linux in the hansard

[Jason Stokes]

John Griffiths wrote:

> (3) In order to be eligible for the 2-way Satellite Internet Service,
> customers require a PC subject to a defined set of
> minimum specifications. These specifications are outlined in the customer
> offer. Telstra does not collate statistics on
> the number of customers who may require the service but do not meet the
> minimum PC standards, including those
> customers who may have an Apple MacIntosh computer. This would equally
> apply to customers with computers us-ing
> other operating systems such as DOS, earlier Windows versions, Linux or
> BeOS.

I love this answer.  It's lumping in a whole bunch of competitor's OS's
as "not meeting minimum standards", as if users of these softwares are a
bunch of fringe weirdos and loonies who haven't got with the Microsoft
program, and /that's/ why Telstra isn't allowing them to use the
service.  Linux, despite the efforts of Linux bandwagoners like IBM, is
in the mainstream computing world quoted only as the paradigm case of a
"fringe technology nobody could sanely be expected to support."

I expect the response from bush Macintosh users would run along the
lines of: "Hey, don't lump us in with those other fringers!  Macintosh
is the one true platform!"