Linux

Ok I am not a huge Linux buff or anything like that...I like what it offers but I understand and use a lot more on Microsoft than Linux. But here lately I have been testing Red Hat 9 and have grown to love it. I like the GUI for Linux and I like that I can customize it and make it what I want. One of my biggest complaints about Windows is the fact that you have to go thru a ton, or install a bunch of software to make everything do what you want it to do. With Linux out of the box you can configure the darn thing the way you like it. But a couple of things are happening or are going to happen in the near future that are going to make my use of Linux go up so I thought I would list them.

1) The Mozilla Corp. keeps on putting out a just flat out better web browser and email client than anything Microsoft offers, PERIOD! Some nut is going to say, "ooo IE 7 is so great and IE Vista is going to be even better." Well I am testing Vista and have IE Vista on it and I am not impressed...It is clunky and hard to get around to say the least in my opinion. Firefox is just flat out better. I don't use IE unless I absolutly have to and the only thing I have hit that I can't do to this post is adminstrate my companies Call Mananging system. THAT IS IT!!!

2) IBM and SUN. This partner ship means big things for Linux because both companies are rock solid and make great products. The Lotus Suite soon to be out, code named Hannover, will be running on Linux for the client and the server already runs on Linux. And now with the inclusion of an office suite built in to Lotus Notes using the open document format means a revolution is coming for Office Products. Now I will give Microsoft props here because I am testing Office 2K7 and it is really sweet. The GUI is eye candy and it is very good at what it does. But lets face it....OpenOffice.org v2 will do 95% of what MS Office will do and OpenOffice is FREE. Will since IBM will be including an Open Document format in Notes and OpenOffice is free I can see some companies who have been Microsoft locks on the office suite considering a move to OpenOffice which in its self is a BIG thing.

3)Finally GOOGLE! This company is the lovable company for IT people around the world in my book. They do alot of thing REALLY well and the things they don't they have bought. Let us take for the example Picasa. It was a great little photo program that google bought and Googlfied it. Now they are coming out with a Linux version of this program. I have heard, not 100% on this, but google does not use the microsoft os and that the majority of things they write and produce are going to be able to be used on LINUX because that are pushing for completly web based services. This will push the envolop for Microsoft.

Don't get me wrong Microsoft does some good things and they do some not so good things. On a whole MS is the best product for basic ad beginner computer users but as more people enter in to the life of computers they are going to want more flexiblity in what they do thus MS will not prosper in this type of world because they are very closed off. They want you to do it their way or no way. GO LINUX!!!!!!!