Mitch Wagner, Co-Editor, Linux Pipeline
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/
mwagner@cmp.com

2. ONLY THE BEST LINUX AND OPEN-SOURCE NEWS

IBM Boosts Linux/Unix eServer p690
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=18200288
IBM also said it will sell Linux across the entire pSeries line,
including high-end servers.

Hyperion Intros Business Intelligence Platform, Debuts Linux Support
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/18200277

VMware Unveils Virtual Server
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=18100081

Dell Debuts SMB Servers
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/18100093

Update: Wind River, Red Hat To Team On Linux Software
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/18100069

Microsoft Expands Lindows Trademark Suit To Canada
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/17800153

Lindows Adds Centrino Support To Laptop Linux
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/17701489

Pingtel Will Open Source Code For Enterprise VoIP Software
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/news/17701226

3. INTERVIEW: Martin Taylor, Microsoft's Top Anti-Linux General
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/18200168
Microsoft's general manager of platform strategies describes plans
to compete with Linux, including segmenting the market into small,
medium and large businesses. Taylor also defends the security and
innovation of the proprietary development process against open
source critics.

4. EXPERT VIEWS: Linux Is No Threat to the Economic Recovery
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/17701130
With its Linux lawsuit foundering, SCO is trying to convince
lawmakers that open source software hurts the U.S. economy and
threatens national security. Opinion, by Network Computing editor in
chief Rob Preston.

5. HOW-TO: Land a Linux Job
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/17701043
Tips from recruiters and hiring managers to help you go from resume
to job.

6. EXPERT VIEWS: Linux's Biggest Problem? Neither Microsoft nor SCO
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/howto/17800204
Microsoft isn't Linux's biggest problem, and neither is SCO. Linux's
biggest problem is the perception that the Linux community is a
bunch of dreamers. A whole package of other assumptions goes along
with that perception: that Linux is anti-business, that the Linux
community doesn't care about profit and private property and that
members of the community don't have what it takes to succeed in the
real world.

7. HOW-TO: Figuring Out Where Linux Makes Sense In Your Organization
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=17601886
We sort through the areas where the OS excels and where you should
exercise caution in web services, instant messaging, application
servers, directory services, e-mail and databases.

8. REVIEW: SUSE 9.0: A Distro Worth Paying For
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/howto/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=17300224
SUSE 9 offers a superb printed manual, a great installation
interface, a modern KDE system in addition to the more standard,
older GNOME interface, and a new kernel build. It's easy to see why
Novell thought enough of the software to buy the company.

9. VOTING BOOTH: Is Desktop Linux 5-10 Years Out?
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/vote/desktop_1-27.jhtml
Is Linus Torvalds right that "it's going to take literally five to
10 years before 'normal users' start seeing" Linux emerge as a
serious contender on the desktop?

Read more Linux insight on the Linux Pipeline blog
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/trends/

10. DIG INTO DESKTOP APPLICATIONS IN PRODUCT FINDER
http://productfinder.linuxpipeline.com/index.cgi?search=Search&final_cat1=6&category=20&sub_cat=63

For other Product Finder product categories, browse or search the
database from its home page:
http://productfinder.linuxpipeline.com/

11. CHECK OUT THE LINUX PIPELINE TOPIC CENTERS

Core Linux:
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/corelinux/

Applications:
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/applications/

Enterprise Open Source:
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/enterprise/

Business:
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/business/

12. TELL A FRIEND
If you know a colleague or co-worker who might be interested in
signing up for this newsletter, please forward it to him or her
and point out the subscription page:

http://www.linuxpipeline.com/newsletter.jhtml

13. HAVE YOU DISCOVERED THE OTHER PIPELINES?
Linux Pipeline is one is a series of specialized IT sites you
might like. Here are seven others, and you can expect more in the
future:

Security Pipeline: http://www.securitypipeline.com/
Mobile Pipeline: http://www.mobilepipeline.com/
Storage Pipeline: http://www.storagepipeline.com/
Networking Pipeline: http://www.networkingpipeline.com/
Server Pipeline: http://www.serverpipeline.com/
Small Business Pipeline: http://www.smallbizpipeline.com/
IT Utility Pipeline: http://www.itutilitypipeline.com/

Every Pipeline site has its own newsletter. Give them a try.

------- Advertisement -------------------

-----------------------------------------

The Linux Pipeline Newsletter
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 CMP Media LLC
600 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY 11030
600 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY 11030