Slashdot Is Just Telling It Like It Is

The headlines from Slashdot these last two days couldn't be more accurate in taking the software pulse:

1. Microsoft Sees Linux As Bigger Competitor Than Apple

And they absolutely should. This is not a smear of Apple. This is just a statement of an obvious fact: Only open source can offer value that could ever take out Microsoft. Open source opens the way to lower costs and the ability to customise for your needs. You can't do this with Apple. With Apple it is proprietary vs. proprietary, Microsoft vs. Apple, a game Apple can never win. Open source becomes a team, where you are included, vs. one company. That makes a big difference.

Ultimately, this is why Microsoft is toying with open source themselves. It will be their only life raft in the future.

2. 1 of 3 Dell Inspiron Mini Netbooks Sold With Linux

Because of the customizability mentioned above, any company, HP, Dell, Google, you name it can quickly get Linux working on state of the art, new architectures for very low cost. They have, and are giving Microsoft a run for their money in the netbooks world.

3. Red Hat Returns To the Linux Desktop

This is big news. Red Hat has way more money then Ubuntu could dream of. In fact, they are now worth as much as Sun! Ubuntu still has the desktop command, but with Red Hat back in the desktop game, things mat get really interesting. Which leads to #4 below:

4. Microsoft and Red Hat Team Up On Virtualization

Why this partnership? Because Red Hat is pulling the rug out from under Windows in the Enterprise world. Read the Slashdot entry. What is happening is companies want to switch to Red Hat, but keep a couple Windows computers around for people who need them. This deal will make companies be able to make the Windows->Red Hat + A few Windows machines possible in an official way.

5. $100 Linux Wall-Wart Now Available

This was semi-successful in the past. Wal-Mart is making another Linux push. Once Wal-Mart finds an effective way to sell Linux computers, this will be a big deal.

So the moral of the story is:

A.) How to make open source profitable is in its infancy.
B.) Now that it has shown to be profitable, and a better value for end users, propriety beware.
C.) This will end in an open source world. The only question is whether Microsoft will develop an open source strategy to deal with Linux in the future.