A Mennucc dijo [Fri, Mar 24, 2006 at 07:41:39PM +0100]: > hi everybody > > According to the latest [1] Microsoft announcement, Vista will be released > in Jan 2007; according to our schedule [2], Etch may be released in Dec 2006. > > If we accomplish it, it will be a great feat: Debian will (possibly) > show it is able to relase two versions of its distribution since Jul > 2002 (= woody release); whereas Microsoft seems unable to release its > own O.S. (even though XP has been out since Dec 2001, if I recall > correctly). > > Yes guys, it means > (...pseudo-stats...) > Amazing. Hi, Free and propietary software development are two beasts so far apart and so different in means, in scope and almost in every conceivable sense that I have to answer to your mail ;-) Don't try to compare "us" and "them". Don't try to turn it into a race. What if we win? What if we lose? Is OpenBSD better because it releases more often and they write all of the code (to their base system)? Are we worse because we take so damn long to release a new stable version, even if we just fix the bugs and package the software but don't always write it ourselves? Then Apple should die quite soon, as MacOS X has not seen a major update since it was born, over six years ago (it was 2000, right?) Different software development projects, different developer communities and different operating systems as a whole cater to different needs. Sometimes we can -carefully- measure certain aspects against each other, but if we want to be fair, if we don't want to be judged as FUD-machines, we should avoid hollow comparisons as this one. Some time ago, I defended Debian's long release cycle by pointing out the average user does not like to change - After all, Windows 98 is still too common everywhere (and I could still say so today, as about half of my Institute's PCs run Win98)... But I would not claim the same today. Once again, Windows and Debian are both operating systems, have both their advantages and disadvantages, but have clearly different intentions. How can we then measure up against Evil Propietary Software? Well, start by believing we are morally superior (which I do believe). Look at the sheer amount of code, and the average quality of two similar pieces of software. Yes, sometimes we will win, sometimes we will lose, but Free Software is maturing and becoming attractive every day for more people. Oh! And the best thing: If you want Debian(/Linux/*BSD/whatever) to beat Windows(/MacOS/HPUX/whatever), there is something very easy you can do: Code, document, report, fix, translate, meet, facilitate. Greetings, -- Gunnar Wolf - gwolf@gwolf.org - (+52-55)5623-0154 / 1451-2244 PGP key 1024D/8BB527AF 2001-10-23 Fingerprint: 0C79 D2D1 2C4E 9CE4 5973 F800 D80E F35A 8BB5 27AF
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