Toolkit
Story: Microsoft: Africa doesn't need free software
Posted by: MacIvan Davies (Friday 13 January 2006, 1:25 AM)
Let us be honest about the differences between open source/free source products and Microsoft products. Microsoft has dominated because of 'ease of use'. The same cannot be said of opensource/free products.
Microsoft products(including operating systems) are initially expensive but support costs(personnel) are cheaper in the long term.
The intelligence level required to support free/opensource products(including operating systems) is higher than that required for microsoft.
Africa has a high level of illiteracy.
Free/open source products are not well supported.
Training Africans in open source products will take a longer time.
Invariably, Africans will end up having to hire expensive personnel from Europe. Even though it will appear that they have received free software, they will end up paying more in consultancy fees. Hence, free is not really free at all.
What is the point of having a free software that you cannot utilise fully when you need?
Full Talkback thread
Story: Microsoft: Africa doesn't need free software
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Dear ZD, Free and Open Source software are not the... Anonymous -
Linux isn't hard to use. Yes it's different t... Richard -
Of course cost is not an issue! With all... Some Dude -
You can sell people expensive software
and they ST... cyber_rigger
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Just the great M$ FUD machine at work...next they... Anonymous
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If you are going to introduce computers to someone... oldator
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There's Logic and there's MS logic. They're not th... deputydawg
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Sometimes I wonder if M$ is in a fantasy world. It... ThePriest
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Reminds me of an episode in Muppets show. The Drum... Goran
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Microsoft once again dominates the discussion by m... QuantumG
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This should have been titled, 'Microsoft: We Promo... Rodd Clarkson
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Oh thank you very much, Microsoft
In my experience... Paul Sephton
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Looks like we've come full-circle. In the be... Anonymous
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Another piece of FUD from M$. At the point using o... Andrij Zinchenko
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Microsoft should keep their corporate rant out of... Adam Brown
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What absolute nonsense.
I'm a South African living... Henry
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Fucking Stupid statement by Microshaft.
I'm p... Avender
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Africa does not need free software- AFRICA does no... Dr. T.
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Microsoft is arrogant, and they're about to begin... Anonymous
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Bullshit! I live in Africa,I've taught IT in Afric... Reme Verster
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Welcome to Microsloth Windoze.... the world's... M. Storm
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Africa is vast. There are so many areas that are n... Epa Mella
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MS people are very stupid. One thing is what they... LuisCipher
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Africa certainly doesn't need Microsoft software.... Phillip Soltan
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Great idea.
Racism aside, by the time MS considers... A. Lizard
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Hmmm Shall I eat or shall I buy the latest upgrade... Anonymous
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*laughs cynically* It's more like this, "train peo... Anonymous
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To this stupid declaration I just say:
Viva Mark S... Jean Ferri
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Africa does not want Microsoft! Trust it from a na... Nic I.
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This is exactly analogous to the ploy that MS... Matthew Fitzgibbons
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Microsft is terribly wrong fo thinking that Africa... Juma
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To have the expertise to use software they need go... Tawatchai Iempairote
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I am amused by the arguments made by the Nigerian... rayborn
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It is often said that many of the major problems i... bimbayo TM
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What you think you save now is usually what you ha... Arthur B.
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Ridiculous Microsoft.
No doubt that Africans will... Sensi
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Well maybe if they spent less time faking email mo... yea Right
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one question to microsoft.
wich would you use?
1.... Pierre Nyström
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Let us be honest about the differences between ope... MacIvan Davies -
Microsoft point of view carries no water - and sho... Daniel van Lill
