Microsoft vs "the Others"

On every Blog, Forum and Tech/Geek site you find the many fractions
of geekdom fighting it out. MS this, Linux that. freeBSD this etc......

Sure I like "free" software as much or more then the next person and as a professional geek
I have greater need the most. But I also realize that Microsoft's place in the ecosystem is ensured.

Windows, and Microsoft will not ever go away, Microsoft Office and its sister applications will not go away. It much better to learn to integrate these systems. To: use the best tool for the job, period.

I admin, and develop Windows and Linux stuff. and I find, that in some or even many cases. a well Nix steeped person
is almost a rookie when it comes to how to admin/dev on the windows side.(and sometimes the reverse is true) they also tend to compare modern Nix to old style win98/NT technologys. (had a redhat demo really happened)

and I see this online line and at LUG meetings all the time, if i say i have x app that cant be ported to Linux. the asnwer
will come back it could be rewritten. I know their are many ways to skin a cat. but sheesh, and its even worse
online.

even within the Linux/BSD communities themselves you can see it. where you have debian users and Redhat/Suse users saying stuff about each other tho that's very very minor compared to the MS vs Nix stuff.

Going forward, I see .NET, C# and WPF/E playing a big part of the IT future on both windows and Linux as these are all standards
and MS is developing a MacOSX version of WPF/E and is going a farm out the Linux version and allow it to happen. (so i hear via channel9 )

which is a good thing.

I think as all the web services and technology's mature they will be better support on all platforms.

not that i see Java, and or LAMP stuff going away......



just something to think about.




-Nex6

Microsoft Office and Fat client Office installs

There is a decent article:

here

Where as the Arthur makes some decent points about a web based office suite replacing
MS office or any fat client local install of an Office application.

I don't think local installs of office software will disappear anytime soon. I think, they will augment, even supplement Office installs
but not replace. I think Office software integrated into a web based service is inevitable. Where as you write your documents local and sysnc them to a webservice. Where you can sync or open them from any NET connnected computer or device.

This model is far more likly and makes far more sense. Sure web based stuff like googles will be arround and be used for some stuff but:
Office software both Microsofts and others will be arround for the long haul.



-Nex6