[ILUG] Why use linux - getting slides ready for the expo

[C Hennessy]

Hi all,
	I am trying to get some info sheets together for the eXPO
next week. I know that I probably have some spelling mistakes in the 
following, but MUCH more important than that is the fact that there 
are many facts that I am not sure of - which I need your help for!
Also if you would like to suggest anything which I need to add, or
prefer that I would remove - do not hesitate in expressing your
opinion.
Especially please look at those things which you think that I may be
missing or have incorrect, and most especially the "?" marks :-)

I intend to put the following in slide format which we could print
and show as slides using [Star|K|Other?]Office.

Obviously suggestions for formatting are also welcome.

Please keep in mind that what I have written is aimed at manager types
rather than "normal" types :-)

Anyway enough of that - here is what I have so far :

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY IS LINUX USEFUL FOR ME ?

***Linux : Business sense....

Built on proven technology 
	which other well know competitors are just trying to emulate

	Internet and networks originally build around this technology

	Security built-in from the begining for users and processes

	Built with multiple users using the system at the same time

	Shared libraries

Virus free 

High availability 
	average uptime is ? weeks/months
	normal use will not cause Linux to crash or reboot

Highly secure user system

Linux support can be had in 3 different ways
   o    free by using all the support groups on 
        the internet - FAQs, HOW-TOs, newsgroups
   o    by taking a support contract available
        from many different organizations
   o    by having an inhouse expert

Turn around for bug fixing in days not months
	- as there are thousands of developers contributing from 
	around the world ( estimate is over 10,000 developers/testers )

Graphical user interface on a par with Windows
 
No proprietor of Linux

Linux costs nothing to install and to use
	no license needed

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux : Current usage

31% market share of public Web sites ( and growing )
	The next most popular OS has only 20 percent.

24% of all shipped servers in 1999 ( up from 15% in 1998 )
	Linus is the only OS with growing market share. 

?% of destop systems

?% of set-top boxes

Over 7.5 ??? million users world wine (this is from Microsofts page :-)
	so I am sure that it is more than this now.

Strongly supported by the biggest software companies :
	IBM, SAP, Oracle, Corel, Infomix, AOL/Netscape, ?????

Strongly supported by the biggest computer hardware companies :
	IBM, Dell, Compaq, Gateway, HP, Intel, ....

In Ireland relied on by : unisom, ????

Current heavy duty applications as:
	web server ( apache - which runs on 56% ? of all web servers )
	mail servers
	ftp servers
	DNS servers
	MS Windows file server
	print servers
	application servers

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux: Future usage:
forecasts of market share within 1 to 2 years ?

new technologies ? intel, transmeta, bluetooth, 

availablity of expertise : college, hackers, ....

others ????

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux : *Technical sense....

Source code available so ->
	reconfiguration is always possible and is easy
	fixing bugs or changing behaviour is always possible

Small kernel size and light processor usage 
	code base is just over 1.5 million lines of code

Strong multiprocessor support

Ability to read and write the most common file systems
	NFS, MSDOS, Windows 2000?, Solaris, Apple Macintosh, AIX, OS2, ??

Ability to receive and send the most common LAN protocols
	Ethernet, SMB, IPX, Wireless LAN, X25, LAPB, ISP protocols

Leading edge technology support
	IrDA, USB, Fire-Wire, all levels of RAID, IPv6

Bleeding edge support
	I20, Intels new processors, Transmeta chips, PDAs

Journalled file system support
	
Many OS's supporting Linux
	PC Solaris, SCO, ? real-time OS's ?

Many platforms directly supported
	Alpha, PowerPC, S/390, Sparc, X86, MIPS, ARM, M680x0   

Many platforms indirectly supported
	Palms, SGI, UltraSPARC, HPPA?, ..... others ???

Distributed/paralled/clustered computing very well supported
	Beowolf, MOSIX, others ?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not planning to include the following in the slides.

Sources:
(cd /usr/src/linux; menu xconfig) :-)
http://www.prenhall.com/developers_resource_series/linux/html/summar.html
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2560523,00.html
http://www.linux.org.uk/WhatIs.html
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/trial/schmal/III.htm
	( this doc states that "Linux a viable alternative" )!! Can we use that ?
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