Comments on: IBM offers a 'Microsoft-free' desktop

Big Blue is reportedly launching a Linux-based collection of virtual desktop applications that run on a server without desktop hardware--or Microsoft software.

[sanjayb]

The thing that makes IBM's solution unique from others is the "Framework Utilization Component Kernel". I am not sure of the details but you can find more by googling the acronym.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Walmart did too at one time , but it flopped and they canned it.

[3rdalbum]

Anyone who says "Linux would have never survived without IBM" is obviously ignorant of what open-source actually is.

[tsinger254]

So I sit in my office this morning, unable to access our server, maybe because of power outages yesterday, listening to everyone in my office whine about not being able to access our server and any of their documents AND EMAIL, and I'm thinking: central repository for programs and files? Oh, no thank you. (yes, it's a mac server, fyi.) So, everyone chit chats and enjoys their new-found free time, and drinks coffee, etc. Sorry, IBM, not today for this idea of yours. We're too busy doing nothing, waiting for our IT vendor to fix the problem. Maybe he'll tell us to dump the mac server and go pc???

[netteam]

Folks, I have been doing this for 20 years and have administered small, large and institutions where money matters. It all comes down to one thing. The majority of folks doing work on computers don't wantv to learn anything new. I mean if you change their screen saver they are lost, let alone changing thier desktops... And yes, I have heard for years that the new generation knows more about computers and that will change everyhting. Not necessarily... All the new ones know how to do is suf, and text in Face Book. If IBM had all the right tools they could not put a Microsoft idea into play... I have worked in the mainframe arena as well.

[wildbillc777]

Good. My per seat costs for Microsoft is sky high, and Vista won't even run in a business environment. We had to downgrade to XP to get our new machines to do VPN work.

I'm sick to death tired of having to rework my entire OS fit every 3 years only to get increasingly less telecommute friendly apps.

I'm more than happy to dump MS for something more stable, virus resistant, and less costly.

Bring it on, gents, I'll soak up licenses faster than you can print them.

[Razzl]

Welll, here's a chance for large companies to get serious about that issue of employees wasting time on the web versus the messiness of having to spy on them--if your operation relies on mainly proprietary software and you don't need to grant web access to most of the clerical staff, then using this type of setup with a linux os will well and truly keep them focused on just the software you give them. I'm always amazed at how stupid companies are about giving employees general web access through a browser without any defined purpose, (a temptation most employees would rather not have if the company makes an issue of it), then resorting to stupid morale-busting tactics like spying to keep it under control. Add to that the stupidity of companies which employ laptaps and then lose valuable data when employees carry them all over the planet. This type of setup has the potential to avoid all the pitfalls if managed properly...

[Dalmatian28]

Blah Blah Bla....IBM forgot to mention cost of retraining employees to use the new software, cost of rewriting custom software that their business use and if you have ever used even Google Docs...that is what you will get! OK....lets all agree to HATE Microsoft but we still have to tell the truth! MS Office is by far the best office software out there period! IBM seems like it is not aware of that one!!!

[andreoobyg]

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[AppleSuxLeo]

Think "Linspire" LOL

[netnuevo]

I Built Microsoft => I Buried Microsoft

[JunkSiu]

IBM claim to be cheaper than Microsoft?! That is something new.

[ErikBRak1m]

Of course they're still bitter. They can't make any software that's worth a ****, so they have to hope that some open-source thing will topple Microsoft. Not to say that it won't one day, but IBM Software = lame, generally.

[Renegade Knight]

From the mainfraim and dumb terminals to the server and dumb terminals. The more things change...

One real problem with this is that as computers become needed tools, moving us back to dumb terminals is like taking away the tools of the trade. Of course IT departments normally lock down PC's anyway so most folks really can't maximiuse their use of the PC.

In my case I have a growing professional library (books and software) on my PC. Since I'd Hate to put that library under someone elses thumb I have it on my own laptop.

[superroot]

Corporate users have better computing skills than they used too. Users will be able to adopt to the slight differences in the desktops quickly and IT infrastructures will be able to operate more securely and more efficiently. Only people who have sold their souls to MS or the people who very simple users will have problems with any change.

[andreoobyg]

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[Hoffa123]

Sounds like you are very bitter sir? What's wrong with any company offering alternatives? and what exactly made you the expert in every aspect of IBM's portfolio?

You don't see, that there could be a massive saving here for a company? If we look beyond the potential savings in licence fees, there are savings in hardware, support and even power consumption, which any IT Manager balancing a budget would be interested in.

If you have had bad experiences with IBM, then perhaps it would have been a good idea to take the offered learning services, instead of 'nope, I know it all, I don't need no training' mentality.

[Hoffa123]

My comment was aimed at 'IBMblows'

[andreoobyg]

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[andreoobyg]

IBM cambio el mundo dando capacidad de proceso a las grandes compañias con los sistemas UR y los sistyemas S/360 , S/370 y 43XX. Eso fue en los 60's.
En los 70's con los S/32 y S/34
Siguio en los 80's con un sistema que Revolucionó el mundo de las PYMES la linea que marco el S/38 y los AS/400 hoy extendidos en todo el mundo.

Pero ha llovido mucho desde entonces, hoy los usuarios quieren tener mas funcionalidades, los usuarios son las personas, las entidades y organismos sociales, las familias, los comercios, los pequeños negocios. IBM se equivoca haciendoles "pagar" por usar herramientas que otros como Google, etc, le ceden gratuitamente.

IBM si quieres volver a participar en LOS CAMBIOS EN EL MUNDO que insinua y obliga la CRISIS global en que ejecutiv@s y entidades financieras nos "han sumergido" CAMBIA LA VISION , Revive las palabras de Thomas Watson , tu fundador y de su hijo Thomas Watson Jr.

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