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Ok as we all know Microsoft is dropping support for this OS

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5...ml?tag=nl.e589

as this page shows there is _still_ a large installed base of win 2k
(at least in the states where this survey was most likely to have been
done)

Windows XP use surged to 38 percent by the first quarter of this year, up
from 6.6 percent in the third quarter of 2003. However, the popularity of
Windows 2000 has remained high, with the venerable operating system still
in use in 48 percent of business PCs during the first quarter of 2005,
down just four percentage points from the third quarter of 2003.

is this a mess building?
or will sysadmins (and companys) go and buy some freshly minted XP
licenses knowing they wont be supported in 2 - 3 yrs time

--
Hardware, n.: The parts of a computer system that can be kicked

The best way to get the right answer on usenet is to post the wrong one.

Shane wrote:

> Ok as we all know Microsoft is dropping support for this OS
>
> http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5...ml?tag=nl.e589
>
> as this page shows there is _still_ a large installed base of win 2k
> (at least in the states where this survey was most likely to have been
> done)

And following that link:
---------------------------------------------
"80 percent of the companies it surveyed had at least one PC running
Windows 95 or 98. Of those companies that did have one of the older
operating systems, Windows 95 and 98 made up nearly 40 percent of all
systems."
....
"Better to have people stay on Windows 98 than to start investigating
things like Linux," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research.
-------------------------------------------
When those users contemplate chucking Win 98, they could well take a
look at Linux. Except that Linux discussion groups appear to be full of
rude teenage geeks who have no interest in helping anybody.
Linux advocates should shift those people elsewhere.

Matty F wrote:
> Shane wrote:
>
>> Ok as we all know Microsoft is dropping support for this OS
>> http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5...ml?tag=nl.e589

I would have though it would have been a good idea for MS to keep
support until 1 or 2 years after Longhorn is out myself. At that stage
phase out XP and win2k together, thus "letting" ppl all move to Longhorn
together.....

>> as this page shows there is _still_ a large installed base of win 2k
>> (at least in the states where this survey was most likely to have been
>> done)

The cost of moving to a new OS version is not cheap and MS is trying to
accelerate that rate of change to keep its revenue going....

> And following that link:
> ---------------------------------------------
> "80 percent of the companies it surveyed had at least one PC running
> Windows 95 or 98. Of those companies that did have one of the older
> operating systems, Windows 95 and 98 made up nearly 40 percent of all
> systems."
> ...
> "Better to have people stay on Windows 98 than to start investigating
> things like Linux," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter
> Research.

Well his reports are going to be un-baised aren't they.......not.........

> -------------------------------------------
> When those users contemplate chucking Win 98, they could well take a
> look at Linux. Except that Linux discussion groups appear to be full of
> rude teenage geeks who have no interest in helping anybody.

I'm surprised any business contemplating switching to Linux would go to
such as group(s) for info. More likely to be analysts, consultants or
other IT/business pros, I cant see a CEO sifting around in
#linux-or-bust myself.

> Linux advocates should shift those people elsewhere.

Or better yet create something businesses can use, oh wait we have Red
Hat, and RHCEs and.....etc.....etc....

Gigabit NICS are now common, within a year predominant, hello high speed
linux thin clients...hugely cheaper.........

regards

Thing

thing wrote:

> Matty F wrote:

>> When those users contemplate chucking Win 98, they could well take a
>> look at Linux. Except that Linux discussion groups appear to be full
>> of rude teenage geeks who have no interest in helping anybody.
>
>
> I'm surprised any business contemplating switching to Linux would go to
> such as group(s) for info. More likely to be analysts, consultants or
> other IT/business pros, I cant see a CEO sifting around in
> #linux-or-bust myself.

How about ordinary home computer users like me, who know nothing about
Linux and would like to learn.
#linux channels should be reserved for helping them.
Otherwise Bill Gates has won, and the huge monopoly carries on, doing
whatever it wants, and raising prices when there is no alternative.

On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 20:29:27 +1200, Matty F <> wrote:

>thing wrote:
>
>> Matty F wrote:
>
>>> When those users contemplate chucking Win 98, they could well take a
>>> look at Linux. Except that Linux discussion groups appear to be full
>>> of rude teenage geeks who have no interest in helping anybody.
>>
>>
>> I'm surprised any business contemplating switching to Linux would go to
>> such as group(s) for info. More likely to be analysts, consultants or
>> other IT/business pros, I cant see a CEO sifting around in
>> #linux-or-bust myself.
>
>How about ordinary home computer users like me, who know nothing about
>Linux and would like to learn.
>#linux channels should be reserved for helping them.
>Otherwise Bill Gates has won, and the huge monopoly carries on, doing
>whatever it wants, and raising prices when there is no alternative.



Lunix, you need to be a computer nerd to use it and its mostly command
line..

Most APP's have to be complied to run on your system..

My Boss who writes his own programs gave it up totally..

So stay sane and stick with well supported software..

Tony wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 20:29:27 +1200, Matty F <>
> wrote:
>
>>thing wrote:
>>
>>> Matty F wrote:
>>
>>>> When those users contemplate chucking Win 98, they could well take
>>>> a look at Linux. Except that Linux discussion groups appear to be
>>>> full of rude teenage geeks who have no interest in helping anybody.
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm surprised any business contemplating switching to Linux would go
>>> to such as group(s) for info. More likely to be analysts,
>>> consultants or other IT/business pros, I cant see a CEO sifting
>>> around in
>>> #linux-or-bust myself.
>>
>>How about ordinary home computer users like me, who know nothing about
>>Linux and would like to learn.
>>#linux channels should be reserved for helping them.
>>Otherwise Bill Gates has won, and the huge monopoly carries on, doing
>>whatever it wants, and raising prices when there is no alternative.
>
> Lunix, you need to be a computer nerd to use it and its mostly
> command line..

Absolute rubbish. A normal user would never need to use a command line
on a desktop Linux system.

> Most APP's have to be complied to run on your system..

Absolute rubbish. And anyway, how would you know Roger? Have you ever
even used a Linux system?

> My Boss who writes his own programs gave it up totally..
>
> So stay sane and stick with well supported software..

Why do you believe that software for Linux is any more or less well
supported than software for other platforms?

--
Chris Hope | www.electrictoolbox.com | www.linuxcdmall.co.nz

"Shane" <> wrote in message
news...

> is this a mess building?
> or will sysadmins (and companys) go and buy some freshly minted XP
> licenses knowing they wont be supported in 2 - 3 yrs time
>

MS is overly greedy.
All MS can add to Windows are mainly cosmetic changes.
There is virtually no real difference between Win98 and WinXP.

In article <>,
Shane <> wrote:

>is this a mess building?

I think it's just simple economics. The people who insist on running
such old systems are simply not spending any money on new hardware or
software. This means there's no revenue to be had from continuing to
cater to their needs. As far as the PC market is concerned, they might
as well not exist.

In article <JoQre.7605$>,
Matty F <> wrote:

>"Better to have people stay on Windows 98 than to start investigating
>things like Linux," said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

thing wrote:
> I would have though it would have been a good idea for MS to keep
> support until 1 or 2 years after Longhorn is out myself. At that stage
> phase out XP and win2k together, thus "letting" ppl all move to Longhorn
> together.....

no no no - you'll never get to be a successful billionaire software tycoon
with ideas like that. You see, it is better to get customers to pay to
move to XP, and then pay again to move to Longhorn. More revenue for MS.

It doesn't matter that millions of users are happy with the functionality of
Win2k. Having them stay just there doesn't generate any revenue for MS.
MS needs a way to force them to buy more software.

An even better scheme would be for the users to keep paying $$$ every year,
without MS going to the bother of having to develop any new OS.



Peter