According to this InfoWorld Article, Microsoft's Software Assurance license contains a clause that makes you keep paying for it even if you sell your computers.

According to this article in The Age, the 3-year cost of deploying Linux in business is less than half that of Microsoft Windows.

Dan Kegel wrote:

I work at a company which designs and manufactures networking test equipment based on Linux. Every term, I hire a Los Angeles college student or grad for a programming internship, and am often dismayed to find they lack adequate exposure to Linux.

So he wrote an excellent article on why Linux should be taught at universities.

Microsoft's senior VP in charge of Windows development says about his own company's products: "Our products just aren't engineered for security."

It turns out that someone is cracking Windows systems, but Microsoft has no idea how.

Perhaps they need to share their code so their customers can help them out?

Here in Xela, Guatemala, we have switched to Debian GNU/Linux in our Internet Cafe. Now hundreds of travellers and locals have read their email, typed their letters, listened to music, watched videos, played games, download images from their digital cameras, and just generaly explored the new system.

Bienvenida al Internet CELAS Maya.

Amazon says it has saved millions of dollars by switching to Linux.

A paper written by IT lawyer Brendan Scott argues that Total Cost of Ownership will be lower in the long term for Free vs proprietary software. Armed with this knowledge, IT decision makers can concentrate on finding software that meets their requirements. If such software doesn't yet exist, the choice is clear. Or, if there is a suite of Free Software that almost meets the need, the cost of customization can be weighed against the licence fees for equivalent full function proprietary packages.

The paper carefully defines proprietary and Free software and looks at each one's business model. Then it defines TCO and looks at market behaviour for both types of model. Finally, it deduces a set of strategic implications for purchasers. A good crossover read for those interested in copyright history, politics, economics, and software engineering, as well as for practicing IT managers.

There is a paper about weaknesses in Microsoft's Windows Product Activation scheme. It explains how the BSA and Microsoft could abuse WPA to target you.

For the full story.