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IBM to Linux Developers: 'Stop Copying Windows'

Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008 - 05:53:21 am MST

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According to an Infoworld article, Big Blue has asked Linux developers to "stop copying 2001 Windows". I have to salute IBM, and it's been a long time since I could say that. In 2000 the computer mega-giant promised to throw it's weight behind the Open Source OS with a $1 billion infusion for development, but hasn't really seen the return for that investment.

Recently, IMB promised to go Microsoft free for it's business machines, a good move considering it's competition with Redmond. But this request shows that IBM understands where the mid-range market really is.

Linux becomes a very viable alternative for businesses as we head into 2009 more so that ever before, because of the economic crunch every business is facing. Open Source and fully compatible software makes for a pretty promising appeal factor to mid range businesses.

However, if Linux is going to carve a market for itself in these rough times, it has to be more than a Windows competitor. It can't be a rag-tag collection of applications and kernel patches designed to emulate the popular features of Windows without the bugs. It needs to be something more.

Linux needs to be revolutionary, not evolutionary. The Developer community needs to take a page from Apple's playbook.

What it is businesses need more than cheaper software in their computing? Simpler software. Less training. User training costs far too much as is, and takes away critical productivity time. Linux can erase that.

For years, Linux has been the OS of geeks. Yes, I'm a former Linux developer myself. But it's also an emerging community of people who don't hate Microsoft, but are unwilling to endure the viruses, bugs, and constant patches that do very little to secure a system.. but those same people aren't nerds. They are people who just want a better computing experience. It's time to draw on them.

Linux developers need to begin thinking about the software people need in their daily lives, and how to make that software easier to use with a more friendly interface. Yes, OpenOffice is a fantactic Microsoft Office replacement for Linux. Now find me a good financial suite or productivity suite. Think Quicken or Omnifocus.

When Linux can provide the tools professionals need to work better and live smoother, then IBM can really take it's next leap forward in going MS-Free. The message to the developers is clear. Quit copying what no one wanted eight years ago, and start thinking outside the box.

Or, as Apple would say, "Think Different".

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Mike wrote on Dec 30, 2008 11:14 AM:

" I agree, I don't like the fact that some of the distros are tending to look and feel like windows. It seems like Ubuntu is winning a lot of people over. I would never run ubuntu because it seems a like a dumbed-down Linux OS. If I wanted to run a dumbed-down operating system, I'd run windows. "

Hereford Resident wrote on Dec 30, 2008 10:14 AM:

" I agree with your comments. I run Kubuntu for my amateur radio server at home and it works great. The only problem is that the KDE team is trying to make KDE look like vista so much that it makes the system just as slow as a vista machine does now. I still run the older version of KDE because it is sleek and does what I need it to do. Linux developers need to stay away from windows look alikes. The bigger windows go the slower it got and more system resources it needs. "