great article
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| jsusanka Mar 29, 2006 5:10 AM EDT |
"Ballmer's comments do indicate, however, that Microsoft has reached the end-game as far as FUD is concerned. After patents, there is nothing it hasn't already tried. So what will Microsoft do then? Simple: lose." love that line - the thing the so-called experts don't get is that linux will always be here - it isn't going anywhere and it can't be bought and sold. they can't fight that - periud!! |
| NoDough Mar 29, 2006 6:48 AM EDT |
Don't underestimate MS's ability to use the law (patent, copyright, commerce, etc.) to stifle their competition. You'll recall that when IBM dwarfed MS, MS was able to use the law to keep IBM from preinstalling OS/2 on thier own hardware. Now who dwarfs who? Combine this will the nearly limitless ability of government officials to be bribed and you have quite a threat. |
| sbenitezb Mar 29, 2006 7:14 AM EDT |
@NoDough: it doesn't matter what MS does. I, and millions like me, will continue to use Linux. |
| jdixon Mar 29, 2006 7:30 AM EDT |
> I, and millions like me, will continue to use Linux. Exactly. Microsoft has lost us as customers, and we'll never return. We'll never again do business with a company we can't trust. Even if they should win against Linux, and manage make it illegal to use it, many people will simply break the law, and the remainder will switch to the BSD's, Apple, or some other competitor. |
| cr Mar 29, 2006 9:45 AM EDT |
Some interesting projections on how phase It's not legal #2 could play out (with entertaining results) are in the comments streams attached to Slashdot stories http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/02/22/0516255 Microsoft Stoking the IP Fire, as http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=178180&cid=14775376 "Risk to USERS of open source from patent claims?", and attached to http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/27/1826219 Ballmer Won't Dismiss Idea of Suits Against Linux, as http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=181434&cid=1500574... "OIN Owns Patents for technology Microsoft uses". If the statements made in these comments are true, then basically, for Microsoft, patent litigation against Linux is a Roach Motel for their buggy-software business (they can check in but they won't live to check out). |
| grouch Mar 29, 2006 6:41 PM EDT |
>"You'll recall that when IBM dwarfed MS, MS was able to use the law to keep IBM from preinstalling OS/2 on thier own hardware. Now who dwarfs who?" Microsoft used illegal OEM contracts to prevent OEMs from installing OS/2. Microsoft threatened to withhold licenses and then to charge full price for licenses to IBM, which it did not do to other "partners", if IBM pre-installed anything but MS Windows. What do you mean they were "able to use the law"? Microsoft used illegal leveraging of their monopoly. This is why they've been in court so much, even though they have yet to have their illegal leveraging significantly altered by courts. |
| NoDough Mar 30, 2006 5:07 AM EDT |
grouch: Yes, I was a little ambiguous. Allow me to be more specific. Microsoft was able to use legal mechanisms, in this case software audits, to pressure IBM into making a decision to abandon pre-installs of OS/2 on IBM hardware. More information here http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f3800/v-c.pdf |
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