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Fedz
June 22nd, 2008, 09:02 PM
Source: Microsoft Free - One year later. (http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/eai/madgreek/archives/microsoft-free-one-year-later-25078)

Not Sure if this has been posted before but, I found it extremely interesting.

About this guy that went M$ free for a year (even at work).

Note the point the guy who works in an office with 1000+ Window$ users and he is the only Linux/Ubuntu ...etc. user - he encountered no problems :-D


With this "Microsoft free" laptop I have coexisted with 1000+ employees who use XP and various versions of Office including 2007 (the 2007 compatibility add-on works fine). I also delivered presentations at conferences using Open Office Impress and travelled across the country and internationally with no issues with wireless connectivity.

I am not in any camps. I use XP and Linux at home and like both. I gave Outlook the boot years ago at home and do just fine with Thunderbird. It has every feature I need. I do however have problems with Vista. But my message here is not about recommending what tools that my readers should use. My message is that I performed at a high level at work while using Linux, Open Office, and other open source products. These tools did not hinder my ability to do my job and did not impact anyone else at my job. I was able to productively coexist with no Microsoft tools in a Microsoft shop. That is all I am trying to say.

The full post (posted above) is a fantastic 'must read' and may help many nervously considering moving to Linux/Ubuntu ... etc. from Window$ :-)

bufsabre666
June 22nd, 2008, 09:09 PM
cant we as a community move past the dollar signs? i get it, they like money, theyre a corporation, so the object of the game is to make money, i like money too so now just call me buf$abre666 now

Fedz
June 22nd, 2008, 09:18 PM
cant we as a community move past the dollar signs? i get it, they like money, theyre a corporation, so the object of the game is to make money, i like money too so now just call me buf$abre666 now
Hi buf$abre666 :-)

It's a habit I've had for many a year (even as a Windows only user) - not sure about any medication to kick the habit ;-)

days_of_ruin
June 22nd, 2008, 10:48 PM
Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Wi nblow$Winblow$Winblow$
Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Winblow$Wi nblow$Winblow$Winblow$
:lolflag:

steveneddy
June 22nd, 2008, 10:54 PM
I frequently use my Ubuntu laptop in daily business in Microsoft dominated environments, and have had no issues so far.

I have been Microsoft free for over three years now.

Don't look back. I never did.

phaed
June 23rd, 2008, 04:04 AM
I saw that posted on Digg a few weeks ago. Read the previous articles. The whole story is kind of interesting.

I have been Microsoft free for over 3 years.

-grubby
June 23rd, 2008, 04:36 AM
cant We As A Community Move Past The Dollar Signs? I Get It, They Like Money, Theyre A Corporation, So The Object Of The Game Is To Make Money, I Like Money Too So Now Just Call Me Buf$abre666 Now

+1

Methuselah
June 23rd, 2008, 05:54 AM
Why do the dollar signs bother people.
I don't get it.

Anyway, good articles.

aysiu
June 23rd, 2008, 06:02 AM
Why do the dollar signs bother people.
I don't get it.

Anyway, good articles.
The dollar signs are unprofessional and long past being original or clever.

bufsabre666
June 23rd, 2008, 06:08 AM
Why do the dollar signs bother people.
I don't get it.

Anyway, good articles.

cause it is in no way constructive criticism, saying this is a problem and heres why is good but just saying 'winblow$ sucks' doesnt provide any articles to support a point, it just makes you look like a 10 year old tool, thats something children do, and honestly its a big turn off to alot of people used to microsoft who might try linux. we need to all grow up and learn how to do a proper criticism, but putting the dollar signs there ontop of it is just ignorant, thats like saying youre bad cause you have lots of money, cause if thats the truth someone call mark $huttleworth

lisati
June 23rd, 2008, 06:22 AM
Why do the dollar signs bother people.
I don't get it.

Anyway, good articles.
It's a bit like what $p@mmer$ d0 2 confu$e $p@m filter$.......

+1 for the "good articles.

undertakingyou
June 23rd, 2008, 06:27 AM
The dollar signs asside, I have ubuntu on my laptop and I do windows server sysadmin at work. I get by just fine. The cool thing about this article is that it shows that you can if you wish get on just fine using free and open source software.

Methuselah
June 23rd, 2008, 06:31 AM
I don't think dollar signs are a big deal.
I think people look for things to make taboo.
I mean, who came up with the idea that you can't point with your middle finger. :D

M$ probably sums up microsoft's raison d'etre quite succinctly and points to why it is fundamentally inimical to the free open source community.

Eisenwinter
June 23rd, 2008, 06:31 AM
It's a bit like what $p@mmer$ d0 2 confu$e $p@m filter$.......

+1 for the "good articles.
:lolflag:

And it indeed was a great article.

bigbrovar
June 23rd, 2008, 07:35 AM
personally i dont see anything wrong with the dollar sign.. in fact i feel it is a subtle way of showing ur displeasure with the M$ Corp. u cant always criticize the company every time u post something online .. but u can make the world know were u belong on the M$ debate .. its like wearing a t-shirt with a sign condemning a bad regime ... i think i am free to express my feelings about something.. anything.. i don't always talk about m$ or ******* cus i have been free of them both for quite a while now .. but occasionally when i have to refer to it i like to do so in a way that expresses my opinion of the company ...

NB i only use M$ in informal setting like forums ,when am chatting with friends etc .. i dont use it in my blogs or in any formal correspondence i have with people

Fedz
June 23rd, 2008, 08:07 AM
cause it is in no way constructive criticism, saying this is a problem and heres why is good but just saying 'winblow$ sucks' doesnt provide any articles to support a point, it just makes you look like a 10 year old tool, thats something children do, and honestly its a big turn off to alot of people used to microsoft who might try linux. we need to all grow up and learn how to do a proper criticism, but putting the dollar signs there ontop of it is just ignorant, thats like saying youre bad cause you have lots of money, cause if thats the truth someone call mark $huttleworth
Putting a dollar sign shouldn't detract anyone and or diminish
any content posted within a post. It's not something one is supposed to focus on.

It's no different than someone for example using 666 on a username to show their interest in eg: the devil, daemons ...etc.

How it can be a turn off to people who might be considering using Linux from Microsoft is simply ...

I have pet hates the same as you eg: no capitals in usernames or when someone types names in lowercase eg: Mark Shuttleworth but, hey! I don't make a big deal over it ;-)

No love lost :-)

bufsabre666
June 23rd, 2008, 08:29 AM
Putting a dollar sign shouldn't detract anyone and or diminish
any content posted within a post. It's not something one is supposed to focus on.

It's no different than someone for example using 666 on a username to show their interest in eg: the devil, daemons ...etc.

How it can be a turn off to people who might be considering using Linux from Microsoft is simply ...

I have pet hates the same as you eg: no capitals in usernames or when someone types names in lowercase eg: Mark Shuttleworth but, hey! I don't make a big deal over it ;-)

No love lost :-)

it makes you look like a child

nothing to do with the devil or demons, its just a number i won a raffle with and i just added it to my gamertag when i was 12 and it stuck

people are turned off all the time by people who are always like "micro$oft sucks, you should use linux, its better, dollar sign dollar sign dollar sign" seen it tons of times

i dont like to use the capitol letters cause my left shift has been broken on this keyboard for 6 months so i just stopped, i still do it in articles but other other that i apologize to Mr Shuttleworth for that

but hey, whose keeping score =P

Fedz
June 23rd, 2008, 08:42 AM
I actually agree and take your point about the dollar sign :-)

However, I don't think it's childish but, just unneeded as it serves no real purpose, hence why I will be refraining from using it in future posts :-)

Hope we can bury this with pleasure ;-)

bufsabre666
June 23rd, 2008, 08:49 AM
gotcha buddy, so now lets get back on topic, ive been ms free for about 7 months now, i had a streak of 18 months before i needed an ms only program and had to dual boot for a while but im back to flying solo on linux at least ((ubuntu/opensuse technically not solo, but solo linux))

quinnten83
June 23rd, 2008, 08:53 AM
M$ probably sums up microsoft's raison d'etre quite succinctly and points to why it is fundamentally inimical to the free open source community.

+1
I still use MS products, but I moved over to Linux, because of the "profit über alles" including clients, mentality of theirs.

Fedz
June 23rd, 2008, 10:14 AM
I have nothing against Microsoft charging and or making profit from the OS and spin-offs from it but, I do have a problem with their aggressive cavalier attitude towards that they *are the only choice* in OS.

It's something they have to do in an attempt to keep at the top of the OS market but, I look on glee as they loose some market share.

Due to ever increasing Linux/Ubuntu awareness Microsoft will loose grip and I believe that they do themselves no justice by anti-trust/competition cases worldwide in the news and with Vista - people look for alternatives to being pushed into corners and come out fighting with Linux clenched in hand :-)

As Linux/Ubuntu becomes more and more user friendly and Linux/Ubuntu awareness gets more widespread online and in peoples personal lives and workplace this change is getting increasingly easier for even the noobiest of noobs :-)

I envision Microsoft having to radically change their business model quite drastically in the future coming years :-)