• Just wait, de-clouding isn't the end of it. (Score:5, Insightful)

  by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) writes:

  One day, managers will realize that if you have to hire IT people, there's no difference between Linux and Windows in terms of 'knowing it' because you hire people who already do.

  One day, managers will realize that a Linux desktop is good enough, and no, you don't really need all those extra things shoved into Windows that Microsoft changes every few years anyway. 99% of what goes on at the desktop level these days is checking email, instant messaging, and maybe very basic MS Office suite. A lot of busine
  • Re: (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward writes:

    The reality is the OS and 365 subscriptions are rounding errors in the cost of managing a fleet of desktops. The cost of training users alone surpasses those costs in any significant change. This doesn't mean Linux desktop isn't viable, but clueless linux zealots that push it as a money saver will get laughed out of the building as they have zero idea of where the real costs of a desktop are.
    • Re: (Score:5, Interesting)

      by iAmWaySmarterThanYou ( 10095012 ) writes:

      Why windows over Linux in many business environments?

      2 reasons:
      1) most staff already know windows. Yes, this is a chicken and egg problem for corporate desktop Linux. It is what it is.
      2) Microsoft Office. Specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint. People know how to use them and expect them to work as they do. Anything that varies won't be adopted. No one wants to learn a new app to get the functionality they already had.

      1 not reason:
      1) costs. The cost of the OS is already wrapped into the hardware. No o
      • Re: (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) writes:

        Every major Windows version change, I hear people complain about the desktop differences... and it seems to last until the next major change. Remember when the Ribbon became a thing?

        I run default Mint on a couple of computers in my home and my wife, who is almost completely computer illiterate, has no issues switching between it and Windows. We use Bluemail as an email client and sometimes the interface annoys her, but then so do Hotmail and Outlook. I know several companies that somehow manage to use a
        • Re: (Score:0)

          by iAmWaySmarterThanYou ( 10095012 ) writes:

          1) your wife is not the typical user. The typical user is more like the DMV person who I had to gently point out that "maybe if you hit enter..." to get her data entry app to go to the next screen when she was sitting there for 30 seconds doing nothing
          2) there is still no benefit for retraining everyone to Linux or to a free Office clone. None. Why should any IT Manager do this? It will confuse his users, require rewriting a ton of documentation and yield what positive result for his company? None.
          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) writes:

            For someone who is 'way smarter than me', you seem to have a lot of trouble grasping the underlying point that there isn't much difference between retraining between Windows versions and retraining to one of the friendlier Linux distributions.

            You keep saying, "It's different". It's not. There's always retraining and documentation regardless of whether you stay with Microsoft or not. Are all your users still trained on and using documentation for Windows 3.11 for Workgroups?
            • Re: (Score:4, Insightful)

              by iAmWaySmarterThanYou ( 10095012 ) writes:

              There is a huuuuuge difference between training someone to use Linux and the next version of Windows/Office.

              The significant changes to windows are very rare and not a stumbling block to half the users.

              Switching them to Linux is definitely harder, requires a complete rewrite of all documentation and -still- has absolutely no benefit to the company.

              What is this amazing as yet to be named benefit to switch to corporate desktop Linux/office?

              Literally no one in corporate gives a shit about the extra $100 pass th
              • Re:Just wait, de-clouding isn't the end of it. (Score:2)

                by eneville ( 745111 ) writes: on Monday February 12, 2024 @04:10AM (#64233514) Homepage

                If I remember XP didn't meet various security standards so Chromebook happened. There's valid reasons to not use windows, besides choice.

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                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by iAmWaySmarterThanYou ( 10095012 ) writes:

                  What? XP was 2001.
                  Chromebook was 2011.
                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by samwichse ( 1056268 ) writes:

                    XP went out of support in 2014.
                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by eneville ( 745111 ) writes:

                    Chromebook was the marketed device, the beta testing inhouse was long prior to that, IIRC.
                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by iAmWaySmarterThanYou ( 10095012 ) writes:

                    Uh it could have been in beta for 50 years but the only date that matters is when users could buy one.
                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by eneville ( 745111 ) writes:

                    That's simply not true. What matters is the reason why Chromebooks exist and why Google felt it was worth embarking on.
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