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U.S. DOT considers switch to Mac, Linux

updated 01:05 pm EST, Mon March 5, 2007

DOT may switch to Mac

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has banned Windows Vista, Office 2007, and Internet Explorer 2007 from its offices, and is considering switching its operations to Macs and PCs running Novell's SuSe Linux. The DOT enacted the ban in mid-January, according to one blogger, because certain applications essential to the agency's function can't run on Windows Vista. Microsoft has attracted intense criticism over its new operating system since it began shipping earlier this year, lacking proper driver software for a wide array of devices and utilizing a new user interface that closely resembles Apple's Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger system. Apple is also taking aim at the enterprise market with its upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard release, which incorporates numerous features that cater to large business needs.

by MacNN Staff

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rvhernandez
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

0

03/05, 01:24pm | report spam | close Reply |
Tax money

This is better use of our tax money. Why should half of IT's budget be used for fighting MS flaws?

dynsight
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Joined: May 2005

0

03/05, 01:45pm | report spam | close Reply |
Makes Little Sense

I am all for this as well, but if there applications work fine on XP, but won't work on Vista, they most certainly will not work on either Linux or OS X.

climacs
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

0

03/05, 02:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
parallels

I don't know if it is suitable to an enterprise environment, but in case you have not heard dynsight, the Macintel's can run both OS X and XP concurrently, when Parallels is installed.

jvoskuil
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2006

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03/05, 02:07pm | report spam | close Reply |
overstated

According to the article quoted in the article quoted in this article (does anyone bother to read the original?), the DOT chief technology officer is "weighing as a possible alternative or complement to Windows Vista" the option of Macs "for a limited group of users." That's a far cry from "switching its operations to Macs...."

fsauer1
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Joined: Jul 2002

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03/05, 02:20pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not Likely

As a former gov. exec (SES level) in IT, you can be sure that the pressure to conform that will come from the Gov't CIO council, plus MS lobbying with key congressional staffers, will kill any effort before it even gets up any momentum. This will include any "limited group". CIO-types in gov't interested in Macs should do their innovations quietly, with no fanfare or publicity, if they want any flexibility in doing what's best for their department.

fsauer1
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Joined: Jul 2002

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03/05, 02:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
"Yellow Journalism"

Having now read the orginal article, this MaCNN article is out and out misleading. There is no consideration of "switching" to Mac by the DOT. There is no statement by the DOT saying they are even considering any switch. Looking at "options" is a far cry from "considering a swtich. In fact, DOT states that they will stick with XP Pro for the time being. Shame on you, MacCNN

Eccent
Forum Regular

Joined: Dec 1999

0

03/05, 03:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
To which you say,

Go get 'em Tiger.

chas_m
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Joined: Aug 2001

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03/05, 03:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
I'll bet

one personal visit by Steve Jobs to the head of the DOT would erase all the years of MS lobbying almost overnight.

Apple should really consider "deploying" personal visits by Steve as a carrot when the account potential is big enough.

hokizpokis
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Joined: Jan 2007

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03/05, 05:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
entirely bogus article

fsauer1 is right on the money here; as usual this macnn article is just lame.

maybe try another line of work instead like boxing; blah, blah, blah...

Cadilicsp
Banned

Joined: Mar 2007

0

03/06, 07:44am | report spam | close Reply |
What if Gold PSP Come?

A New Treat To Apple TV: PlayStation 3 movie downloads

"Now Sony has indicated the introduction of a movie download service for the PlayStation 3, to match the Xbox 360, the console war has moved into new territory - territory Apple has already marked as its own"

More: www.mobile-video-converter.com/news

Cadilicsp
Banned

Joined: Mar 2007

0

03/06, 07:49am | report spam | close Reply |
iPhone trademark?

Apple and Cisco released an announcement saying they had reached an agreement allowing both to use the hotly contested trademark. The agreement will permit both Apple and Cisco to use the iPhone trademark worldwide.

�Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark.� the joint statement from said.

More: http://www.iphone-converter.org/

Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

0

03/06, 12:28pm | report spam | close Reply |
Totally wrong...

The DOT has had no discussions involving linux, atleast none that included myself, as for Macs, there is already a group of people using them, most of them are in the imaging department, and I do not see that changing. A ban is not the same as moratorium, even an indefinate moratorium does not mean ban.

Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

0

03/06, 12:39pm | report spam | close Reply |
no need to get excited...

various organizations do this from time to time in the hopes of getting free licenses from Microsoft.

Example:

Customer 1: "I refuse to use Windows anymore. My department is considering switching to Linux or Macintosh."

Microsoft Representative: "Here are 5000 free licenses to the next version of Windows."

Customer 1: "After careful consideration, my department has decided to stay with Windows."

Get it?

Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

0

03/06, 12:47pm | report spam | close Reply |
not quite

There is a valid reason for not upgrading, regardless of whether or not the DOT has the licenses for the products. The biggest issue is compatablity, many custom applications will not work in vista or ie7, and office, thats a another story. This has nothing to do with squeezing money or licenses out of MS, it has to do with support costs, and compatability issues.

UberFu
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2002

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03/06, 03:52pm | report spam | close Reply |
re: Makes Little Sense

actually this does make sense if you read the post above yours

For one - most people that gripe about something available on a PC that's not on a Mac tend to be folks wanting a video-game title_

Software from - Animation - Video - Web Development - Graphic Design - Publishing - Office Production and various other categories are near seamless across platform [unless some place is using proprietary software]

The DOT I know has pockets of locations that use proprietary software as does the Dept. of Education - which might be the main hurdle in the long run_ But the benefits potentially outweigh the pitfalls if a major Government agency is seriously considering jumping ship_

My IT Department [and Yes I also work for a government agency] spends 90% of it's time hand-holding mundane and basic issues that XP and other M$ products cause on a daily basis_

I was a Sys Admin for 6 years on a Mac /Unix network and had only a small fraction of the issues the IT Group deals with here_ they probably go thru more problems in 1 or 2 months than I did in 6 years_

I no longer do tech support [mostly 'cause I suffer from "stoopid peeple asking stoopid questions" syndrome and I have a doctor's order prohibiting me from further exposure] and I am on a fully loaded - state of the art - PC running XP at work [which I tend to trouble shoot so that IT can spend it's resources elsewhere] and I spend 55% of my time during the course of a week fixing and trouble-shooting bullshit - instead of being productive_

I still have a Mac at home - it's been running for a montyh now - flawlessly - Photoshop PS3[beta] (which doesn't crash constantly like the Windows version at work - I like to beta test stuff) - Maya [3D animation software] - Flash [more animation software] - Final Cut Pro [video editing software]

The only problem on my Mac that I've had in recently [documented] memory was a dead logic board [under warranty] - no problems before - no problems since_

But that's been the similar history Mac / PC for the past 20 years that I've been dealing with both types of systems_

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U.S. DOT considers switch to Mac, Linux

updated 01:05 pm EST, Mon March 5, 2007

DOT may switch to Mac

Tax money

Makes Little Sense

parallels

overstated

Not Likely

"Yellow Journalism"

To which you say,

I'll bet

entirely bogus article

What if Gold PSP Come?

iPhone trademark?

Totally wrong...

no need to get excited...

not quite

re: Makes Little Sense

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U.S. DOT considers switch to Mac, Linux

updated 01:05 pm EST, Mon March 5, 2007

DOT may switch to Mac

Related Articles

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Tax money

Makes Little Sense

parallels

overstated

Not Likely

"Yellow Journalism"

To which you say,

I'll bet

entirely bogus article

What if Gold PSP Come?

iPhone trademark?

Totally wrong...

no need to get excited...

not quite

re: Makes Little Sense

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

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on Twitter

10 Most Read

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