Advanced

Microsoft Windows XP Lite and Monopoly Maintenance

Posted by osViews on · 3 comments
osOpinion/osViews; By Kelly McNeill
Mail this story
Print this story

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that it would be offering crippled versions of Windows at a reduced rate to developing countries. The company said that the strategy is meant to address piracy that is prevalent in these areas due to a public that receives exceptionally lower income levels as compared to the rest of the world. David Sugar submitted the following editorial to osOpinion/osViews, which shows that Microsoft's intentions aren't as noble as the company implies and that this is simply one more example of the company using its illegal monopoly position to stifle competition.

Full Story

  Nav
» Read more about: Story Type: Editorial; Groups: Microsoft

» Get new stories by e-mail: nightly or as they are published

« Return to the newswire homepage

  Related stories
» More like this

Comments (3)

I was under the impression that LXer was aiming to be a Microsoft free site. I cannot go to any fast updating Linux news site that does not put up Microsoft Only stories or ADs (some would argue they are the same thing). I would like one site. One good quality efficent, up to date and reliable Linux (and/or FOSS?) News site that only mentions Microsoft stories if they truly apply to Linux.

I am not trying to bury my head in the sand. I can get the M$ stories elsewhere, and do - I would never consider a Linux site good for M$ news, but I would like a site devoted to Linux based news. Just one site. Is that too much to ask? A haven away from the paid and/or ignorant spoutings many publications have taken to feeding us with. I use Linux, I support Linux and the surrounding Free and Open Source software, because it has proven itself better in every way, I would like a good news site. Newsforge long ago stopped being worth the effort in this regard (IMHO). LWN and Linux Journal are both very good, but a little out of date and slow to produce news worthy items, granted this is outside their particular aims, and no slur is intended.

Am I mistaken in my belief? LXer has become my default news home in a very short time. And I would consider it much improved if stories like this one were left out.

My complaint is not against negative stories, although I don't like them. It is against having stories that have at best a marginal argument in them about some war between Linux and M$. As far as I'm concerned we live in a Linux world. Most of the people and businesses I know are moving to Linux. Or are running FOSS. I don't know anyone who runs a completely M$ system. M$ are fast becoming an irrelevancy. Whilst it will be a few years before I can have a genuine choice, that time is fast approaching. And nothing any business or government can do can stop it, least of all those pontificating about some knock down M$ windows system that is even more crippled than the full one.
I submitted the story because this is a market segment which has recently been regarded as a growth opportunity for Linux because Windows was/is so expensive.
And if this story covered that angle, or offered any reasonable depth of coverage on the pros and cons for using Linux in this area then fine, but this story does not and I fail to find in it one single piece of analysis that has any bearing to Linux or any of the supporting software. I stand by the assertion that this story is irrelevant to the various stated aims of this site, which is one of the main reasons I visit this site. This story offers me nothing I can't get from M$ marketing. In fact at least M$ marketing could offer some Linux bashing to be corrected.

The fact that various issues in this story might affect Linux is not the issue, this story does not cover them and so is irrelevant to this site.

My understanding it that this is not a site to carry M$ stories and ads, unless those stories are in some reasonable way related to Linux, et al. This is the type of story Newsforge keep putting up on their first page, and is consequently one of the reasons I do not read it. I would like to have some in depth analysis of this, but not one story on this issue has done any kind of a half reasonable job. They have at best been worthy of Newsforge.

Post a comment

A free account is needed to post. Write your comment here first: your text is kept in this browser while you sign up or log in, and is waiting for you when you come back.

Your message:
|||||
10
Markdown: **bold**, *italic*, [text](https://link), - lists, > quotes, $x^2$ for math. Formatting help

Sign up and post (it is free)  or  Log in and post