Server Sales Up a Bit in 2006, But Q4 Looks a Bit Weak
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Sometimes, it is not what people say that matters, but what they don't say. The analysts at Gartner and IDC usually race to call each past quarter's server sales by revenue, shipments, and platform type. But this time around, only Gartner has thus far released numbers, and as it did last year at this time, the company is talking about all four quarters of 2006 instead of singling out the fourth quarter. READ MORE >

Many Top Open Source Projects Still Lack Enterprise Support
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Commercially supported open source software may not be prevalent, but it is not alien in data centers any more and it is certainly getting to be more normal. But if a somewhat self-serving survey of open source projects done by OpenLogic is any indication, many popular open source packages are still lacking enterprise-class support, and this is an issue that has an adverse affect on the adoption of open source products among enterprises. READ MORE >

Ballmer Dismisses Linux Threat, Talks Up Intellectual Property
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Here's a metaphor for you. If you are Linux, a member of the open source family, then Microsoft chief executive officer, Steve Ballmer, is a bit like your mother in law: Every time he opens his mouth in what seems like an honest attempt to say something nice about you, some vitriol bubbles out and you get slapped with a backhanded compliment. So it was when Ballmer was hosting Microsoft's financial analysts meeting in New York just after the prior edition of The Linux Beacon went to press. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Paved With Good Intentions
by Hesh Wiener

It's a milestone. By midyear, Seagate Technology and Hitachi will offer 3.5-inch disk drives that store a terabyte of data. Other disk makers are right on their heels. Processor makers with multicore offerings will reach other technology milestones, as will network gear providers whose products will foster ever-faster communications. It's hard to think of so many metaphorical milestones without recalling the originals, stone pillars that marked thousand-pace distances on the vast web of Roman Empire roads. These highways linked Rome to the rest of Europe, spanned Britain, and even crossed Asia Minor, producing dramatic consequences, both intended and unintended. READ MORE >