Linux Development Cost estimated at $10B

[GimmeSlack12]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10072567-16.html?part=rss

I must say it is very pleasing to see the development of an OS like Linux over the many years. Pleasing because it has been done with passion by people who have taken it upon themselves to donate time towards something that, in the long run, can become a competitive choice of software.

$10 Billion of donated work. That's pretty cool.

 

[MisterMe]

... Pleasing because it has been done with passion by people who have taken it upon themselves to donate time towards something that, in the long run, can become a competitive choice of software.

$10 Billion of donated work. That's pretty cool.

Huh? Did you actually read the article:

...

$10.8 billion that we don't have to spend to get an exceptionally robust operating system. $10.8 billion that we depend upon every day when using Google, Amazon, and a dizzying array of websites, as well as many of the applications we use within our own companies. There are countless companies and services enabled by this communal, multi-billion dollar investment, none of which you and I actually pay for.

This Linux R&D would be a hefty undertaking for any one company, but Linux and the open-source phenomenon that powers it didn't have to rely on any one company: Linux is developed by a community of corporations and individuals. In fact, there are over 3,200 developers from 200 companies contributing to the Linux kernel alone, according to the Linux Foundation.

...

While it is undoubtedly true that a substantial community of volunteers have contributed substantial man-hours to the development of Linux, many others employed by those 200 companies were paid for their work.

It is also true that just about anyone can download, install, and use Linux free of charge. However, many deployments of the OS in mission critical applications are anything but free. For example, a Dell server running Linux is more expensive than a comparable Apple Xserve running MacOS X Server.