For one step on the Wintel treadmill but NT 4 is ancient. There would have been two steps by now. Ballmer made his sweet offer only after GNU/Linux looked like it was going to win. Ballmer doesn’t run a charity and he had interrupted his vacation to try to rescue the situation. Money was not the most important factor at the time; independence was.

“After the result of the client study produced a broad balance between two alternatives, the Munich City Council decided in early summer 2003 for a greater vendor independence, more competition in the software market, as well as improved access to the strategic objectives of the City of Munich.”

Stop running in circles, Pogson.

Continuing with Windows would’ve been cheaper — with or without Ballmer’s offer. It was said so in Munich’s very own pre-study.

Also, apart from Munich’s mayor waxing some rhetoric about how Limux saves money, there is as of yet no hard evidence whatsoever to support this claim.

“Mongrol wrote some more stuff in post 85.”

All I’ve posted are questions, which you have not yet answered, facts – your own words – my observations on them, and some advice.

You’ve just been re-stating the same outrageous crap that started this whole sad affair, and then trying stop it being discussed by derailing it into your usual “Cult of Microsoft” garbage.

“You can dig yourself in deeper if you wish Mongrol.”

Don’t make me laugh.

You actually try to spin this as if I’m the one in the wrong, or I’m th eone losing this argument. You really are a bear of very little brain, aren’t you?

You’re the one in the hole of your own digging, and if you dig yourself in any deeper, you’ll need a Chinese phrase-book.

“If you do, go ahead, it won’t hurt me any.”

Which is why you’ve spent part of this thread trying to justify what you said, making the situation worse. Now you just wait for Robert to bury the blog post under new articles and for this abject humiliation of yours to go away.

‘Nope. Munich barely increased manpower while increasing numbers of PC, so manpower’s a wash. Licensing though, is huge.’

I don’t think I need to explain to you what a “balance sheet” is, but to belabour my point, the act of waving your arms in the air does not constitute a balance sheet.

I hope I have made that clear for you.

Nope. Munich barely increased manpower while increasing numbers of PC, so manpower’s a wash. Licensing though, is huge. They costed out migrating (planning, doing, training) against one round of M$’s licensing, a sweet deal Ballmer offered, and it was about a wash. Now to go to “7″ or “8″ on another round completely tilts the scales in favour of migration unless you think M$ would give them a free ride forever… What’s the cost of one round of licensing on 15K PCs? Say $50 for the OS and $100 for the office suite and you come to $150X15K = $2,250,000. Then there are those other apps… No, taking everything in their own hands saves them a bundle every few years forever. I am sure they could have reduced manpower considerably by switching to thin clients but they chose not to do that. Ude also reported there were many fewer work orders so they may reduce staffing after the migration is finished this year.

The only thing that makes Munich seem doubtful was the huge number of apps and templates needing migration. That’s something they likely would have attacked even if they had stayed with M$ so that’s not entirely fairly placed on the GNU/Linux column. ie. Even staying with M$ they could have reduced the number of applications and templates and installed a management system for them.

Fans of M$ keep harping that M$ magically saves them money in exchange for the licensing fees but they provide no spreadsheets of their own. Certainly on migrations that I did in schools, break-even was on Day One just for the costs of licensing. Then there’s keeping equipment 10 years instead of 3 or 4… There’s no way it pays to keep M$ for the whole system.

‘Supporting M$ is a crime. A crime is a serious offence against society. You bet sending $billions down the drain every year to support M$ is $billions unavailable to feed the hungry, care for the elderly, widows and orphans, and to make the world a better place.’

Again, as I haved mentioned here, it’s not your part to decide what’s best for everyone. Look, last month I spent my own money on an expensive meal instead of donated it all to a charity. Did I commit a crime? Should we all go with pitch forks and torches and burn down the restaurant for good? What kind of mentality is this you are trying to advocate here to be exact?

‘The trigger for the migration to GNU/Linux in Munich was the forced migration away from NT4. M$ was responsible for that forced migration. It affected thousands in the City of Munich and many millions elsewhere.’

No. Unless MS was surrounding the city with armies and tanks, it was the City of Munich’s decision to migrate. Also, I welcome you to whip out a balance sheet and show me exactly how much they have saved with the migration, but, until then, the money-saving power of Limux remains a belief, not a fact.

And you compare the actions of a software company to mass-murder and genocide. This is not a case of “pot and kettle”. I am not the one coming out with the outrageous statements.

“I did not mention Microsoft, did I? I was actually speaking of you and the other Cult of Microsoft members.”

I did not mention Microsoft either, until YOU DID.

I wrote; “You would equate criticism of software to the Holocaust? Apartheid? The Rwandan genocides? ”

Mentions of Microsoft: ZERO. Denials from you: ZERO.

You have since that post, REPEATEDLY STATED Microsoft’s actions are “a crime against humanity” in this thread.

“Does it matter if I said I think you are a fool or if I punched you in the face.”

You advocate violence against those you disagree with, too??

“Stymie and criticize are interchangeable? Only in your Cult of Microsoft dreams.”

I repeat for the hard of understanding; it does not matter a jot what you wrote or meant.

You equate software and the actions of a software company to MASS-MURDER AND GENOCIDE.

“Were Standard Oil and Bell “crimes against humanity” too? Of course not, and they were monopolists to a degree Microsoft could only dream of.”

You’re doing that comparison thing again. “See? Other companies in the past have done horrible things to the public, Microsoft is just following in the footsteps of common, good ole American business practices.”

Gee Mongrol, I haven’t looked into Standard Oil and Bell that much, what do you think?

I’ll tell you what I think. I think you’ve done a slam dunk on this post. It was supposed to be about banning abusive commenters, but you and TEG have turned it into post about FLOSS advocates accusing Microsoft of crimes against humanity. Pretty good work since that is not what I said at all now isn’t it. Tell the truth now you angry little Cult of Microsoft follower! I said: “FLOSS is a different story. Attempting to stymie its growth is a crime against humanity in my opinion.” I did not mention Microsoft, did I? I was actually speaking of you and the other Cult of Microsoft members. Since Microsoft is trying to kill FLOSS, it too can be included with your lot. But it was you who stuck Microsoft into the mix, not us. You instinctively knee-jerked into Microsoft defense mode.

Now you said a lot of crap about me that you seem to believe should be addressed. Well, it was mostly circular logic.

You asked a question, it mentioned the holocaust. What difference does it make if it was a question or a statement. I know, you’ll find some important difference.

“It matters not a jot whether you meant “criticize” or “stymie”.”

Excuse me? Who does it not matter too? Does it matter if I said black and not white? Does it matter if I said I think you are a fool or if I punched you in the face. Two different words, two different meanings, two very different outcomes. Stymie and criticize mean two completely different things. It does matter a jot. One is expressing an opinion, the other is trying to stop someone from accomplishing a task. One is passive the other is active.

This is by-the-book Cult of Microsoft behavior. Stretching the limits of all the possible negative aspects of other people statements while changing the meanings of the words when needed. Stymie and criticize are interchangeable? Only in your Cult of Microsoft dreams.

Please provide thereferences to the laws on the books that state exactly what you stated above…

Really Pog, have you no shame!

If you wish to say that it is your opinion, once could see that statement as at lease an accurate representatiuon of your opinion if nothing else.

As a direct assertion of fact it is a load of crap!