The following is a guest post from Jean Watson, Advertising writer webhostgear.com Ms. Watson will discuss how you can use a Virtual Private Server (VPS) to leverage the power of the Linux cloud for a dollar a day… or less! The ‘cloud’ simply means that wherever the Internet is, you are and VPS’s make that possible. Individuals, small businesses, and non-profits can use a VPS for an Internet server, hosted by professionals, without hardware or broadband costs. Go ahead and host a website, email, and community management system for everyone who works with you….or achieve location independence by hosting your files in one central location. With Linux and Free Software, you can escape the Windows desktop environment and achieve higher heights.

You rule with a Linux-based VPS in the Cloud - photo credit: akakumo of Flikr cc by-sa 2.0

The Benefits of a VPS and Linux

Numerous types of web hosting services are available to webmasters. However in terms of cost effective operation and high quality performance a Virtual Private Server in conjunction with Linux operating system is the best option. VPS servers offer a high level of safety and control over the management aspects of your web hosting situation. They also work seamlessly with the easy to use and flexible Linux environment.

A virtual private server is basically a physical web hosting server partitioned into individual servers. These individual virtual servers each serve an individual user and are not affected by the other sections of the main physical server. Since each server acts independently it carries many of the same benefits that a high end dedicated server provides. However the cost of a virtual private server hosting package is more similar to the less expensive sharing hosting option.

A list of benefits offer by a VPS includes:
Performance
Since resources are dedicated to a single user, overall performance is increased in terms of page load speeds. Shared hosting which constantly allocates resources between different users cannot match the dedicated server setup of VPS. Multiple domains hosted by a shared hosting account can normally absorb a great share of performance capability. VPS can handle multiple websites much better because resources don’t have to be shared with other hosting customers simultaneously.
Security
Shared web hosting supports a number of user accounts on the same server, opening up the possibility of a security breach from a neighboring website hosted on the same machine. With VPS each virtual server operates exclusively as a single operating system. This eliminates the possibility of hackers gaining access to your server through another user account on the same machine.
Stability
Virtual private server hosting operates as an independent system. Any software modifications or other changes made to websites by other hosting customers will have no impact upon your own website and hosting account. Your virtual private server’s resources are not drained by sudden surges of activity by other hosting accounts.
Flexibility VPS offers you complete control over the type of operating system you wish to use. The size of your VPS server can change to your exact requirements. You have the option to add or remove any software or other applications you want.
Linux offers an array of advantages that other operating systems used throughout the world cannot match. It excels in security features, multitasking, network compatibility and performance capabilities while at the same time staying user friendly. The wide array of individual programmers and groups of developers associated with the advancement of Linux make it a versatile, expandable and powerful operating platform to run. Due to the large community of support available surrounding Linux, an answer to almost any question concerning the operation and use of Linux can be accessed. Linux offers the security, scalability and flexibility to run on any type of web hosting server ranging from the most expensive high end servers platforms to the least expensive low end server options.

Phil started out the discussion by saying something that may shock you all: The Year of the Linux Desktop is NOT going to happen. Don’t throw tomatoes at him as he says this again at the Open Source Solutions Stage on Saturday at 11 A.M. Hear him out.

Tablets, slates, and smartphones are growing markets as the traditional desktop market is not growing. Phil believes in a future
where many of our work day tasks are completed via rapid input with those devices ubiquitously at our sides. HP is very successful in selling Linux-based netbooks – mostly in emerging markets such as China and India. These devices are fun and simple to use for both parents and kids. Can Linux enjoy the glory of the rush to the mobile platform? So far, Linux-based Android and HP’s Palm WebOS platforms have been seen in market share reports by classifying them as separate from the Linux category. Phil exclaims “These are Linux too!” It is time that we celebrate the success of Linux on mobile platforms and fret no-more on winning the Linux desktop.

Will we have freedom on these tiny Internet-based devices which are rapidly replacing the desktop? This is a high-priority concern for Phil. Content delivery, especially for movies, music, books, and applications are key to the success of the usability of these platforms. Products are bought rapidly for a few dollars or less with a few taps of the screen in the online store. While this is convenient, the choices available in these marketplaces is typically censored by the content provider. Worse, clever developers who unlock the power of the hardware of these devices to enable GPS or tethering are served cease-and-desist from the manufacturers. Phil is pleased to say the the WebOS platform is the most open mobile platform out there. Palm has made it easy for developers to write Free software for WebOS via the WebOS-Internals community. Unlike most mobile platforms, free distribution of WebOS applications outside the sanctioned application stores is encouraged.

HP’s commitment to freedom is strong.

The concern for freedom on is shared by the Ohio LinuxFest keynote speaker, Stormy Peters. She is concerned about the information ownership in no-cost cloud-based applications. It is not surprising that Phil and Stormy agree on Freedom. Phil and Stormy are friends from their work together at HP and their shared interest in hockey. Yes, Stormy Peters plays roller and ice hockey. How awesome is that!

If you care about freedom too, join us at the Ohio LinuxFest where we
will give away 5 Linux-based HP Palm Pre phones and 3 HP Mini 2102 netbooks.

The Ohio LinuxFest September 10-12, 2010 is where we will answer the question, “How will FREE change the world?” Phil Robb from HP is changing the paradigm of “desktop” and mobilizing our freedom with Linux-based HP products.

Phil started out the discussion by saying something that may shock you all: The Year of the Linux Desktop is NOT going to happen. Don’t throw tomatoes at him as he says this again at the Open Source Solutions Stage on Saturday at 11 A.M. Hear him out.

Tablets, slates, and smartphones are growing markets as the traditional desktop market is not growing. Phil believes in a future
where many of our work day tasks are completed via rapid input with those devices ubiquitously at our sides. HP is very successful in selling Linux-based netbooks – mostly in emerging markets such as China and India. These devices are fun and simple to use for both parents and kids. Can Linux enjoy the glory of the rush to the mobile  platform? So far, Linux-based Android and HP’s Palm WebOS platforms have been seen in market share reports by classifying them as separate from the Linux category. Phil exclaims “These are Linux too!” It is time that we celebrate the success of Linux on mobile platforms and fret no-more on winning the Linux desktop.

Will we have freedom on these tiny Internet-based devices which are rapidly replacing the desktop? This is a high-priority concern for Phil. Content delivery, especially for movies, music, books, and applications are key to the success of the usability of these platforms. Products are bought rapidly for a few dollars or less with a few taps of the screen in the online store. While this is convenient, the choices available in these marketplaces is typically censored by the content provider. Worse, clever developers who unlock the power of the hardware of these devices to enable GPS or tethering are served cease-and-desist from the manufacturers. Phil is pleased to say the the WebOS platform is the most open mobile platform out there. Palm has made it easy for developers to write Free software for WebOS via the WebOS-Internals community. Unlike most mobile platforms, free distribution of WebOS applications outside the sanctioned application stores is encouraged.

HP’s commitment to freedom is strong.

The concern for freedom on is shared by the Ohio LinuxFest keynote speaker, Stormy Peters. She is concerned about the information ownership in no-cost cloud-based applications. It is not surprising that Phil and Stormy agree on Freedom. Phil and Stormy are friends from their work together at HP and their shared interest in hockey. Yes, Stormy Peters plays roller and ice hockey. How awesome is that!

If you care about freedom too, join us at the Ohio LinuxFest where we
will give away 5 Linux-based HP Palm Pre phones and 3 HP Mini 2102 netbooks.

The Ohio LinuxFest September 10-12, 2010 is where we will answer the question, “How will FREE change the world?” Phil Robb from HP is changing the paradigm of “desktop” and mobilizing our freedom with Linux-based HP products.

The government gets free software: nurses at VA hospitals have been using and developing VISTA: the open source medical records system for vets Photo credit: US Army

Mom did not understand what I was up to with open source.
I did not understand what she was up to with open source.

At VA Hospitals nationwide, the government was deploying VISTA. No, not Microsoft Windows Vista, VISTA – the open source medical records system. It keeps track of all of information concerning a patient’s care – no matter where in the country they go. Medications, pharmacies, doctor visits, dates, diagnosis.. it is all there. Nurses recommended that VISTA work with scan-able wrist bands. Now patients’ wrists are scanned prior to medicating and procedures with immediate feedback for the medical professionals who are providing the care as the care is administered. It saves lives and the government money. This is change that I can believe in.

The change to open source nation-wide medical records can happen and is happening today. The US government is providing up to $64,000 for providers who successfully implement electronic medical records. While there are many most with commercial support, there are proprietary vendors who are interested in this business. With open source, medical records can remain available to the health care provider without paying yearly subscription fees. Proprietary software though, may entail vendor-lock-in contracts prohibiting your health care provider from moving to another system or other health providers in charge of your care.

At the Ohio LinuxFest, mom will chair a two-day track to discuss medicine in open source with an emphasis on medical records on September 10 and 11. Here we will reach out to health care administrators, nurses, doctors, patients, concerned family members of those who require constant care, taxpayers, open source programmers, and anyone else who cares about the future of health care with Free Software.

Friday kicks off with opensource.com writer and Red Hat employee, Ruth Suehle, who will discuss medical innovations around the world. It will be followed by Susan Rose MSN RN-BC (that’s my mom) talking about Electronic Medical Revolution. There will also be a free workshop from Dr.David Chan on OSCAR, the open source medical records system deployed through all Canada and world wide. Medical professionals who attend on Friday September 10 can obtain Free CEU’s upon request.

The discussion on medical records will continue with Dr. Chan of OSCAR, Fred Trotter of linuxmednews.com, Dr. Budman, MD, MBA of MedSphere on Saturday September 11. Ohio citizens can learn more on how electronic medical records are being deployed in their state with Amy Andres of the Health Information Exchange.

Other Saturday topics include will be a tele-medicine applications with talks from Dr. Barbash and Dr. Magee. These innovations will help patients to integrate health care to their every day lives – at home.

Closing will be a panel on how to choose open source products so that they qualify for “Meaningful Use” government funding.

If you care about more efficient and better health care for you, your family, and your medical practitioners, consider the Ohio LinuxFest Medical Track. That’s my idea of Free Healthcare.

Print off this flier to show anyone involved in your health care.

We have an awesome schedule line-up with Free talks: Jon Maddog Hall to deliver the kick-off keynote Friday September 10, Stormy Peters to answer the AM keynote question Who is stealing your desktop and closing keynote of Christopher “Monty” Montgomery on the The Digital Media Frontier.

In a world full of patents, law-suits that stifle innovation and consume the court’s time, proprietary companies who restrict ownership to the hardware and software you paid them for, we need freedom more than ever. If you live in North America, chances are, you can attend the Ohio LinuxFest at near-no-cost when you share a ride or a hotel room with your neighbor.

Your handset, your desktop, your browser, your operating system, your web-based services, your virtualization, your music, your video, your community…. It all can be free… You can be free too.

Register for free today at: https://www.ohiolinux.org/register.html

What Did I Buy

20 shares of ARMH- the low-power microprocessor behind Apple iPhone 4 and most Google Android phones. Since they are positioning to bring netbooks and thin-clients running Ubuntu and/or Google’s ChromeOS/Android, ARM processors will kill the PC. Microsoft will regret their decision not to support ARM on Windows 7.

7 shares of RHT- the Linux distributor Red Hat already has impressive enterprise server market share. As applications shift to the “software as a service” model, Red Hat will profit as green penny pinching IT managers look to the cloud. With their entrance to the virtualization market, they will capitalize on customers who want a single finger to point. Virtualization competitors Citrix and VMware do not make a guest-level OS, putting Red Hat at the cloud market advantage.

1 share MFST- the software giant is imploding yet I bought a single share. I welcome Microsoft’s glossy pamphlets which deny the epic failure that is afoot.

What we will buy affects what we will use.

I started this blog to keep personal notes of what exactly is Microsoft’s market share. Never did I ever expect a crowd of 28,460 unique visitors to care about what will we use when Microsoft has a minority market share. Thank you all for making me the tribal user of What Will We Use where we watch Microsoft’s market share until FY 2011 close.

First I defined where Microsoft claimed to have a majority market share.Then Nick and I agreed to watch w3counter’s market share reports.

There were only 3 which held any merit as of June 2009: Desktops, Browsers, and Office Suites.

How are we doing one year into it?

1. Desktop Operating Systems

In the past twelve months Windows market share went from 88.09% to 83.11%. The Windows XP product, which continues to hold the largest market share went from 69.74% to 49.95% of the total desktop operating system market share. The trend is showing as people divest from older Microsoft technologies, they do not “upgrade” to Windows Vista or Windows 7.

The next 12 months will bring a new breed of tablets and notebooks which will run  Ubuntu on ARM. These will sell like hot cakes so that people can watch Google’s youtube and play games of Facebook. The desktop is over, even in the corporate sector.

Here’s the dirty secret behind this mind-boggling growth — and the two words that will put an end to the party

IT consulting firm IDC reports that every dollar a company spends on a Microsoft product results in an additional $8 of IT expenses.

And one IT expert admits, “Trillions of dollars that companies have invested into information technology have gone to waste.”

Yet, companies have had no choice but to run these obscenely expensive and highly inefficient networks.

But that’s all about to change…

And that’s precisely why the two words “cloud computing” scare the hell out of Bill Gates.

…

And Nicholas Carr, former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, has even written an entire book on the subject, entitled The Big Switch. In it, he asserts: “The PC age is giving way to a new era: the utility age.”

He goes on to make this prediction: “Rendered obsolete, the traditional PC is replaced by a simple terminal — a ‘thin client’ that’s little more than a monitor hooked up to the Internet.”

While that may sound far-fetched, in the corporate market, sales of these “thin clients” have been growing at over 20 percent per year — far outpacing the sales of PCs.

According to market-research firm IDC, the U.S. is now home to more than 7,000 data centers just like the one constructed on the banks of the Columbia River in 2005.

And the number of servers operating within these massive data centers is expected to grow to nearly 16 million by 2010 — that’s three times as many as a decade ago.

quote courtesy of Motely Fool Newsletter called

The Two Words Bill Gates Doesn’t Want You to Hear…

Plus, the 2 companies poised to rule the post-Microsoft world

“

2. Web Browsers

In the past twelve months Internet Explorer went from 57.6% to 45.7%. As far as Nick and I are concerned, this one is won in my favor. It is still fun to watch low low can Microsoft go? Google’s decision to turn off youtube.com support for older browsers was a fatal blow for IE6. All market share browser counters show Microsoft hemorrhaging market share. In June 30, 2011. IE9 will not save Microsoft since they have decided to not support it on Windows XP. Since Microsoft’s key operating system user demographic is XP, turning their back on their legacy customers will be the last straw. Seriously, how many people are going to buy a new PC just to run a proprietary web browser when Firefox and Chrome are free?

3. Office Suites

It is very possible I have this one won too. Last month I proposed to Nick that we use Oracle’s OpenOffice.Org download figures to count as missed profit opportunity. As of the time of this post OpenOffice.Org 3.x has 159,894,085 downloads which represents $55,962,929,750 loss. That’s Almost 56 MILLION dollars that Microsoft coulda-shoulda-woulda had. Will Microsoft make that level of profits in their business software division come FY2011 market share reports?

Meanwhile, Google Apps continues to pick up market share with their Microsoft Exchange migration tool…

Over 500,000 companies — including GE [NYSE: GE] and Procter & Gamble [NYSE: PG] — have already signed up for Google Apps.

This grab bag of business applications can be purchased and run over the Web for just $50 per year and is just one of many Google products now giving Microsoft a run for its money.

Considering that Google Apps costs just one-tenth of what a traditional business software suite does, it’s no surprise that more than 2,000 businesses are signing up per day.

quote courtesy of Motely Fool Newsletter called

The Two Words Bill Gates Doesn’t Want You to Hear…

Plus, the 2 companies poised to rule the post-Microsoft world

Microsoft’s Sharepoint product which is heavily tied to Microsoft Office 2007 is not for long either. Customers seeking to use free software to manage their intra-net content can do so with Alfresco. They’ll even help you migrate.

I am as confident as ever in my assertion.

Yes indeed Bug One will be RESOLVED.

Nick will pay me $20.

GandhiCon4 is afoot.

We will win the war. We are at war with Microsoft. We have always been at war with Microsoft. Come June 30, 2011 Microsoft will lose majority market share.

Where will this all end, Microsoft? Are you going to sue anybody who displays a menu on a website? Will you sue anybody who produces products that are better than yours for your platforms?

Instead of suing, why not just build better products? When customers use CRM they are looking to build an edge on their competition by improving relations. Microsoft should improve relations with all the time and money they spend suing their partners.

Related posts:

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/05/microsoft-files-rare-patent-lawsuit-against-salesforcecom.ars

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-a-patent-alley-thug-are-those-settling-words/6289

Had Helios retired this summer, no one would blame him since he had already given back plenty.  Yet he steps it up a notch by giving back to his mentor., on his blog he writes…

I told them about how a global community came together and helped me heal from an illness that could have easily killed me.  I told them about a global effort to bring computing freedom to people who before now, had no idea they had a choice.

Open source is not just a methodology for releasing software for people like Helios and I. It is a way of life that we pay for by giving back in abundance with the resources we have to our avail. So, when Helios posted that the founder of the website that him understand Linux was dying, I was happy to help again. This way the website: brunolinux.com and the “Bruno Knaapen Technology Learning Center” will leave a legacy.

With open source, we all own the product of all of the contributions since the founding of UNIX in 1969. With Microsoft, one corporation owns the products such as Windows 7, Internet Explorer, or Office 2007. Quality software, when the code is freely available, lasts generations. Inferior software, when the code is proprietary, dies when the company who owns it no longer thinks it is profitable.

Many Microsoft products have died because they were no longer profitable to Microsoft. Here are some examples…

Microsoft Money was a household financial package. It has been replaced by online services such as mint.com, personal banking accounts with web access, Intuit products, Moneydance, and gnucash. All but Microsoft Money had options for MacOS and Linux users. Everyone is balancing their checkbooks without Microsoft. The world goes on.

Microsoft Encarta in its hay-day was the ultimate in hyper-linked encyclopedias. I even owned editions from the mid-nineties on CD. The release yearly paradigm is no longer useful in the information age. Going online, however, did not save Encarta, due to the popular community-contributed no-cost Wikipedia. One company could not hire enough writers and editors to compete with the Wikipedia’s massive almost 15 million article collection contributed by unpaid volunteers. The world is better served with over 200 languages without help from Microsoft.

Microsoft Works was Microsoft’s first office suite product combining a word processor, spreadsheet, and database. While Microsoft Office components such as Powerpoint can be purchased outside the suite bundle, Works was an all-or-nothing deal. While it came at a small enough price that computer manufactures could ship Works with a new computer, it could not compete with other office suites. While Works suffered from lacking a MacOSX version, Microsoft Office supports the modern Apple operating system. By favoring the more expensive product, Office, Microsoft customers will be looking elsewhere. In fact, Microsoft admits that OpenOffice.org is more powerful than Works.

As Microsoft product offerings decrease, the neighborhood of open source users increases. Each citizen of open source is doing their part when they they share with their friends, coworkers, and family the tools that have enriched their lives. Every contribution, no matter how small is an investment in a better world.

We will win. I promise.

Come June 30, 2011, the world will understand they do not need Microsoft.

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Some cold days ahead for Microsoft, thanks to radix999 on flickr

over a $20 bet. When some people make predictions, they say something without ever expecting any accountability. By being as public as possible, I have the opportunity to document the process. I celebrate both the journey and the eventual victory. Some people fly to Las Vegas for March Madness to place a wager on their favorite teams where the wager itself costs more than the trip. No matter how this goes, Nick and I are having a blast along the way.

Discussing the fate of Microsoft been so much fun, one commenter we only know as darryl wants in on the action. My hesitation is not about the money I will not bet you, darryl, 1000 United States dollars because I do not know you. Moreover, your IP address suggests you are from Australia so I don’t know how we could set up such an arrangement. By the way, you never answered my question regarding if you are a Microsoft employee.

In any case, this is my counter offer. I buy 33 shares of Red Hat. You buy 66 shares of Microsoft. Since both companies stock prices are about $30/share, we will accomplish the same idea as your proposal without ever having to meet.

For the record, I never said that Microsoft is evil. It is actually a little said says I, a Microsoft user since 1992 and a Linux user since 1999. Microsoft used to make products which made customers happy. That all changed with Vista. Without Bill Gates, Microsoft has been sinking in turbulent seas. So what is Microsoft doing about it? They’re hiring a “Competitive Marketing Manager.” and strangely, I meet the qualifications. Should I apply?

Nah… I will just stick to my wacky prediction:

Come June 30, 2011, Microsoft will no longer have majority market share.

Since I am footing the hosting bill of whatwillweuse.com, I invite you, the reader, to make your own technology prediction for 2010-2011 on my hosting dime by leaving a comment in this post. I promise to continue to host this post until at least January 4, 2012 to see what happens just for fun.

Here are some examples to get you started…

What will happen with the mobile market?

Will MySQL fork?

What will the clouds look like a year from now?

Will Steve Ballmer be fired?

How far will Apple’s market share grow?

I predicted last month that W3Counter would deliver a less-than-50% IE use on the February 2010 report thus winning 1/3 of the bet.

As I close this post, I wish to toast Microsoft itself, as your Windows have seen better days but bravo for shipping Windows 7 before calendar 2010….

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The French roll down the Champs-Élysées with Thunderbird in their arsenal

We have only 575 days until Microsoft’s market share crumbles. Some may call me crazy since even more favorable market share counters like w3counter list Linux market share hovering close to 2% and MacOSX close to 7.5%. Why do I maintain big and bold claim that Nick will pay me $20 when Microsoft no longer has majority market share as soon as two summers from now?

Nick is scared he will lose the $20. It’s true. He has emailed me privately to try to back-out of the bet. The game has been changed by Google’s ChromeOS.  With a fast power-on to browser promise, ChromeOS is going to completely destroy the paradigm of what a computer really is.

All sorts of software-as-a-service applications will be at your finger tips in seconds after sitting down in front of your ChromeOS system. Meanwhile, Windows 7 will make minutes feel like an eternity in comparison while installing those updates before you are even allowed to login.

But what will be the “killer application”  that makes everyone drop exactly what they are using an go ChromeOS? Everybody just wants to get to the top three internet websites we all use now.

1. Google for search, Google docs, and gmail.
2. Facebook for social networking and games.
3. Yahoo! for search, mail, games, news, and flickr.

Nick fears that the Internet itself will be the killer app to bring Microsoft to tremble.

A killer application makes everyone drop the tool that they are using because another brand’s troll brings a more attractive results. Everyone could see why 8-bit gaming was more fun than Atari’s games with Ninendo released Super Mario Brothers, the most sold game record for over 15 years. It caused people to not care if they owned a gazillion Atari cartridges already, Nintendo was where all of the serious gamers were. Then, everyone wanted Mario and Nintendo-branded games, even those who owned zero home video game consoles. Nick fears that everyone will want ChromeOS and Linux systems in order to get to the internet faster than what Microsoft can offer.

The truth of the matter is Gandhi-Con4 has already started.  Brazil, the 10th largest world economy and growing, dumped Microsoft in favor of Linux years ago in a desire for transparency and has been tickeled pink ever since. The French Army just quit Outlook in favor of the open source email client, Thunderbird. It does not stop there, remember, countries in every corner of the world have ordered One-Laptop-Per-Child netbooks that run Linux. Tax-payers of the world will see this trend and get sick and tired of seeing that Microsoft is on their corporate welfare dole.

With killer applications abound, Microsoft will not hold majority market share come June 30, 2011.

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