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Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register)
The Register has stumbled into a marketing deal between Sun and Wal-Mart.
"Sun appears to have convinced Wal-Mart to go along with the Java naming
scheme. Sun likes to call its package of StarOffice, GAIM, Mozilla, Evolution
and SuSE the Java Desktop System. And Wal-Mart has obliged Sun by creating a
new OS category - the 'Java operating system' - instead of placing the OS
with the herd in the Linux operating system category."
(Log in to post comments)
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 15:24 UTC (Wed) by flewellyn (subscriber, #5047) [Link] "Java operating system"? What on EARTH? Where does Sun get off calling a basic SuSE system with a set of standard components "Java OS"? Especially since most of those components are not written in Java?There was a real Java OS, and it was a miserable failure. Sun seems to be trying to ride the coattails of Linux's success, and it's frankly disgusting.
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 18:06 UTC (Wed) by steven97 (guest, #2702) [Link] I doubt anyone at SUSE cares as long as Sun pays them for it...
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 26, 2004 18:16 UTC (Fri) by vblum (guest, #1151) [Link] They can't come out and say, this Linux is better than our Solaris else their server market is gone, they can't come out and say it's as good, else their server market is gone, they can't come out and say "Linux is worse than Solaris" else why would they be so stupid as to sell Linux instead of Solaris to anyone?But they think they can say, We have this great Solaris OS for the server and this great Java OS for the desktop - both are different and have different target audiences. It's a marketing dilemma. Sun is in a deep hole with its split-personality Solaris-Linux strategy - Solaris loses against Linux in terms of overall ease of use, price tag, and versatility, but Solaris+Servers is what they have left to distinguish themselves from anyone else. It's a lost battle for them...
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 15:50 UTC (Wed) by ballombe (subscriber, #9523) [Link] They deserve to be heavily flamed.Any volunteers?
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:08 UTC (Wed) by pointwood (guest, #2814) [Link] GNU/Java operating system :pPersonally, I don't really care.
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:15 UTC (Wed) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link] Calling this "Java" is just as deceptive as Microsoft calling their own personalized Microsoft-specific J++ stuff "Java".But what the heck. It is what it is. -Rob
Sun hasn't gotten it yet Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:20 UTC (Wed) by macemoneta (guest, #2717) [Link] I don't think they're fully realizing the hype marketing yet. They should call it the:All Natural Sun Dried Java Desktop, with GNUtritional Additives There should be lots of plants and a daisy on the package, with a stream. A little girl in a white sundress holding a parasol looking into the water. Sun's just trying to differentiate their product from all the other Linux products. The mistake I see them making is that they are not mentioning Linux in the product name. As a result, a portion of the population will think this is a completely unique product, which they've never heard of. They may know that Java runs in their web browser, so at best they'll think this is a web browser of some sort. Not a good plan.
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:24 UTC (Wed) by penguinista (guest, #308) [Link] There is something to be said for branding.In the battle of Sun vs. Microsoft/SCO (and those who only read the FUD about Linux) it may be a good strategy to brand their Linux distro as "Java" instead of "Linux". In the world of Lawyers and Suits maybe the brand "Java"a already enjoys some legal protection as seen in the recent agreement between Sun and Microsoft. Having said that Sun does seem to have problems in marketing. Whoever came up with the original "Madhatter" name for their Linux distribution should be re-assigned to a Sun installation in Alaska. Hmmm lets get creative ... Sun/Java/Linux/ = Jolava? Solindows? Linaris? LongThorn? Suntel Server 2004? Ok I give up
A better name for Sun's Linux distro Posted Mar 24, 2004 21:56 UTC (Wed) by Prototerm (guest, #20227) [Link] Well, what about calling it Corona? (I'll drink to that)
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:26 UTC (Wed) by melevittfl (guest, #5409) [Link] Yes, someone can take GPL'd code, name it something different, and release it.I can take the Linux kernel source, rename it the Bob kernel source, and post it. Another company was free to take RedHat, add a couple of extra bits, and call it Mandrake. Remember that bit about "freedom" we keep banging on about? You know, the part about people being free to do whatever they want with the code, as long as they share any modifications? Remember how we don't like that BSD advertising clause? You can't have your cake and eat it too...
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 16:36 UTC (Wed) by havoc (guest, #2261) [Link] You know why no one like to have you over for dinner?<b>You make too much sense, and you make it too cooly!</b> Heh! That really puts a cool-headed, rational spin on it. Whether it's good for Linux or not, whether it's good for Sun or not, they <b>are</b> playing by our rules. *shrug*
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 17:17 UTC (Wed) by clugstj (subscriber, #4020) [Link] No one (at least here) is saying that they shouldn't be allowed to do it,just that it is deceptive and possibly a stupid thing to do.
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 24, 2004 17:39 UTC (Wed) by jmorris42 (subscriber, #2203) [Link] > Remember that bit about "freedom" we keep banging on about?Oh yes, they are quite free to do it. But we are also just as free to laugh. ;)
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 24, 2004 17:20 UTC (Wed) by tjc (guest, #137) [Link] Following the links on the Walmart page, I ran across this interesting statement:"Uses the security features of Java to prevent unsafe codes, such as viruses, from damaging the system environment"
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 24, 2004 19:32 UTC (Wed) by clugstj (subscriber, #4020) [Link] Just a short linguistic rant:Who the hell decided that "code" should be make plural? It isn't, it just makes you sound stupid when you do it! The quote is quite a hoot, though.
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 24, 2004 19:48 UTC (Wed) by tjc (guest, #137) [Link] I've worked with programmers from India and Pakistan that use "codes" as the plural form of "code", so this might be an english as a second language thing.
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 24, 2004 20:05 UTC (Wed) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link] It's also a war3z d00d thing, though. It makes the users sound, well, ignorant.
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 24, 2004 20:16 UTC (Wed) by allesfresser (subscriber, #216) [Link] Aside from the secondary-language issue mentioned above, it does make it look like the writer assumes that "code(s)" is/are some secret magic incantations stolen from the privileged few, rather than simply the instructions for how to do something. (And this would certainly fit with the aforementioned cargo-cultish war3z d00d mentality.)I would also like to mention the similar (ab)use of "softwares" as a plural fungible instead of "software" or "software packages" as a collective class. Both of these misusages are becoming increasingly common... sigh...
Not wrong, just different. Posted Mar 24, 2004 23:01 UTC (Wed) by isavant (guest, #20225) [Link] This usage of "codes" as plural for "program" is quite common with HPC and FORTRAN programmers. More than one code (machine instruction) can correctly be referred to as "codes", just as more than one program can be referred to as "programs".
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 25, 2004 1:12 UTC (Thu) by joebrandt (guest, #20435) [Link] I wonder if the keyboard has windows keys?
More marketing confusion Posted Mar 25, 2004 8:07 UTC (Thu) by Eudyptes (guest, #15589) [Link] ROFL!From www.walmart.com "We're sorry! The Walmart.com Web site is temporarily closed. Please visit again soon. In the meantime, if you need any assistance, please email us anytime at Help@Walmart.com or call our Customer Service during the hours of 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. CST at 1-800-966-6546. Thank you." They're down. Hmmmmm.......! Did Bill give the CEO a call or something? Or maybe some digruntled blackhat the took exception to Sun rebranding Linux as a Java OS? I don't know, maybe it was another W2k3 that got taken down... yet again? Cheers
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Mar 27, 2004 4:24 UTC (Sat) by stock (guest, #5849) [Link] If Sun Microsystems really thinks they can add the reputation of Linux asa speedy and robust operating system and software to their slow as molasses and absurt resources demanding Java programming software, they are on the wrong track. Java as a whole should be abandoned. Why? Not only is it slow as molasses, its also resource hungry in CPU cycles and RAM requirements. The observation that todays Computer science students start their programming curriculem by doing Java programming courses is a dangerous trend also. Why? If students are not being tought that efficient and effective programming means carefully watching needed Operating System resources in order to create the most efficient application, these same students are lost sheep in the professional programmer arena. A Java cert. only means one can create a nice looking demo application. Exactly there stops the real-world practice and use of Java applications. For instance, Compaq proliant servers have always been supplied together with a SmartStart cd-rom kit to get these machines configured and ready for installing the OS of choice. SmartStart used to be a tuned lean win95 OS and application. However since SmartStart is called HP Server Essentials, which basicly is a Linux OS with on top a Java program, the SmartStart thing was basicly ruined and degraded to a buggy semi-hobby quality server config-tool. We all know Linux is ok, but the Java part really misses the essential quality from the old recommended SmartStart cdrom. So my take on Java : Either make Java open source, so it can be fixed on numerous issues, most important speed and performance, or if not, make sure Java goes away. Robert
Wal-Mart and Sun share Linux desktop lust (Register) Posted Jul 9, 2004 13:56 UTC (Fri) by developed (guest, #22928) [Link] Looks like a lot of ranting by many and hardly any really know what they are talking about. Sun also contributes quite a bit to the community, and all they get is flack from people not interested in the facts. I especially like the comments about java is slow, java eats resources, etc etc. Most linux windows managers eat up resources.As far as CPU cycles and RAM go, I guess you have to write good code to get good results. I don't care what language you are using. There are circumstances where C has advantages over java and vice versa. What's the real point with all the ranting? Seems like a lot of hating in the community any more. It's kind of disgusting. They call it the Sun Java Desktop because of the features it has which are only possible because of the JVM integration. They also have a fully remote management system. Maybe reading a little would help with the lack of knowledge about the system. Of course there is marketing. What about IBM, Toshiba, Oracle, Dell? They have all done it. I have no issue with it. Most of these companies that everyone likes to talk trash about are the ones really giving us the alternative. Without the companies many of the distros that exist today would not have full time developers working on them. I think we need to think more clearly about the real issues. I wonder how many which have written in reply to the post have contributed to an open source project. Downloaded, installing, and simply using doesn't count. That's all I have to say. It's no wonder my faith in man's intelligence and decency is dwindling. Quit complaining and do something constructive and useful.
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