I visited the Ubuntu website, and I couldn't help noticing that they charge no extra fee for their enterprise edition. After checking out their downloads page, I found that they only have one type of their current version, instead of distinguishing between an enterprise and a home version. I cannot help thinking that this is bloody brilliant, and actually saves their people a lot of work. After all, they're not having to cripple the better version so that they can make a home user's version, and that allows their programmers as well as the independent contributors to the Ubuntu projects to focus on more important things, like making it a better operating system. I also admire the decentralized approach to the decision-making, as I feel this affords them a much greater level of flexibility than might otherwise exist. I am somewhat concerned about their long-term viability since they do not charge for their software, and instead rely on donations and sales from their shop. They even sell a Ubuntu thong, though I think it may be best if I not go there. However, this concern has been ameliorated by news I just read on ZDNet about Sun Microsystem's interest in shipping their servers with the upcoming "Dapper Drake" release of Ubuntu, a move that could very easily prove beneficial for both organizations and communities.
I've seen some mockery of Ubuntu over the delay in their release of the "Dapper Drake" version; however, I find this puzzling since the release date has only been delayed 6 weeks, and they have otherwise been very good at sticking to their schedule of a new major release every 6 months. Compare this to other Linuxes, Mac OS X, or Windows. What are the current figures of the delays that Vista will face? How long has it been since XP? What are the current reviews of the Vista betas that are out there? Like I said before, I'm not a computer geek, just someone who knows how to track trends, and I feel these trends are compelling and bear watching. But that's just my tuppence.
1 comment:
YOU aren't the nerd, dork, geek, whatever. I think I must be, because I understood very little of this post or your previous one.... heh! I admire people who have the interest and the intellect to become technologically advanced citizens. I say, good job, MC!
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