Re: What the heck does Transmeta do???

Kragen Sitaker (kragen@pobox.com)
Tue, 22 Dec 1998 16:41:34 -0500 (EST)

On Tue, 22 Dec 1998, Ron Resnick wrote:
> I Find Karma wrote:
> > > However, because Linux predates Windows NT and has problems taking
> > > advantage of capabilities packed in current-generation hardware, Enderle
> > > said he doubts the operating system will ever become a mainstream
> > > desktop alternative.
>
> That's patently the most ridiculous thing I've heard in eons.
> I wonder if this Enderle guy has ever even been in the same
> room with a Linux box, to make comments that uniformed.
> Thanks for the laugh.

NT predates Linux, it's true, and the current version of NT almost
always predates the current stable version of Linux. So that's pretty
uniformed. (Perhaps we should take this Enderle guy shopping so he can
get a more unique outfit. :))

OTOH, my experience with NT-supported new graphics cards has been that
XFree86 supports them five to eight months later, if you're lucky.

I believe the same criticism could be made of NT, though. IIRC, NT
doesn't support USB, most graphics cards, etc. So it will never be a
mainstream desktop alternative. :)

The IDC report that was recently widely quoted reports that Linux
shipments for servers are half of NT shipments for servers, which
presumably means that new Linux server installations outnumber new NT
server installations by a wide margin.

I have finally got a reply from the IDC guy, btw. He wants to know if
I have the IDC number of the document I wanted to order; I said I
didn't and pointed him at the half-dozen news articles on it. I
haven't heard back from him on that yet.

I have a vested interest in deflating Linux hype -- after all, I'm a
big Linux fan, and I don't want to see it die like Java and "push".

-- 
<kragen@pobox.com>       Kragen Sitaker     <http://www.pobox.com/~kragen/>
TurboLinux is outselling NT in Japan's retail software market 10 to 1,
so I hear. 
-- http://www.performancecomputing.com/opinions/unixriot/981218.shtml