Linux or VMware: What's the Biggest Threat to Microsoft

Cuz without Linux (and the other foss *nixes) Windows would be the primary OS being virtualized, which would just help MS with more license sales....

What they're after, IMO, is to have Windows as the base OS, and charge license fees for each guest, even if you're using something like Debian, rather like a client access license. I don't know how the licensing works, but I would bet that's the long term strategy. Just a guess, however.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised. A virtualization License for each guest os install, then CALs for every connection to every guest os (i.e. treat them just like a windows server).....

>...and charge license fees for each guest, even if you're using something like Debian, rather like a client access license.

Plus probably a fee for each connection to any machine using the hypervisor, just like current CAL's. So even running a mail server on a virtual Linux machine would require a CAL for each simultaneous connection. That's they way Microsoft thinks.

What's a CAL?

Thanks to Google I can answer that. http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/lic_cal.mspx

Quoting:What is a Client Access License (CAL)?

If your company's workstations are networked, you will utilize a network server and the workstations on the network will access that server(s) software to perform certain functions such as file and print sharing. In order to legally access this server software, a client access license or CAL may be required. A CAL is not a software product; rather it is a license that gives a user the right to access the services of the server.

Hey and with smart chips in my keys, Toyota can charge me a license fee every time I start - um - access my Tacoma. I suppose passengers may require a license too.

And in late-breaking news, tap water now carries a per-user fee.

This just in: Microsoft has just gained the rights to charge retroactive licensing fees for breathing.

What kills me about MS (one of the things, anyway) is that you have to pay a license for the server, and for the workstation, and a CAL for the blasted things to work together. Geez, just stick a fork in me.

Yup. And somehow they keep convincing people to actually pay all those fees......

> This just in: Microsoft has just gained the rights to charge retroactive licensing fees for breathing.

Isn't that what carbon footprint fees are all about? The ability to charge you for breathing?