[plug] Interesting perspective on Linux, cost and ease-of-use

[Colin Muller]

On Mon, Feb 11, 2002 at 09:05:50AM +0800, Leon Brooks wrote:
> John Stovall wrote (on the Sword mailing list):
> > Most of the world is very poor.  They can't afford
> > windows and I can't encourage them to steal it.  Many of them do
> > because they can't use software like Sword on Linux but the same
> > software is available in an easier to use windows version.

Here's what just happened in one poor country (S. Africa). A
government advisory council recommends that the country should place a
heavy emphasis on open-source software:
http://www.naci.org.za/docs/opensource.htm

So Bill Gates offers the classic Microsoft lock-them-in donation:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=ct20020208212507770G320799&set_id=1

(Which offer is said to be in perpetuity, but is, also of course, in
fact just vapourware: "yet to be confirmed").

This one has yet to play itself out, but you can bet MS will be
playing every play it can.

Colin