Alrighty folks, sorry to be all happy about this, but my evil twin (er, long time windows loving friend), finally sees Linux as the better value. That's another fortune 500 IT head for Linux.

Why? Knoppix. Thank you Klaus, this may be "the big one" for me, but it's only one of many people that have been converted by your awesome work. This guy hated anything with a "free" tag, but when it was bringing up sites and downloads IE would die on, the game was over. Next week, we're going to set up a "real" server (he already has smoothwall, but thought that was the best Linux had to offer). He's already a Mozilla fan, and was really impressed by OpenOffice (except for the "missing" Access-style database--something I agree on, Mysql needs to push a good GUI). The OS scared him, but that was erased today.

I'd love to say which F500 he works for, but I think I'll make the MS shock troops do their own work. Anyway, thanks everyone, words can't express my thanks. Looks like it's time to drop some more paypals into the mix.

I really don't understand why MySQL is so popular; it's not a very good DBMS. Even MySQL acknowledges this fact, as they sell SAP DB (rebranded under a different name, which I forget ATM) too. You should look into PostgreSQL instead IMHO. There's even a GUI front-end for it called PgAccess many people seem to like.

scott_R: If you started the -Question for Apple fans thread... why? just wondering.

bye bye all. 8)

bye bye all. 8)

bye bye all. 8)

Consider editing your posts, next time.

@OP: BIG PROPS. Seriously. Huge accomplishement. I wish I could do the same here. But no one listens to a kid .-.

Opera is much faster than Firefox. Too bad Operasoftware doesn't have the funds to GPL' it. Has to do with the cost of loosing contracts, because 1. Opera doesn't have a multi-million org behind it like mozilla, and 2. because others would make one just as good and charge nothing for support.

bye bye all. 8)

http://www.opera.com/

Most obvious place to look at. o.o

It's a good browser. I love it. Not many extensions, but it does come with alot by default, like custom CSS, javascript on/off, same for java, animations, flash, and sound. helps speed up things.

I often venerate the same thing about a desktop OS that people choose. Why is Windows so much more popular than Linux? Same can be said for Opera, why isn't it as popular as Firefox or IE when it's clearly better, sticks harder to standards, more secure and is faster. If Oracle was free, it'd be number one in that department for databases over both MySQL and PostgreSQL.

But I think of these ruminations like the tootsie roll lollipop! How many licks does it take to get to the center? The world may never know!

Why, huh? Because people are irrational. There's no other reasonable explanation LOL

Can't be just cost anyway. Sybase ASE for Linux has been "free" (as in air) for years now and it's just as "industrial strength" as Oracle IMVHO: http://www.sybase.com/linuxpromo
Yet for some reason it's hardly ever mentioned in the Linux trade mags.

And FWIW I think PostgreSQL is one of the best OODBMS at any price! Unfortunately its relational database performance isn't up to par. I see so many OO programmers trying to implement object-oriented database designs in database management systems that don't really support it though, when they could have used PostgreSQL and had real table inheritance and avoided all that spagheti code... anyway...

P.S. I still think OO programming is deadly for data. But if you're going to do it anyway, at least use a hammer to drive your coffin nails and not the butt end of a screwdriver.

They rebranded it to MySQL MaxDB, and it's the preferred database recommended by SAP itself for they application servers, though I have serious clues to believe SAP's systems run under Oracle lol

Sounds like a real Success Story to me. Guess where this thread now is?

Congrats and well done, you now need to get him to work on his other F500 friends. "Linux-Converting users 5000 at a time"

bye bye all. 8)

Actually, I feel all dirty now. I just realised that the post before Ashley's was written in February 2004. Ugh, must wipe the grime from my hands....