Linux is looking good
By Paul Kapustka
redherring.com
Despite trying times for Linux stocks generally, the Linux players believe that time is on their side.
"Given the choice between a free product that does all the same things as a proprietary product, I'm confident that people will choose the free, open one," says Bud Tribble, vice president of engineering for Eazel, a startup developing a Linux interface and related services. "But that's dependent on the free product having all the same functionality as the proprietary one."
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"The huge difference between Linux and, say, Macintosh or Next, is the ever-expanding base of developers," Dr. Tribble says. "Clearly, it's already made a difference in the server market, and there are signs now that it may do the same to the desktop market."
Mr. Dell, for one, is hesitant to endorse Linux's immediate desktop market chances, especially since the StarOffice package belongs to one of his biggest competitors in the server market.
"I'm a little bit skeptical because of where it [StarOffice] comes from," Mr. Dell says. "I'm always thinking it may just be a diabolical plot to sell more Sun servers."
But, like Sun, which has pledged to lend its support to the Gnome Foundation, Mr. Dell will take profits over political positions any day of the week -- no matter what operating system drives the sale. In fact, Mr. Dell says that his company has already had discussions with Eazel and other Linux desktop players, to explore the possibilities.
"If customers start asking for it [StarOffice], we'll sell it," Mr. Dell says.
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