Enterprise open source Toolkit

Story: Bursting the proprietary-software bubble

• 
• 

Another Open Source biased story!

I am no proprietory fan myself but I did think this story was slightly biased.

Firstly, companies will probably already have a significant investment in up-to-date proprietory software such as MS Office. This investment will get them through the breakfast cereal sounding 'Credit Crunch'.

Proprietory software does have a cost because you have to dump your existing investment and then implement your new system(s) and then re-train all your staff to use it (up until office 2007, if you had used 1 office toolbar, you could quite easily use them all due to its standardised interface that most people are used to).

Also...there is no mention of supply and demand. Surely if there was no demand for MS Office at its current price then Microsoft would have no choice but to lower it to a level that did create demand. As it happens they haven't been forced to do this and so as prices are stable, I would assume that the supply and demand balance is currently very good.

Lastly, I think that it is important to remember that although for example, Open Office is free and MS Office 2007 pro isn't...look at the vast difference between them in terms of looks etc. Office 2003/2007 look like serious bits of software where as openoffice looks like something that should be free...the interface reminds me of an old version of MS Works.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Full Talkback thread