Fact: Not every user is a "power user". Not everyone who sits at a computer and types is capable of finding and fixing the problems that may (will) creep up. And not everyone is a programmer who can Use the Source, Luke(tm).
As the desktop landscape for Linux improves, as new features are implemented and integrated, we need a serious integrator for tying it all together. Sun Microsystems has been a major contributor for usability, not just for Mom and Pop, but also for those who must use the system in a "different" way. They have assisted in the development of GNOME as well, by porting it to Solaris. This process has helped weed out incompatibilities in the source code, making it more robust and portable overall.
Sun Microsystems has been a true pioneer (think Sun SPARC), unlike a lot of pre-Linux companies. (IBM has been a pioneer as well.) While they do care about their bottom line, we want them on our side. Without Sun Microsystems, we would be less well-off today, and Linux and GNOME would be considered "fringe" systems, hackers' toys, by more people and companies.
IBM has helped bring Linux servers to the enterprise, while Sun Microsystems has helped put Linux on the desktop. Both have shown that Linux is a real operating system, capable of supporting nearly any purpose between microbiology and rocket science. Kudos to both Sun Microsystems and IBM for their immense help.
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Posted by: gus3 on September 20, 2003 12:45 AMAs the desktop landscape for Linux improves, as new features are implemented and integrated, we need a serious integrator for tying it all together. Sun Microsystems has been a major contributor for usability, not just for Mom and Pop, but also for those who must use the system in a "different" way. They have assisted in the development of GNOME as well, by porting it to Solaris. This process has helped weed out incompatibilities in the source code, making it more robust and portable overall.
Sun Microsystems has been a true pioneer (think Sun SPARC), unlike a lot of pre-Linux companies. (IBM has been a pioneer as well.) While they do care about their bottom line, we want them on our side. Without Sun Microsystems, we would be less well-off today, and Linux and GNOME would be considered "fringe" systems, hackers' toys, by more people and companies.
IBM has helped bring Linux servers to the enterprise, while Sun Microsystems has helped put Linux on the desktop. Both have shown that Linux is a real operating system, capable of supporting nearly any purpose between microbiology and rocket science. Kudos to both Sun Microsystems and IBM for their immense help.
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