Reader's Thoughts: The Linux/UNIX and ARM World

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

2011-06-07 07:41:49 UTC
Modified: 2011-06-07 07:46:47 UTC

Summary: Analysis of the changing face of the computers market as mobile devices grow ever more powerful

THE market is changing quickly. All those who predicted Linux "world domination" are becoming rather proud while those who discouraged them probably eat humble pie. The revolution may not be known as "Linux" because the trademarks issue means that each supplier of Linux (HP, Google, IBM, etc.) wants brand control. This is fine. What remains to be challenged right now is the subject and existence of software patents. Except for the "desktops" we now have the fast-growing market of tablets and phones, though patents are ruining this market. It is very easy to see that in the news, which we will address later.

Cringely is one among the many pundits who comment on Microsoft's demise amid all these transitions between form factors and operating systems. He notes:

Look at the downward price erosion of Microsoft Office caused by a combination of Open Office and iWork, which is down to $30 on the iPad. How long will it be until Apple is giving iWork away to sell hardware — an option Microsoft doesn’t have? Not long. By then a bit more of Redmond’s goose will have been cooked.

Indeed. One of our longtime readers has done some analysis and surveyed the news on this matter, arriving at the conclusion that "Skipping the problems with Apple's stance on Software Freedom for a moment, it is now worth more than Microsoft and Intel combined.[1] I hope that can change (back) to better architectures. The link Masters Tournament[2] has this quote from Mr "The Internet is just a passing fad":

“What I can’t figure out is why he (Steve Jobs) is even trying (to be the CEO of Apple)? ” wondered Bill. “He knows he can’t win.”

"What a visionary," adds our reader.

His links are as follows:

[1] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/04/apple_passes_microsoft_and_intel_in_market_cap/ [2] http://www.cringely.com/2010/04/masters-tournament/

"An aside," he adds, "I notice that TheReg uses the MS talking point of calling all non-MS gain 'schadenfreude' to spin the gain as other than gain for Apple.

"This article caused a 'Softer to get his knickers in a twist and attack: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/04/apple_passes_microsoft_and_intel_in_market_cap/

"So I'd say, despite the DRM and other shortcomings of Apple, it's worth pursuing a little."

"Apple now worth more than Wintel (Microsoft and Intel combined)" http://macdailynews.com/2011/06/03/apple-now-worth-more-than-wintel-microsoft-and-intel-combined/

"The numbers speak for themselves: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AAPL vs http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=INTC http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MSFT

"MS @ $201.59bn + Intel @ $115.21bn = $316.8bn. "Apple =$317.6bn.

"Unfortunately, Intel also gets a piece of Apple since it (unwisely) dropped PPC in favor of Intel Core.

"So, Apple @ 317.6bn + Intel @115.21bn = 432.81bn

"432.81bn > 316.8bn

Regarding what he mnemonically abeled the "Wintel vs Macintellintosh" battle, he concludes:

"The other way to do it is to compare the two without Intel, since it cancels out anyway. That gives an even sharper difference:

"Apple @ 313.6bn > MS @ 201.6bn

On another note, adds this reader: "PXE 5462 is probably not worth a post in and of itself. It does contain a tidbit where MS staff try to negotiate a deal with Stac to exclude IBM.

http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/5000/PX05462.pdf

As we showed last week on several occasions, Microsoft is now trying to sabotage Linux and Apple business at the hardware level, but it is not quite working and the hardware makers are snitching, complaining about Microsoft. ⬆

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2011-06-07 14:13:18

For people who have been using gnu/linux on PDAs for more than a decade, the pace of change in the ARM market is excruciatingly slow. Part of the problem, of course, is Microsoft. They destroyed the market for PDAs ten years ago the same way they attacked netbooks three years ago. They had proxies launch patent attacks, based on the moon writing derivative known as graffiti and played tricks with vendors so bad that Sharp has yet to return to the US market. Microsoft PDAs, of course, were terrible and a market filled with them died off quickly at great loss to everyone involved. Google's Android has created a thriving market for ARM devices which is fundamentally different from the more fragile economy created by Palm a decade ago because Android is free software. Finally, a decade's worth of market damage is undone and unlikely to be repeated and the world once again has interesting portable hardware choices.

Robert Pogson has an insightful observation or two on Microsoft's current attempt to dominate ARM vendors as well as PC makers. OEMs have expressed their outrage in concrete form recently, forcing Microsoft to delay Windows 8 hype. Pogson concisely explains the reason for their outrage here:

[M$] wants to jump into the game as quickly as possible but they have not done their homework. All the players in the ARMed ecosystem need their whole channel involved, nearly 100 parties, if products are to be delivered. The ecosystem is thriving with Android and they don’t need to be divided over “8Ã¢â¬Â³

He also points out another critical weakness Microsoft's non free binary model has with ARM, a lack of bios. Some of the trolls that torment Pogson tried to play the black is white game by pretending gnu/linux has the problems non free software does but it is obvious that free software has thrived on ARM and will continue to do so while Microsoft thrashes around.

Reader's Thoughts: The Linux/UNIX and ARM World

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