Regarding how INPR will make money with linux -
Let me first state that I don't currently own INPR, but I am eye-balling it since it was $4.
Currently Linux is not a desktop alternative because it lacks application software. In my opinion this is so because RAD tools like Delphi, C++ Builder, Powerbuilder, VB, etc do not exist under linux. Also, in my opinion the "standards" change too often in the linux world (eg. standard libraries, X Window libraries, window managers, etc).
Microsoft has left the core of Windows NT pretty much the same, and addressed problems/updates via the service packs.
I think Linux will have to stabilize to a baseline system that will not change too drastically every 6-12 months. It needs to evolve in a slow controlled manner in order to provide the platform stability that application companies (and users) need.
I believe that companies such as Red Hat, Caldera etc provide that function. Provided the convergence to a "stable" (in my sense) linux, application development tools will open up a whole new world of possibilities, and companies that felt before that there is a huge investment to develop for linux/unix will see it with a different eye because the unix/X11 complexities will be for the most part hidden.
Having said that, there is a whole set of core technologies that Microsoft has developed on the win32 platform that are not available under linux/unix and some companies need those core technologies, or their equivalent. So it's not as simple as INPR making Delphi and BC++Builder available and Linux is on the desktop across the enterprise.
However, I do believe that even though it is still early on, eventually the stability and price of Linux, along with its evolution and gradual adoption as a viable application platform, will contribute to its increased use as a business desktop solution.
Right now the only heavyweight to have promised development tools for Linux is INPR. I use BC++Builder and I think it's a world class tool. It is my opinion that companies that are serious about application development under linux will adopt BC++Builder (or Delphi, which I don't really care for) as their development tool of choice, and will be prepared to invest in it. The success of INPR in the linux world will not be from the basement hacker (which will probably pirate the software if INPR doesn't provide it for free or close to free for personal use) but rather from software vendors, the same vendors that develop for the win32 platform.
I don't know for sure, but I think INPR will make good money with linux. Of course, the application developers will make even more money! (hint hint!)
One more thought, without knowing what is going on internally at INPR, something must be wrong with this organization. Apparently they have world-class engineering because tools like Delphi and BC++Builder are fantastic, but the company is not making much money. Maybe it's the nature of the beast (MSFT is probably not making huge money on their tools either) but with such tremendous products I'd expect that they'd move in the right directions and dominate the tools market. If you can't do it against MSFT, at least move in the unix domain!
*THAT's* why I like INPR right now! But they need a top notch CEO to take them to the next level. Obviously the current CEO has made at least one really good decision to move fast towards linux/unix. Does anybody know the background of the current CEO?
best regards,
Kiriakos Georgiou |
