Rockin' on without Microsoft

can you live without Microsoft? . . . apparently so, according to this business owner . . .

by David Becker
CNET News.com
August 30, 2003

http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html?tag=lh

"Sterling Ball, a jovial, plain-talking businessman, is CEO of Ernie Ball, the world's leading maker of premium guitar strings endorsed by generations of artists ranging from the likes of Eric Clapton to the dudes from Metallica.

"But since jettisoning all of Microsoft products three years ago, Ernie Ball has also gained notoriety as a company that dumped most of its proprietary software--and still lived to tell the tale.

"In 2000, the Business Software Alliance conducted a raid and subsequent audit at the San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based company that turned up a few dozen unlicensed copies of programs. Ball settled for $65,000, plus $35,000 in legal fees. But by then, the BSA, a trade group that helps enforce copyrights and licensing provisions for major business software makers, had put the company on the evening news and featured it in regional ads warning other businesses to monitor their software licenses.

"Humiliated by the experience, Ball told his IT department he wanted Microsoft products out of his business within six months. "I said, 'I don't care if we have to buy 10,000 abacuses,'" recalled Ball, who recently addressed the LinuxWorld trade show. "We won't do business with someone who treats us poorly."

- more . . .

http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html?tag=lh

as a Mac user I don't care if Bill Gates owns part of it. He can be Steve Jobs' whip beeyatch for awhile.

Jobs is Gates' biatch!!

That's fer sure

I happen to do just that for a living.

I've been weaning myself off MS all year.

I use Eudora instead of Outlook, Mozillia instead of IEExplorer and DreamWeaver instead of FrontPage.

In 2004 I plan to try Linux and stop using all MS Office applications. (Suggestions anyone?)

Down with corporate monopolies!

but now im changing to Ernie's

Gonna make you like us