REALTIME IT NEWS
REALTIME IT NEWS
Newsletters Select newsletters below and click the button to sign up!
Internetnews BloggersRecent Entries
ArchivesMonthly ArchivesSearch The Blog
« Red Hat accuses Microsoft of patent FUD |
Sean Michael Kerner Blog
| Mozilla Firefox 3.5.3 patches a trio of critical vulns »
Microsoft's Linux Best Buy is great news From the 'Retail Competition' files:
Does it surprise anyone that Microsoft is allegedly helping to train BestBuy employees to sell Windows 7 against Linux? It shouldn't. A post on the overclock.net forum this week made by a self-described BestBuy employee includes a PowerPoint deck to help the retailer differentiate against Linux. This is a marvelous thing for Linux fans everywhere. It means that Microsoft takes the threat from Linux ON THE DESKTOP (BestBuy isn't really in the server biz is it?) very seriously. Microsoft has gone through the time and expense to educate its retail partners about the differences between operating systems which means that the question must be coming up. Consumers must be asking about Linux. Why else would Microsoft bother to spend the resources to differentiate their products? If Microsoft was truly the only choice available for consumer desktops there would be no need to say why they are better than Linux. That said can you actually buy Linux at BestBuy? A year ago you could buy Ubuntu Linux at BestBuy, though I'm not sure that is still the case today (if anyone has actually seen it on the shelf lately please do comment below). Bottom line though is that Windows is pre-loaded on 99 percent of the consumer PC hardware that BestBuy sells. Pre-loaded Linux at BestBuy is something that I don't think yet exists. For system builders, that's another story. Linux is a real and viable choice and a choice that can be had for no money down (though you can always pay for support later). Try that with Windows. 0 TrackBacksListed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Microsoft's Linux Best Buy is great news. TrackBack URL for this entry: https://swarm.jupitermedia.com/mt-tb.cgi/8880 3 CommentsLeave a comment |
||
Legal Notices, Licensing, Reprints, Permissions, Privacy Policy.
Advertise | Newsletters | Shopping | E-mail Offers | Freelance Jobs 
Digg
Del.icio.us
furl
StumbleUpon
BlinkList
Newsvine
Magnolia
Facebook
Tailrank
Slashdot
Technorati
Google
Bookmarks
Yahoo
Favorites
Windows
Live
Ask
I went into Best Buy looking for a netbook, with an SSD. They didn't have one, but tried to sell me one with a standard HD, and windows XP. I told them I was going to install PCLinuxOS 2009 on it, and the salesman told me that would be a much better choice than XP. He said XP would be very slow, but Linux should fly, and he was right. I found it at Fry's, and it is much faster than XP.
I am running Windows 7 Enterprise right now. I find it extremely fast and much better than Vista ever thought it could be. I did not learn that from Best Buy. I also go into Best Buy at least once a week to drool over hardware. That being said, once I am finished drooling, I go online and buy the hardware I need at a significant reduction in price. As for the Windows 7 Enterprise that I am running, it is on a Linux hosted Virtual Machine. Those who can be computer technicians are out in the field working, those who can't - work for Best Buy.
Microsoft had better take Linux seriously, if not, they will be in the defensive mode fast, especially if Windows 7 is a flop. Firefox is already taking the fight to them in the browser department, having a strong second place lead. I don't get it, how can a billionare corporation like Microsoft let a upstart company, mainly staffed by volunteers and funded mostly by donations, beat them in browser performance. Linux is mostly staffed and funded the same way. I think Microsoft is at least beginning to see that they have competition. And believe me, they have it. Mr. Gates made his fortune and left town while he still had it. He was the brains behind the corporation, and he knew that it was time to get out. I credit him for that. As for Microsoft, they haven't put out a decent OS since XP Pro, which I still have, along with Windows 2000 Pro. Both are simple to use. They were in the right direction. Now, they are slowly but surely headed in the same direction as Sears, Kmart, and other companies who lacked vision. For example, XP Pro: It sells for more than Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 Ultimate. Look on Amazon and eBay and see for yourself. Why did they stop making the product that carried them for at least 8 years, and still there are more XP than Vista users? If Windows 7 is anything like Vista, they are in deep trouble. Why fix what isn't broken? That is what's driving people to Linux. Perfection is expected of billionaire corporations. Upstarts like Mozilla and Linux are rising. That's why Microsoft is tutoring Best Buy what to say. They are AFRAID of them!