[geeks] No more anon FTP for Sun patches after August 2006

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 @ 11:01 -0400, Nadine said:

> > On that note, read the section here:
> >
> > http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/desktop_refresh?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~ck=anavml
> >
> > It's a section on Dell's website called "Why Refresh Your Desktops?"
> >
> > The brief version from Dell is that if you don't upgrade your desktops,
> > your maintenance costs, security problems, and the fact you can't run
> > the latest Microsoft software will cause you ruin and failure.
> 
> From the economic standpoint of both the business and the end user who
> is not highly computer literate, it's a valid argument.  

I'll grant you that end-user computer illiteracy makes the argument seem
valid.

You really should read the Dell writeup.  Most of its arguments are not
valid, which is why I posted it.

They could very easily have listed several valid reasons to upgrade, but
didn't.

> As to the comment about Cisco, recall that they do not sell software.
> They sell hardware and support services.  Having companies use old
> hardware is not as profitable, because it extends the software
> development life-cycle far longer than is profitable.  

>From the user's point of view, it is not profitable to upgrade equipment
that doesn't need to be upgraded.

Companies that sell new hardware will always have to face that issue,
and artificially forcing people to upgrade is wrong, end of story.  If
they want to survive, they have to give the market a reason to support
them.

> If it was easy, then someone would have written OSS to slap in that
> old Cisco gear.  

The lack of technical documentation is a factor as well.

An additional factor is the lack of need: anyone wanting an open
solution can build a custom router.

I'm not sure there is much desire to create an open replacement for IOS.

Why buy a Cisco or hack a free OS into one when a custom system might do
a better job in your situation?

> For the geeks of us, well, isn't hacking on this kind of stuff why we
> are geeks in the first place?  Rolling upgrades be damned and all? :-)

Yeah, though sometimes you get tired and just want things to work
without hassle.

If I find a 5 year old machine that will last another 5-10, I just want
it to work.  I don't want an artifical license expiration or other crap
like that to put me out of operation.




-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["Meddle not in the affairs of Wizards, for
thou art crunchy, and taste good with ketchup." -- unknown]