1. I use many GREAT open source software on a daily basis, including OpenOffice 2.

2. I have somewhat low opinion on OpenOffice. Granted, it is a remarkable piece of software for something that's free. But it is still too sluggish for me. It makes me wish our company had chosen Microsoft Office EACH TIME I have to open an office document or presentation. And Calc is simply inferior to MS Excel. MS Office apps are also much faster and sleeker. Hence, I am not sure if the adoption of ODT justifies the loss of productivity.

3. Linux is fine as a desktop OS as long as there's a good team of engineers supporting it and the software installed in it. It is still too difficult for "lesser mortals" to tinker with the way they would in Windows. Many apps don't even automatically create shortcut icons on the menu bar when installed!

4. I still hold the view that open source has its ugly side too. Open source is like someone who approaches your boss and offers to do your job for free. You (who can't work for free) obviously would find it extremely difficult to compete.

People like rijp are virtually guaranteed to post in a story like this. As someone who lives in the USA, I'd like to apologize for their existence, they are a source of global embarrassment, but that's life.

Unfortunately, in a significant part of the United States, ignorance like this is still considered a virtue, as is blind support for USA corporations, even when they no longer even make their products in the USA.

As others pointed out, Norway is significantly richer than the USA, this is not a question of cheapness, it's a question of controlling your own destiny and giving your population free access to the information they paid taxes to the state to maintain. And to be able to access that information without having to buy extremely expensive software sold by a corporation that does nothing for your country. Paying licensing fees to US corporations and locking yourself into those corporation's proprietary formats is stupid if the long term interests of your own population is a goal of your government, which it should be.

Minnesota is also now considering a new law to ban the use of non-free formats. Eventually the only states using MS stuff will be the ones in the South is my guess.

Re hardware detection, I only had to install video drivers on my debian based distro, everything else was recognized out of the box. How can people talk about hardware support when setting up windows on the same box takes hours, reboots, driver installs, reboots, driver installs, etc? Scanner recognized out of the box, everything. There are things that make linux harder for average users, but on most boxes, if you get the right distro, hardware support isn't one of them for most boxes. Not all, some hardware won't be supported, but most is.

I absolutely agree with everything you have said here.

I live in one of those areas of the U.S. where this type of ignornance is considered a virtue and patriotic. The people never cease to amaze me. Of course, I find many of them who have never traveled beyond the borders of their own state, let alone experienced anything else in the world. Probably one of the most rewarding life experiences I've had was living and working for some 12 years in other countries. One learns to "think outside the box."

As for Linux and hardware detection, you are quite correct. Most of the complaints about hardware detection are from those who have not tried Linux distros for the past two years or so, I'm sure. I have three Linux only systems here, plus a wireless laptop. All are built with current, modern hardware and I've never experienced a hardware support issue, right out of the box. That includes using digital cameras, jump drives and my SATA RAID array.

Sure, I've had to install the video driver and proprietary audio and video packages, but if one spends a few minutes reading, it's merely a matter of adding repository sources with SUSE Linux (much the same with other distro's, I'm sure) and everything is automatically installed and working. Such has been my experience for the past three versions of SUSE.

There is a learning curve, whether with Windows or Linux...it's just a matter of if one is willing to invest the time. Having only used Linux for over a year now, I find working on a Windows system to be confusing at times. If one had no experience with either Windows or Linux, I'd suspect the confusion and learning curve would be about the same.

Yes, you're both correct. And reaching out to open source does not mean being anti-business: it's just a commitment to have ALL one's citizens well-educated & provided with decent tools-- to wit: good internet access=broadband/good computer system/good os & work software-- AND to have all its society be able to seamlessly communicate & interface.
So, as with say, ensuring education or medical treatment for all: some will choose community colleges & generic drugs, those willing to spend more will steer towards Ivy League schools & name-brands: and this is not detrimental at all to for-profit entities.

That's how you improve a country & promote business-- esp. small business--, stay competitive vs cheap foreign outsourcing, etc.: with a strong population base stoked with minimum tools & standards, that can easily interface, integrate, contribute(on the cheap if/wherever necessary--)...without having significant numbers of its population effectively barred from participating.
And sadly, this is not happening here in America: there are too many have & have-not gaps-- esp. re technology: it seems like bleeding-edge innovations are enjoyed first in Asia & Europe-- esp. by significant proportions of the populace, before they slowly make their way here.

And yes re the latest Linux: for the most part, one is able to clean install os/apps/internet access much faster & seamlessly: if this wasn't so, businesses & governments would not be attracted: additional costs re IT / Tech Support, downtime / lost productivity, etc. would overwhelm the initial $$ advantage-- people aren't stupid-- and when significant numbers gravitate from the status quo & make a change in some direction-- it's for a reason.

And also yes re living abroad: it does NOT mean one will turn into a liberal coward; one just learns more-- whether languages or education/life in general. Anyone spending any significant time abroad anywhere(meaning actually being a part of the society: studying and working)-- usually comes back more intelligent, with a stronger work ethic.

Hat's off to you, gentlemen.

Regards,
Ruemere

PS. Competition is good for everyone. Linux is improving, too, thanks to compteing with Windows, after all.

WTG Norway! Cutting government spending is good, right? Or is it only good until it effects your favorite corporate greed machine???

hmmmmmmmm.......

Norway: the country of Europe's most un-inhibited ladies, and as well its fastest & cheapest broadband(25-50mb) for years now--- if it wasn't for that pecker-shrinking cold i'd'a been there long time ago.

I'll give anyone credit for not sucking at the corporation's hind tit. If it saves their citizens serious millions or billions of Euros — or Kroner — then they empower themselves even farther in future decades.

ummm, yah, ok, just a little racist. you wouldn't be american by chance eh?

i think it's great other counties are adopting their own standards. why should everyone use microsoft? maybe we'll finally get some choice when installing an OS, besides windows A or windows B.

i think they should eliminate these monopolizing patents and copyrights so other OS's can install Windows programs legally. after all the program being installed isn't owned by microsoft, so the process of running it shouldn't be owned by them either.

Long term, and I'm talking over the next 2-3 decades here, I wonder how many countries will have gone done this path?

Let's face it - Norway, like many countries, has plenty of programmers of their own. Once they've made the split, is there really any purpose in going back?

As long as open standards are followed regarding data formats then this should cause no issues whatsoever.

Its always foreign countries that are interested in Open Source. I think its because they are CHEAP! Or they have a problem with American Companies...

Yeap.

Massachusetts is another cheap foreign country which has a problem with American companies.

It's strange how there always seems to people who are just intolerant of other people's actions, even when it clearly doesn't have any impact on themselves.

Also, this is Norway's *government* we're talking about. They have their national security to worry about too. After all, they are currently using propietary software developed by a *foreign* government.

People can still use Windows at home, you know!

If Linux or Unix had the same level of hardware support as Windows I would switch to *nix in a heartbeat. Other than hardware support Windows has no benefits whatsoever over *nix.

I agree... I make full use of my computer: audio, video, scanner, printer... If i could easily find these devices that run on linux, and do it well... It would definately be my primary OS. Well, it still pretty much is my primary :)

Just a month ago got rid of Windows after a year of using Linux as a secondary OS.

You want a linux distro with hardware support? Try Kanotix.

I think it's because:

"Norway said Friday that it plans to wean itself from dependence on large corporations like Microsoft by increasing the use of open source software within government agencies." and;

"The allure of open source to governments is great -- a lack of licensing fees means much lower IT costs, and greater flexibility to adapt programs to their specific needs."

Cheap is a good trait in this case. And politicians in the EU don't get paid (donations) by MS while campaigning.

"I think"

C'mon, no way. You can't really expect us to believe that. Seriously???

I'll bet you vote for tax cuts, too. Huh?

Norway is the worlds richest country per inhabitant. Money = no problem

btw:

the norwegian shcool system have just wasted 30M$ on buying Windows Xp to all of the computers. :(

I thought calling Massachusetts a foreign country would be enough to make my sarcasm clear. Was it?

I thought calling Massachusetts a foreign country would be enough to make my sarcasm clear. Was it?

SJ: just install any good distro: try Ubuntu. Linux recognizes peripherals-- the network as well--much, much easier than Windows. One CANNOT clean install windows & whatever third-party apps even remotely as fast as Linux...

Just as clear as mine. ;o)

Yeap.

And Minnesota too.

(well, Minnesota is full of Scandinavian DNA, maybe that's why. It really IS another cheap foreign country... :-) )

Survey says people choose open source not because it's free, nor because it's Free, but because they want to have complete control over their computers and their data. It's like owning instead of renting.