As someone who pays for oracle and their support, believe me when I say their value is nowhere near zero... Not yet but it is being severely deteriorated. Ellison is frantically buying all these application vendors because he knows free software clones from overseas like MySQL will soon overtake his flagship database product.
Bill Gates gives away a browser, a media player, backup software, anti virus software...
That only run on his for-sale product. If Oracle was only giving away utilities that required the purchase of their database your analogy might apply, but obviously and not surprisingly it doesn't. Microsoft doesn't give any mini opearating systems away, but if and when they do it will be a sad day for those that develop and sell software, as the value of software will have further declined.
Not yet but it is being severely deteriorated. Funny they have not cut me a break lately but if you think mysql is hurting their market share you are wrong. MSSql has come very far and is stepping in the enterprise realm a place where mysql nor postgre are even close.
That only run on his for-sale product.
IE will correctly and legally install on a Linux box running WINE from the Internet, as will media player, and even outlook express..
If Oracle was only giving away utilities that required the purchase of their database your analogy might apply, but obviously and not surprisingly it doesn't.
See the image above before you decide to be arrogant..