Re: [cobalt-developers] nice knowing you all!

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dennis wrote:

> Can you spell "B S D"?

Can spell it.  Can even use it <smile>.

> In counterpoint, they could have used another "free OS" without the
> restrictive GPL license (BSD comes to mind) and built an application driven
> appliance rather than trying to generically support LINUX on their box.

I'm guessing now, but I don't think they started out supporting Linux on
the Cobalt line; I think that's just (recently) happened.  Now they see
it as a market, for better or worse.  And that could (and may very well)
change under Sun's umbrella.

> Their boxes are nothing special (slow and expensive compared to a 1U PC
> alternative), and they are consumed dealing with all of the pitfalls of
> linux, keeping up with seemingly daily changes that have little to do with
> their product, and dealing with thousands of penguinites who demand
> unending support for free...

That many?  I disagree.  I think most people who buy the box buy it as
an appliance.

> Supporting Linux proper is a nightmare, and Im sure that a very small
> percentage of sales are to people who care...mainwhile the small pct of
> those that do are eating their lunch in support time.

May very well be true.  I won't disagree.  But I don't think that was
their intent.  And I expect it to change under Sun; I think support will
become strictly a profit center.

> Without the "hype", no commercial vendor would use linux, because its not
> as good as BSD (an opinion shared by most people with substantial
> experience with both) and its license is not friendly to commercial vendors.

On this I probably agree with you.  But again, I am unix-aware; I've
been using it since MS-Xenix ran on a TRS-80 Model II.  And I really
didn't care what was in the box, only that I could get it running
quickly.

While my personal experience over the last few years has been more with
Linux, I'm using BSDi, and FreeBSD as well (and even NT and Win2K
Advanced Server).

> Kind of like Steve Madden shoes. They're ugly, uncomfortable and cool to own.

Not to me <smile>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
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