When Linux provides so many high-quality operating systems of many varieties free of...? - Quora

[Keith Smith]

Most of what you talk about is outside the scope of a data center.

On 2015-10-25 15:42, Eric Oyen wrote:
> time may be money, but sometimes its worth it to have alternatives.

I like alternatives.  I run Mint on my desktop.  I've been fortunate 
enough that it just worked so it was cost effective.  I like buying 
discounted hardware and putting Linux on it.  I would have difficulty 
leaving home with a Mac that might cost $2k or more.... yikes.

Still time is money.  All things being equal, a top end programmer might 
make $40 - $60 plus per hour W2 plus benefits.  Is it cost effective to 
have that person or someone else compile a driver for their hardware?  
Probably not unless they have a very specific need. They need something 
that gets them to work as fast as possible.  I think that was the one of 
the points of the article.

I used Windows for years, even though I have never been a fan of M$.  
Why because it did the job.  Until several years ago I did not like 
Linux on my desktop, even though I tried to go M$ free on two prior 
occasions dating back to 2000.

I think what you are describing is a business niche or someone with 
Linux admin skills messing with their own hardware.


> Sure, on a mac everything "just works" (well, mostly). The issue here
> is that all IT personnel need to know how to deal with any OS on their
> network, including being able to edit and compile drivers for
> specialized hardware. I have an old mac here (its a series 2007
> vintage white book) and I managed to get linux working on it. The key
> is finding the correct drivers. If one doesn't exist, but is close to
> another in the same chipset, it isn't that hard to modify it to work
> (or, it may just work anyway). The kicker is getting the source info
> from the manufacturer (in the case of apple, its Intel). SOmetimes
> they are helpful and sometimes they aren't .
> 
> -eric
> 
> On Oct 25, 2015, at 2:09 PM, Keith Smith wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>> "Linux is only free if your time is worthless." - A guy that owns a 
>> data center told me he buys Mac because he does not have the time to 
>> fix driver issues.... etc.  Time is money!!
>> 
>> 
>> 

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