On the business side [LWN.net]

On the business side

Posted Nov 13, 2003 4:12 UTC (Thu) by ezyrider (guest, #14889)
Parent article: The future of the Linux filesystem

Linux doesn't have to be afraid of Longhorn. In fact it may prove to be a blessing in disguise. For the following reasons:

1, On the consumer side they'll probably try to shove DRM down everybody's throats. Assume that file swapping continues to thrive using newer protocols that make it harder to sue swappers(like freenet maybe). Would you upgrade if the new os wouldn't allow you to play most of your files?

2, On the corporate side they'll try to innovate greatly. This will mean a lot of changes. That means a painful upgrade process, training users to adjust to the new OS,changing business processes, etc. If you have to go through a painful change then Linux suddenly becomes an option too. Expect a good portion of users to possibly switch to Linux.

3, MS will probably introduce a lot of changes for security. The greater the security the lower the ease of use(well most of the time anyway) Then MS loses one of its great advantages over Linux.

4, Even if Longhorn arrives in 2006 the bulk of users don't usually upgrade
till 2007. Everybody waits to see if the new OS creates problems for others. That means that companies are stuck with the limitations of the current OS versions till then. Anybody who *has* to upgrade in the meantime
will probably switch to Linux.

In other words, expect Longhorn to be the last nail in the MS coffin.

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On the business side

Posted Nov 13, 2003 15:27 UTC (Thu) by pbakker (guest, #16829) [Link]

Apart from technical considerations, the decision for many as to whether to consider WinFS can only be made after reading the accompanying licenses and legal ramifications.

When your business data is stored in a proprietary, patented, binary format, you depend on MS for continued access to the data. If the license is by subscription model, you must continue to pay the subscription price. As soon as you stop paying, your access to your data is cut off, and the cutoff may be automatically enforced.

Storing all your data in a format only accessible by MS tools is risky. A patent could prevent third party tools from being developed.

Trusting your data to WinFS comes down to how much you trust MS and your continuing ability to pay any requested fees.