The Linux computing crowd smells blood and wants to make a run at Microsoft’s Vista operating system.
Coinciding with LinuxWorld, IBM, Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, Novell and Red Hat issued a joint statement promising “Microsoft free” desktops across the globe.
IBM, Ubuntu, Novell and Red Hat gang up on Vista | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com
We shall see what we shall see. If they’re wanting to rule the world on the strength of Lotus Notes I’ll say “lotsa-luck-with-that”. Unless of course their battle-bot comes equipped with machine guns and Lotus Notes. Should be fun to watch though.
Give it couple of days or so to see what Microsoft’s hyperbole machine can come up with as a counter.:rolleyes:
Microsoft To Counter Open Source With ‘Basic’ Software Line
The software vendor plans to develop versions of its products with “basic functionality” to be sold at lower prices than its standard offerings.
Microsoft’s strategy to counter open source products, are both priced at more than $100. Microsoft’s Equipt software subscription service, also cited by the spokesperson, sells for $69 per year.
Microsoft To Counter Open Source With ‘Basic’ Software Line – Microsoft – InformationWeek
I hope nobody is heaping on expectations of a “dream team” or a “perfect storm” because even with this mega-group there is still a lot of work to do but I think this may be Linux’s best chance at making some strides and breaking Micrsoft’s grip some.
One great aspect is that it’s all 3 top linux distros because each one has a different target market and their own strengths and weaknesses.
Personally, I’ve been saying to people here that openSUSE w/KDE 3.5 with stability, features and polish feels like a full contender to Windows and OS X.
Here’s IBM’s press release:
IBM, Canonical/Ubuntu, Novell, Red Hat to Deliver Microsoft-Free Desktops Worldwide
Product info: IBM open collaboration client solution
Note that this isn’t anything particularly new for Novell. The news here is that Red Hat and Canonical are joining the party. Here’s the press release from last year:
IBM and Novell Help PC Users Collaborate, Save Money and Avoid Vendor Lock-In
To help businesses avoid the high costs of over reliance on a single vendor, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an integrated open collaboration client for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from Novell. The announcement was made at the opening of LinuxWorld in San Francisco.
And here’s the link to the product:
IBM open collaboration client solution powered by SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell
The new bits for Novell this year were:
The Linux World Builds SMB Market Opportunity With Software Appliances From Lotus Foundations and ISVs
The new developments include a preconfigured version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 from Novell in Lotus Foundations and a toolkit that opens new opportunities for Domino software vendors (ISVs) to deliver their applications on a software appliance to the smallest businesses.
IBM Announces New Products and Initiatives to Enable Next-Generation Linux
IBM is building on its support for real-time Linux, adding support for Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time Linux with select IBM BladeCenter servers, and with WebSphere Real Time, which extends the business benefits of Java to time-critical applications.
Is this also a wake-up call for Sun whose proprietary attitude to OpenOffice is upsetting some people associated with Novell?
Isn’t Symphony based on OpenOffice.org and was a fork of it until recently when IBM started trying to bring it back into the OpenOffice.org folds (in order to get more developer share)?
Having to use Notes in Windows is bad. Having to use Notes in linux is just a kick in the cajones. I hate Notes. Notes has contributed to Outlook/Exchange domination, just by it’s awfulness.
I even tried Notes in linux, back when we were still using it. The documentation told me it required a hardset dpi of 92. That part lost me. And the loading time was, well, painful. And then it mostly crashed.
We’re on Exchange now at work, so I no longer have to deal with Notes. But linux-advocate that I am, I’m not even going to try and deal with Symphony. A java-based application utilizing openOffice 1.x code for document compatibility holds little appeal. I realize IBM is trying to extend their investment in Eclipse to become a cross-platform application framework, but seriously. Just go Qt and be done with it.
I find it interesting that IBM is embracing Ubuntu, though. Their linux distro strategy now seems to now consist of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks… 
Just my 2c…
Cheers,
KV
what can I say…? You are SO right 
Domino is the nailgun to my coffin.
Uwe
Lol… well, it’s a good thing that they (meaning the big 3 distros) are showing a joint effort in such a project.
I hope they like it so much they continue doing so with other initiatives!
Cheers,
Wj
On 08/07/2008 Magic31 wrote:
> Lol… well, it’s a good thing that they (meaning the big 3 distros)
> are showing a joint effort in such a project.
I’d love to see a vendor bundling his hardware with Opensuse. SLED just doesn’t cut it.
Uwe
No Symphony is actually the name of Lotus’ original attempt at an Office suite from the 1980s and IBM is using it for the combination of Lotus (spreadsheet), Lotus Words (formally Samni Ami wordprocessor), Lotus Notes (IBM’s own office integration software) and ? possibly ? Lotus Approach (database).
It now uses the OASIS file formats as default but otherwise it has no connection with OpenOffice.
The problem with SLED, imo, is mainly that it’s age is showing (e.g. DE & software getting out of date) Let’s see how SLED 11 comes out of the package
On 08/07/2008 Magic31 wrote:
> The problem with SLED, imo, is mainly that it’s age is showing (e.g.
> DE & software getting out of date) Let’s see how SLED 11 comes out of
> the package 
It will grow old, too
Personally I like the Ubuntu approach: Make one release a long term support version.
Uwe
How does that differ with Novell’s approach using SP’s to bring certain bits to date.
Ubuntu’s LTS also has ‘older’ versions of software included?! True it cycles slightly quicker but I always had the impression it was a similar scheme with a distro version for stable (LTS) & another for cutting edge - SLED / openSUSE similarity?
Uwe Buckesfeld wrote:
> On 08/07/2008 Magic31 wrote:
>> The problem with SLED, imo, is mainly that it’s age is showing (e.g.
>> DE & software getting out of date) Let’s see how SLED 11 comes out of
>> the package
>
> It will grow old, too
> Personally I like the Ubuntu approach: Make one release a long term
> support version.
> Uwe
Isn’t that the idea behind SLED?
On 08/07/2008 69_rs_ss wrote:
> Isn’t that the idea behind SLED?
Nope, SLED is based on a certain Opensuse code base, that’s all.
Uwe
On 08/07/2008 Magic31 wrote:
> How does that differ with Novell’s approach using SP’s to bring
> certain bits to date.
You can update an Ubuntu LTS version with software from the regular online repositories, and you can update it to the next version (losing long term support, of course). This leverages the community effort; people aren’t extremely eager packaging stuff for SLED.
> Ubuntu’s LTS also has ‘older’ versions of
> software included?! True it’s cycles slightly quicker but I always
> had the impression it was a similar scheme with a distro version for
> stable (LTS) & another for cutting edge - SLED / openSUSE similarity?
No, it’s just one version of Ubuntu and they try to do better and deeper tests during the Beta for LTS versions. You can get Canonical support for all Ubuntu versions, that’s another big difference.
Uwe
Maybe SLED and SLES needs a 3rd version, SLCE (suse linux consumer edition) which aligns with openSUSE on a more 1:1 basis.
SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server) understandably tweaked for stability with the focus on server related materials. Carries service subscription.
SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) understandably being focused on desktops for enterprises so it will be focused on stability and manageability over “cutting edge”. Also carries a service subscription.
SLCE (SUSE Linux Consumer Edition) would have the stability of SUSE(openSUSE) but would include such things as more up-to-date software, ease of use and much-wanted multimedia support (pay the licenses).
Even if only on pre-installed systems, when you pay for the hardware as small portion goes to paying the codecs licensing. This way you don’t have to do anything “grey area” to legally play audio/video files.
Or Novell can sell boxes of DVDs, with the cost covering packaging AND the necessary codecs/binaries license fees in an add-on CD.
I wonder if that would then get more software vendors on board because the vendor would be protected via the binary and they don’t have to make somebody go and install anything to get the same out-of-the-box experience they do with other OSs, could include Acrobat, Flash, etc.
Valid point
people aren’t extremely eager packaging stuff for SLED.
Well, that’s where OBS (build service) comes in. I can find many packages suitable for SLED & getting multimedia and other related add-ons without much pain.
No, it’s just one version of Ubuntu and they try to do better and deeper tests during the Beta for LTS versions. You can get Canonical support for all Ubuntu versions, that’s another big difference.
Well, there is a fine line as Novell also supports the openSUSE side of things fixing bugs and putting much needed effort in…
So I think this is more a different shade of gray.
Dragonbite’s suggestion doesn’t sound bad though! & seems to line up with your pitch.
Might not a bad idea! 
Cheers,
Wj