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posted by martyb on Friday June 30 2017, @10:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the thank-you-captain-obvious dept.

Bryan Lunduke at Network World calls out what other mainstream media have been too timid, or bought out, to call out. He starts by pointing out that choosing Microsoft Windows for your organization should get you fired and that if you haven't already replaced Windows, across the board, you absolutely stink at your job.

There. Finally the topic is broached in mainstream media and a proper discussion can now start among decision makers who can arrange complete migrations to GNU/Linux, Chrome/Linux, one of the BSDs, or a combination of them.

As Microsoft security problems continue to escalate since even the pre-networked, MS-DOS days, managers and front-line grunts will find themselves increasingly culpable for selecting unviable software, such as Microsoft Windows. If they wish to pay big bucks for maintenance, there are plenty of companies around to participate in the money. Canonical, Red Hat, M:Tier are just a sampling.

[Ed. Note: I debated whether or not to run this story — in some respects it's just the Windows vs *nix argument all over again. Also, there are proprietary programs which are critical for certain industries which currently only run on Windows. On the other hand, gaining a mention like this in the more mainstream media, does that mean we are approaching an inflection point? Witness the increased displeasure with Windows 10's telemetry and the difficulty in completely blocking it. What programs do you use that are only available on Windows? What keeps you from moving to another OS? --martyb]


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  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 30 2017, @10:29AM (50 children)

    by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 30 2017, @10:29AM (#533365) Journal

    Just some additional info on the subject:
    German town Gummersbach says It has completed its switch to FOSS [soylentnews.org] (2014-10-09)
    German town Munich Reveals Preliminary Costs for a 'Return' to Windows [soylentnews.org] (2014-10-16)
    Turin, Italy plans to be all-FOSS by March 2016 [soylentnews.org] (2014-08-13)
    French Yvelines school completes switch to free software [soylentnews.org] (2016-04-25)

    So what are the obstacles in your face when trying to go FOSS ?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by Webweasel on Friday June 30 2017, @11:35AM (12 children)

    by Webweasel (567) on Friday June 30 2017, @11:35AM (#533376) Homepage Journal

    I'm a gamer, so DirectX keeps me on Windows.

    --
    Priyom.org Number stations, Russian Military radio. "You are a bad, bad man. Do you have any other virtues?"-Runaway1956
    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 30 2017, @11:44AM (2 children)

      by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 30 2017, @11:44AM (#533379) Journal

      What about SteamOS?
      OpenGL?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:57PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:57PM (#533585)

        I really hope it turns the big publishers' heads.

        All I use my Windows 8.1 install for is video games. I have updates turned off, and if it gets pwn3d, I just wipe and install again.

        The hundreds (thousands?) of games currently available for Linux on Steam are great and all. However, nobody I know is playing any of them at the moment. There's an MMORPG I use an English translation patch to play at the moment. Skyrim and Fallout 4 were both really good. I'm hoping to enjoy the Monster Hunter game coming to PC next year. All Windows-only.

        I can play Civ 4 with WINE under Linux. It runs four times as slowly as on Windows, which makes Caveman2Cosmos unplayable on the biggest maps. It can handle BtS with WINE decently.

        Star Citizen is the only game I'm interested in that might have a Linux release. (Assuming it has any release, lol.)

        I hope that changes. I really do. I am constantly irritated with dual-booting, but what else would I do?

        (Heaven forbid, I could read a book instead of playing video games! I assure you, that option is not on the table.)

        • (Score: 1) by jrial on Monday July 03 2017, @11:52PM

          by jrial (5162) on Monday July 03 2017, @11:52PM (#534612)

          I was in your situation back in the early 2000's, when I got fed up with dual booting and finally switched full-time to Linux. Didn't even have a console to get my gaming fix, so gaming for me became the occasional game that got a Linux release (the Quake games, Prey, and that was pretty much it).

          Now, with Steam, I have like, I don't know, 250 games or thereabouts in my collection. Most of them unplayed. Sure, they're mostly Indie stuff rather than AAA titles (Tomb Raider 2013 being the exception to the rule). Then again, as I've grown a bit older, I have come to appreciate the indie gaming scene a lot more than the constant rehashes the big studios keep pumping out.

          YMMV, and I'm not criticising your choices nor your taste in games. Just saying that for me, the gaming scene on Linux is pretty much more than what I need. But yes, sometimes this gem comes around that you would really love to play, but that just won't get a Linux port, so it's far from perfect yet.

          --
          Install windows on my workstation? You crazy? Got any idea how much I paid for the damn thing?
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by CoolHand on Friday June 30 2017, @11:51AM (2 children)

      by CoolHand (438) on Friday June 30 2017, @11:51AM (#533382) Journal
      hmmm... I have about 500 games on my homemade Steam Machine with SteamOS.. So, if you're not too picky of a gamer, there is a lot out there not holding to Windows. Once, I became an adult, I broke the cycle of having to have the newest fanciest game all time. I figured out its a lot cheaper on both hardware and software to have patience and wait a couple years to play games after they come out. Plus, I've learned to be happy with what I have on my platform of choice. About the only Windows game I play is Skyrim, and I play it through wine just fine..
      --
      Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by lx on Friday June 30 2017, @01:42PM (1 child)

        by lx (1915) on Friday June 30 2017, @01:42PM (#533421)

        Is this you? [xkcd.com]

        I shouldn't talk really. I still play (emulated) C64 games on a regular basis.

        • (Score: 2) by CoolHand on Tuesday July 11 2017, @12:42PM

          by CoolHand (438) on Tuesday July 11 2017, @12:42PM (#537561) Journal
          Yeah, thats pretty close to me.. :D except on a 2-3 year lag usually instead of 5...
          --
          Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @12:51PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @12:51PM (#533399)

      first, directX do not exist anymore... people still call it, but you only have direct3D, the other parts where replaced long ago

      now, many games are already released to linux, others being ported. If you do not have your game ported to linux, nag the producer/developer about it and point then to feral, aspyr, VP or even crossover to do the port

      Finally, many games do run well in wine, direct3d 11 is being added to wine and several of then already work. dx9 games mostly works and if you have a amd card, you can even use the "native" linux direct3d implementation, gallium nine over a patched wine.

      Of course, better yet is to drop games that do not support linux and start using games that support linux... there are many good games out there that can give the same joy and fun times

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:50PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:50PM (#533582)

        I miss fighting games which are almost non-existant on Linux…

    • (Score: 2) by pendorbound on Friday June 30 2017, @02:15PM (2 children)

      by pendorbound (2688) on Friday June 30 2017, @02:15PM (#533445) Homepage

      Dual boot. Play your games in the toy operating system, use something more secure for everything else.

      • (Score: 2) by Geezer on Friday June 30 2017, @03:29PM (1 child)

        by Geezer (511) on Friday June 30 2017, @03:29PM (#533495)

        Bingo! I couldn't agree more. I have a bare-bones Win7 Pro install with ports and hosts locked down like a nun's twat for certain non-Steamable games. Systemd-free Slackware for everything else. Life is good.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @06:01PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @06:01PM (#533589)

          I really like Windows 8.1's start "menu" for what I use it for: games. It makes a really convenient UI for selecting which game I want to launch.

          I couldn't imagine doing any real work with Windows 8.1, though. Makes a good OS for an arcade cabinet, especially with a touchscreen.

    • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday June 30 2017, @09:48PM

      Not for long it doesn't. Quite a lot of the bigger game makers are getting wood over Vulkan. I really don't expect to see many DX games going forward that aren't in some way financially tied to Microsoft.

      --
      My rights don't end where your fear begins.
  • (Score: 1) by ewk on Friday June 30 2017, @11:50AM (25 children)

    by ewk (5923) on Friday June 30 2017, @11:50AM (#533381)

    The wife and MS Office... :-)
    Only when LibreOffice or one of its cousins is 'layout-and-button-compatible' with MS Office (whatever version She is using at them moment), there will be a minimal chance in going FOSS in 'Casa EWK' :-)

    --
    I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 30 2017, @12:30PM (5 children)

      by kaszz (4211) on Friday June 30 2017, @12:30PM (#533393) Journal

      Update wife to LibreOffice?

      • (Score: 1) by ewk on Friday June 30 2017, @12:39PM (4 children)

        by ewk (5923) on Friday June 30 2017, @12:39PM (#533396)

        Maybe I did not explain it well enough... 'the wife and MS Office' has to be seen as one, indivisible unit :-)

        --
        I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
        • (Score: 3, Touché) by deimtee on Friday June 30 2017, @01:04PM (3 children)

          by deimtee (3272) on Friday June 30 2017, @01:04PM (#533403) Journal

          Update to Wife 2,0 ?

          --
          If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @01:19PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @01:19PM (#533408)

            2.0 sounds like your IQ

          • (Score: 1) by ewk on Friday June 30 2017, @01:39PM (1 child)

            by ewk (5923) on Friday June 30 2017, @01:39PM (#533419)

            Due to the lack of certainty regarding non-MS Office-compliance not an option I am willing to consider (at the moment :-) )

            --
            I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
            • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:07PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @05:07PM (#533557)

              The next Libreoffice convention [documentfoundation.org] is in October in Rome. Bring your A game.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @01:22PM (10 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @01:22PM (#533410)

      This.

      When I compiled our stats (league-wide girls' softball) using LibreOffice and saving to xlsx format, no one else could read them.

      • (Score: 1, Disagree) by Runaway1956 on Friday June 30 2017, @02:28PM (9 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 30 2017, @02:28PM (#533456) Journal

        So - you saved to the wrong format. Don't blame that on Libreoffice. I guess it's not terribly dumb to save to the wrong format a time or two. Hell, I've done it. But, if you're smart enough to post here, you're smart enough to master the learning curve. Next time, save to a format that you're sure everyone can read. PDF works good.

        https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/28031/what-formats-does-the-libre-office-41-support/ [libreoffice.org]

        • (Score: 1) by insanumingenium on Friday June 30 2017, @03:35PM (8 children)

          by insanumingenium (4824) on Friday June 30 2017, @03:35PM (#533497) Journal

          You trollin?

          PDF is a display format, the answer to file format compatibility isn't to use a display format.

          Seriously, do you also recommend that people should only do crosswords in ink because the ink is easier to read than pencil?

          • (Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday June 30 2017, @03:45PM

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 30 2017, @03:45PM (#533504) Journal

            Just tossed PDF out there to see who was paying attention, really.

          • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday June 30 2017, @07:14PM (2 children)

            by tangomargarine (667) on Friday June 30 2017, @07:14PM (#533630)

            Do these people need the ability to edit the file? If not, nothing is wrong with PDF.

            Otherwise saving to old-school .xls instead of .xlsx probably would've worked fine as long as you aren't using any of the new whiz-bang shiny features that I seriously doubt would be necessary for a table of straight-up numbers. Hell, MS Office even claims to support .ods these days, although I haven't tried that.

            --
            "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
            • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday June 30 2017, @09:58PM (1 child)

              Do these people need the ability to edit the file? If not, nothing is wrong with PDF.

              There is always something wrong with PDF. Any document I cannot edit and control the layout of pisses me off.

              --
              My rights don't end where your fear begins.
              • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @10:33PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @10:33PM (#533742)

                > Any document I cannot edit and control the layout of pisses me off.

                It's just for people like you that we deliver our engineering reports in pdf format! If you want the report to look different or say something else, go do the work and write your own damn report, don't mess with what we wrote.

          • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @07:31PM (3 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @07:31PM (#533638)

            I have never understood the need to use an editable format to distribute documents to be read.

            In fact, it seems counterintuitive.

            -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday June 30 2017, @10:00PM (2 children)

              I knew you had some sick views but this one takes the cake. Now especially, you have no clue what screen size, resolution, or glasses prescription the person reading your document is using. Making a one-size-fits-none document is an epic dick move.

              --
              My rights don't end where your fear begins.
              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @02:17AM

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @02:17AM (#533797)

                Reader gives you plenty of accessibility options.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:26AM

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:26AM (#533809)

                Ever hear of HTML?
                I can't think of of a device/OS that doesn't come with an app that will render that stuff.
                Make the window as narrow as you want and it will adjust the presentation.

                -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by number6x on Friday June 30 2017, @02:04PM (5 children)

      by number6x (903) on Friday June 30 2017, @02:04PM (#533437)

      If a new version of MS office comes out, and all the buttons, ribbons and everything else work differently, does she have the same reaction?

      Switching from MS Office to Libre Office is no more work than switching from one version of MS Office to another.

      • (Score: 1) by ewk on Friday June 30 2017, @02:20PM (3 children)

        by ewk (5923) on Friday June 30 2017, @02:20PM (#533448)

        "If a new version of MS office comes out, and all the buttons, ribbons and everything else work differently, does she have the same reaction?"

        No, somehow that seems to be no problem... Because it's still MS Office.
        I don't even try to understand it anymore. :-) But, probably because of the various office jobs she had, those different version she worked with are 'close enough' to not cause any problems.
        Which can be said for 99% of the users of MS Office... they only use about 10% of the functionality.

        "Switching from MS Office to Libre Office is no more work than switching from one version of MS Office to another. "

        You know that, I know that...

        --
        I don't always react, but when I do, I do it on SoylentNews
        • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday June 30 2017, @10:02PM (2 children)

          Go full on OSS geek on her and change the branding in the LibreOffice source next time MS updates Office. Then start a pool on how long it takes her to figure out she's not using a MS product.

          --
          My rights don't end where your fear begins.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @09:05AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 01 2017, @09:05AM (#533859)

            The first time she opens a Word doc.
            Libreoffice works okay for most of its goals. The one part where it fails hard is compatability with Microsoft's office suite. It's not that you cannot open files, the problem is that they don't look like how they were intended (both MSOffice -> LO and LO -> MSOffice). Kind of a death sentence for a WYSIWYG editor.

            This doesn't matter if you don't need to open the"other side"'s documents. Otherwise, why risk a switch?
            Why put in effort to get worse interaction with (basically) the rest of the world?

          • (Score: 3, Funny) by Joe Desertrat on Sunday July 02 2017, @12:44PM

            by Joe Desertrat (2454) on Sunday July 02 2017, @12:44PM (#534151)

            Go full on OSS geek on her and change the branding in the LibreOffice source next time MS updates Office. Then start a pool on how long it takes her to figure out she's not using a MS product.

            I was thinking something along similar lines, not nearly as deep though. I had a user that refused to switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox, despite a directive from corporate for everyone to do so. I simply changed the Firefox desktop icon on his PC from the Firefox standard to the big blue E. Next time I checked he was using Firefox and I never heard a complaint about it.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @07:34PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @07:34PM (#533639)

        Only Able to Use Windows? You're Fired [soylentnews.org]

        I really have to wonder about people with adaptability levels that are this low.

        -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @02:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 30 2017, @02:22PM (#533449)

      Funny thing is that MS Office isn't button and layout compatible with MS Office.

      We are a lot of people who still cannot find our way around the stupid ribbon.

    • (Score: 1) by noneof_theabove on Friday June 30 2017, @03:58PM

      by noneof_theabove (6189) on Friday June 30 2017, @03:58PM (#533517)

      Evidently you & wife1.0 live under a big flat rock just above the bedrock [alludes to Flintstones].
      An exact replica of the POS Ribbon Bar is an instant law suit.
      And finally do your homework - LibreOffice has a Ribbon Bar called the Notebookbar.
      It not bad if your are addicted to getting less screen real estate with play-school eye candy. [learn all the shorts cut keys and how to manipulate them]
      Duck it [screw google] for enable notebookbar [also called Ribbon Interface].
      From howtogeek.com
      1) open tools > options
      2) goto LibreOffice > Advanced Section
      3) Check “Enable experimental features (may be unstable)” then click “OK.”
      4) Restart LibreOffice
      5) On Menu Bar click View > Toolbar Layout > Notebookbar
      6) this can be toggled at will.

      I have not been on MS Office since OpenOffice 0.6
      The only reason for using MSO is high level commands in Spreadsheets, that Libre has more functions but not the "rocket science" ones [did I hear a legal snake grumbling]

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by mcgrew on Friday June 30 2017, @03:52PM (10 children)

    by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Friday June 30 2017, @03:52PM (#533511) Homepage Journal

    "I refuse to do business with anyone who treats me badly." -Sterling Ball, CEO of the Ernie Ball guitar string company. [cnet.com] Best strings made!

    Same reason I won't shop anywhere that cards me for beer (I'm sixty five, if you can't tell I'm old enough you're just making fun of me. Stop it!).

    --
    mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
    • (Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday June 30 2017, @08:56PM (1 child)

      by jmorris (4844) on Friday June 30 2017, @08:56PM (#533688)

      Most places the law now says they have to card everyone. Allow discretion and somebody abuses it so "zero tolerance" is mandated. I'm a real "UNIX Graybeard" and I often get carded at Walmart buying a can of spray paint or an R rated BluRay. They usually apologize for the lunacy of it. At least they aren't scanning it yet. I hear some places do, why do you think every ID has a magstripe and a 2D barcode?

    • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Friday June 30 2017, @09:29PM (2 children)

      by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Friday June 30 2017, @09:29PM (#533707) Journal

      As JMorris pointed out some states just require you to not sell to minors, other states require you to check for ID. The cost of a liquor license in some places is such that it is foolish to do anything but blanket check everyone. I've worked the door at many a bar or live show and some owners mandate a check of everyone, and I just apologize to the greybeards and remind them of the 'old' days when they were young enough to warrant such a check. Besides if flashing your ID is such a hassle perhaps you should just stay home anyways.

      More on topic I see no reason to NOT use a M$ desktop if you want to, though why most people would is beyond me, but using anything but a *nix firewall seems tremendously stupid to me.

      --
      For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
      • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:35PM (1 child)

        by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:35PM (#533922) Homepage Journal

        No, I simply stay away from stores like WalMart and County Market that are dumb enough to be disrespectful to their paying customers. If it were the law in Illinois I'd be writing nasty letters to my elected reps.

        --
        mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
        • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Monday July 03 2017, @06:41PM

          by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Monday July 03 2017, @06:41PM (#534533) Journal

          Here in AZ you are required to check ID for tobacco sales but not for alcohol. Stupid I know but that is the law and no matter how many nasty letters you write to your reps it is a moot point if they can't read.

          --
          For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
    • (Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Saturday July 01 2017, @12:39AM (4 children)

      by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Saturday July 01 2017, @12:39AM (#533774)

      "I refuse to do business with anyone who treats me badly." -Sterling Ball, CEO of the Ernie Ball guitar string company...

      As I've said before, this is why buying microsoft WILL get you fired in my (as in I own it) business.

      Same reason I won't shop anywhere that cards me for beer (I'm sixty five, if you can't tell I'm old enough you're just making fun of me. Stop it!).

      Some palces here have to check and they often have a sign displayed which explains, apologises and suggests you take it as a compliment :)

      --
      It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
      • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:33PM (3 children)

        by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Saturday July 01 2017, @03:33PM (#533919) Homepage Journal

        Some palces here have to check and they often have a sign displayed which explains, apologises and suggests you take it as a compliment :)

        It's a compliment at 30, an insult at twice that age. It's almost never the clerk's fault, so I always tell them to tell their idiotic managers that their stupidity cost them a customer. If they're checking geezers' IDs they should offer a senior discount so it's to make sure you're over whatever age the discount kicks in. Then it truly would be a compliment.

        That wording of the sign you mention sounds like something Trump would write.

        --
        mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
        • (Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Sunday July 02 2017, @03:02AM (1 child)

          by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Sunday July 02 2017, @03:02AM (#534061)

          ...If they're checking geezers' IDs they should offer a senior discount so it's to make sure you're over whatever age the discount kicks in...

          Not trolling but asking - is there a Senior's Card or equivalent in the US for exactly that reason?

          --
          It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
        • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Monday July 03 2017, @06:46PM

          by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Monday July 03 2017, @06:46PM (#534536) Journal

          Everywhere in AZ offers senior and/or military discounts. Half the state is made up of retired snowbirds, and more than 75% of the state is federal land.

          --
          For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge