GM still paying Microsoft.... could consider open source software

[HysteryDiagnosis]

but chooses not to. Does this or does this not add considerably to GM's operating costs??

http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/05/14/gm-still-uses-xp-and-is-considering-bypassing-vista

GM still uses XP, and is considering "bypassing Vista"

By Emil Protalinski | Published: May 14, 2008 - 03:51PM CT

General Motors (GM), the world's fourth largest company in terms of revenue, might be going down a path that would make Microsoft very unhappy. According to an interview between BusinessWeek and GM's Chief Systems & Technology Officer Fred Killeen, the company may choose to wait for the next version of Windows: "We're considering bypassing Vista and going straight to Windows 7."

The reason for this decision, according to Kileen, is that GM's software vendors haven't ensured all their programs will run on Vista and many of GM's PCs can't even handle Vista. The company would rather replace these computers later, rather than sooner. "By the time we'd replace them, Windows 7 might be ready anyway," Killeen says. Until then, Windows XP will work just fine.

BusinessWeek names two other companies with the same mentality as GM: Alaska Airlines, and Transco Railway Products. It's difficult to actually measure what the majority of businesses are doing, but the fact that OEMs have gotten around the XP June 30 cutoff speaks for itself.

[Phred42]

1. IBM is now offering PC's with Linux

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1460599,00.asp

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Check out this resource page and consider whether or not GM

and others are paying royalties to Mr. Bill for systems running on their cars and trucks. Better business decisions are waiting to be made on this front.

http://www.linux.org/vendor/system/index.html

[Phred42]

10. GM paying royalities for OS in the on-board CAR system?!

Hadn't heard that one

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. Well, I mean, that have to be running some sort of operating

system.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/wce/evaluate/autofaq.mspx?mfr=true

Auto PC: Frequently Asked Questions
Updated: January 1, 1998

Thinking about purchasing Auto PC for business or personal use? Here are the most-often-asked questions about Auto PC and the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system.
View all answers
Q. What is the Auto PC?
A.

The Auto PC powered by Microsoft Windows CE 2.0 is a complete information and entertainment system for your automobile. This powerful in-dash device has a speech interface that you can use to:
•

Easily access phone numbers and addresses, which you can use to control your cellular phone or prompt Auto PC for driving directions.
•

Listen to e-mail and real-time traffic reports you receive through wireless support.
•

Control the high-end digital audio system.

The Auto PC helps you make the most of your driving experience–while you keep your eyes on the road.
Q. Where does the Auto PC go in my car?
A.

The Auto PC conveniently fits into the space normally occupied by your in-dash radio. The Auto PC faceplate and button design look similar to a standard radio as well.
Q. How do I use an Auto PC while I'm driving?
A.

The Auto PC features an intuitive speech interface that allows you to use simple voice commands–and keep your hands and eyes focused on driving. The advanced speech technology is speaker independent, recognizing voice commands for a variety of speakers, and works even in a noisy car.

The speech interface can be tailored to meet your specific needs. You can create shortcuts (voice tags) to frequently used features and even modify the way that the Auto PC speaks to you. Additionally, you are able to preset your audio system's equalizer settings and your favorite radio stations, and assign them voice tags that you can control them with using voice commands.
Q. What is Windows CE?
A.

Microsoft Windows CE is a new operating system built from the ground up to make possible new categories of business and consumer devices that can communicate with each other, exchange information and synchronize with Windows-based computers, and connect to the Internet.
Q. What does the "CE" stand for?
A.

"CE" doesn't represent a single concept, but rather implies a number of Windows CE design precepts, including "Compact, Connectable, Compatible, and Companion."
Q. Can I install Windows CE on my computer or personal digital assistant?
A.

The Windows CE operating system is not designed to run on a desktop or laptop computer or a third-party personal digital assistant. Unlike the Windows 95 or Windows NT® operating system, you will not find Windows CE retailing as a software product in stores. Windows CE is preinstalled in read-only memory (ROM) on Auto PCs and Handheld PCs, which are available in computer and consumer electronics stores and from Microsoft Certified Solution Providers.
Q. How does the Auto PC work with my notebook PC, Handheld PC, and cellular phone?
A.

With the Auto PC, you can transfer data to and from other handheld and notebook computers using the infrared port. Additionally, you can send data from your desktop computer to your Auto PC using the optional wireless support.

You can also integrate your existing cellular phone and auto-dial telephone numbers from the Auto PC Address Book using voice commands with third-party add-on products.
Q. Can I receive e-mail with an Auto PC?
A.

With an Auto PC, you can stay connected to your e-mail. You can enable e-mail services to your Auto PC so that important messages follow you wherever you go.
Q. Will I be able to add more programs to my Auto PC?
A.

Yes, the Auto PC is an open and extensible environment and we expect programs to be available from a variety of developers specifically for the Auto PC environment. Additionally, Microsoft continues to conduct end-user research and listen to customer requests for enhancements to Windows CE and existing Auto PC programs. We are currently evaluating a number of products and improvements. Customers who would like to make specific suggestions and share product ideas for Windows CE for Auto PC should send e-mail messages to [e-mail].
Q. What additional software is available for the Auto PC?
A.

To date, more than 1,000 developers have enrolled in the Windows CE Technical Beta Program. The Windows CE-based development environment takes advantage of the expertise that thousands of software developers already have with Windows-based programming interfaces and tools.

Familiar off-the-shelf tools, including the Microsoft Visual C++® development system set, and a comprehensive subset of Win32® application programming interfaces mean that developers can use their existing skills to create additional programs and custom solutions for the Windows CE operating system.
Q. Where can I purchase an Auto PC?
A.

Leading consumer electronics and computer stores in the United States carry the Auto PC. The Auto PC is also being installed by leading automobile manufacturers in new vehicles.
Q. How much does the Auto PC cost?
A.

Microsoft does not set the price for the Auto PC with Windows CE 2.0. While there is no suggested retail price, actual prices for base configurations start at about $1,000. The pricing for a particular model depends on many factors, such as the options the Auto PC manufacturer chooses to include.

The Auto PC represents an extensive value: 16-bit digital audio system, cool graphical interface, voice control with speech feedback, integrated navigation and address book, PC data exchange, and a library of third-party add-on applications. The Auto PC offers a high-price value relationship compared with stand-alone navigation systems and digital audio systems.
Q. Does Microsoft manufacture the Auto PC?

[Phred42]

15. Guess I thought they wrote their own OS for that

My bad..........

:banghead:

so wouldn't you love to know how much THAT royalty adds to the price of a car?

"...Starting at $1000" holy shit. They like to quote $1500 as the added price of employee health care on each car.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

17. Isn't it great that someone is bringing this to the light of day? n/t

[Phred42]

16. I missunderstood this

I thought we were talking about the on-board computer that controls the cars systems. The Auto PC looks to be an add on - that controls things NOT related to the operating of the vehicle.

Right?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

18. You are probably correct on that one... but if there is some MS

stuff on board as an OEM feature... I need to search some more.

[Renew Deal]

6. Great, not get their apps to run on it, commit resources to the migration, retrain their people

And actually do the migration. See how much money is "saved."

[Phred42]

11. Lik any Unix-based system - it puts a lot of people to work

SAP for example

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. That's a four year old article

:rofl:

[Wapsie B]

2. With big-ticket items in corporations it can be monkey-see monkey do.

One company has it because those who they know have it. I don't know what large corporations are on the open-source bandwagon but GM certainly won't be the one to lead the way.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. This is one stipulation that should be added to the bailout/loan

agreement that "could" lead them to a more profitable position in the industry.

[Renew Deal]

5. Open source software doesn't save you anything in a serious corporate environment.

And GM isn't the only large company skipping Vista.

[rucky]

7. Yep. You'll need developers 24/7

and GM would likely offshore that work.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Alrighty then, square this article.

>>As we said in our “Trends in Open Source” research paper: “Open source technology is providing organizations with the ability to rapidly implement new business solutions. Organizations throughout the world are saving billions of dollars per year by using and implementing open source solutions. Other organizations are earning new revenue and satisfying users’ expectations through the use of open source solutions. The open source movement is advancing because of feature-rich, secure, high-quality, reliable software with compelling economic benefits.”<<

http://www.softwaremag.com/L.cfm?Doc=1145-6/2008


| SoftwareMag Login | Register |
Application Development
Commentary (June, 2008)


Savings in Open Source Confirmed
by Jim Johnson

Most CIOs believe they are saving money using open source software; The Standish Group did some research of its own and calculated the true size of the open source market as it compares with the closed source market


On April 16, 2008, The Standish Group released a report titled “Trends in Open Source.” That same day, we put out a press release that said, “Free Open Source Software Is Costing Vendors $60 Billion.” There has been much blogging and discussion around how we came to this conclusion.

The report itself discusses The Standish Group’s research study of the top 10 drivers that are influencing decisions on how IT is adopting open source technology, and very little on the size of the open source market. In fact, the only place that the report addresses this area is in the summary, with these few words: “If product and service revenue were calculated at commercial prices, the Open Source Initiative would be the largest software company in the world, outselling Microsoft, Oracle, and Computer Associates combined.” In 2007, Software Magazine’s Software 500 ranking showed the combined software and services revenue of Microsoft, Oracle, and Computer Associates to be $58 billion.

The Standish Group relies only on its own original qualified research and uses no secondary research. The main instrument for this report was our Demand Assessment Requirements Tracking Survey (DARTS) on Open Source, conducted during the month of February for the last five years. This article provides a view into our thought process and how we came to our estimate of $60 billion.

Method 1 (Ongoing): Worldwide IT spending is more than $3 trillion per year, and, before this latest slowdown, had been growing at around 6 percent per year. Our DARTS numbers indicate that CIOs estimate that they save 6.2 percent of their IT budget based on using open source products. (See Fig. 1.) If we simply take the $3 trillion and multiply it by 6.2 percent, we get an average savings of $186 billion. This gives us our first savings range of $186 billion.

However, we know that ongoing cost equals 70 percent of the IT budget. This gives us a base number of $2.1 trillion. If we take our 6.2 percent savings, this would lead us to conclude that the ongoing savings is $130 billion. Later we need to add back the 30 percent for new projects. A third of the $3 trillion of the IT budget is product spending. Taking our 6.2 savings percent and multiplying it by $1 trillion gives us $62 billion in product and service savings. This money would normally go to product and service vendors. Therefore, using this method, the range is between $62 billion and $186 billion.

Method 2 (Product List): First we listed the major open source products. Then we looked at the commercial equivalents. Next we looked at the average cost of both the open source products and the commercial products, giving us a net commercial cost. We then multiplied the net cost of the commercial product by our open source shipping estimates. This gave us a number below the $60 billion, but we then considered other open source products and services. Plus we needed to look back at previous years to consider the installed base for the loss of add-ons, upgrades, and service revenue.

When we do these additional calculations, we rapidly get more than $60 billion in lost revenue. In addition, price pressure is being put on all commercial software. This is good for the user, but bad for the supplier. These reductions should also be considered as free and open source software (FOSS) savings, even when you are not using FOSS.

[thunder rising]

9. Oh, I need to see the links to the studies. That statement is a myth.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Ubuntu is ready now.

Wine under Ubuntu runs legacy windows apps better than Vista.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

14. This I can believe. n/t

[DainBramaged]

19. Told ya so, Neener-neener

Vista=warm fox piss.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

20. That's an insult to foxii...... gonna call PETA now... n/t

[Odin2005]

21. The Corporatists would love to destroy the Open Source movement.

The Corporatists want everything to be a commodity to be bought and sold so they can parasitically exact wealth from the system.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

22. I'd like to know why software.... ooooh ones and zeros doesn't have

a copyright limit... why doesn't it run out after a time? I figure with the grief 95, 98, 98SE, and ME gave COUNTLESS consumers AND business persons... that 2000 and XP shoulda been free, or people should have been paid to run it.

[Greyhound]

23. You noticed, how un-american of you.

IMO, ME was the worst, an outright fraud that was so bad it could not be fixed.

If an auto manufacturer, for example, made and sold a car as bad as ME, between the recalls and lawsuits, it would have bankrupt the company. But M$ was allowed to just walk away with the billions it took for flogging this piece of shit with absolutely no consequences at all.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

24. For your reading pleasure......

Microsoft vs. General Motors

At a recent computer expo, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car
.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "General Protection Fault" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time GM introduced a new car
, car buyers would have to learn to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

[Greyhound]

27. For yours; Computer Airliner

At a recent software engineering management course in the US, the
participants were given an awkward question to answer. "If you had
just boarded an airliner and discovered that your team of programmers
had been responsible for the flight control software how many of you
would disembark immediately?"

Among the ensuing forest of raised hands, only one man sat motionless.
When asked what he would do, he replied that he would be quite content
to stay onboard.

With his team's software, he said, the plane was unlikely to even taxi
as far as the runway, let alone take off.
:rofl:

[Synicus Maximus]

28. An Oldie but a goodie

I believe it was originally written for Win 95

[HysteryDiagnosis]

25. Hardware conflicts?? What do you mean, hardware conflicts?? n/t

[Greyhound]

31. LOL! I just listened to the old Windoze parody from 95-96. I forgot how similar

the complaints were then to today.
:rofl:

[Greyhound]

33. You'd think that after 30 years, M$ would have learned to write solid code by now. n/t

Now that the last pseudo-techie is no longer with the parasite, it looks like things will go from bad to worse...

[Synicus Maximus]

29. Wasn't that a Ford Pinto?

[Greyhound]

30. LOL! No, only a few Pintos blew up.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

32. Wow... I can have all of that for the low low price of two hundred

and something?? Deal!!

[gravity]

34. Open source software still costs money to run

It might not be the most economic option when they already paid for Windows XP.