Open Source isn't Linux

Or, more to the point, isn't only Linux.

Being perhaps the ultimate example of "Open Source done good", the one disadvantage of success making Linux practically a synonym for Open Source is that most people think Open Source only runs on Linux.

Therefore, most of the computer using world remains "stuck" with over-priced M$ Windows commercial software, or cheesy freeware written by hobbyists, instead of the Unix/Linux based Open Source apps developed by real computer folks with real computer jobs.

But... it simply isn't true -- in fact, almost any major freeware / Open Source application is available for the Windows platform. ALL the goodstuff:

• Apache
• MySQL
• Perl
• PHP
• Python
• Ruby

LAMP is the acronym describing the ultimate in Open Source productivity and power: an "application delivery platform" comprised of Linux, running Apache, powered by MySQL with PHP (or Perl or Python) as the scripting language glue...

WAMP is the same thing swapping Windows for Linux -- but it's also one of the slickest Open Source packages you'll ever run across on any platform. Web server, database, scripting language... all bundled in a one-click installer, and managed from a taskbar icon!

In fact, one of the more amazing things about "Open Windows", is that most of the best designed applications are so easily installed and managed, compared to their Unix/Linux implementation, that they take the street cred out of going Open Source.

But Windows users aren't familiar enough with Open Source applications to take advantage of the tremendous power at their disposal. And as far as the Linux geeks are concerned, it's... running on.... Windows!!!

Ewww...