I don't know about you, but my arms would get tired pretty quick. And we are long long double quad away from "wetware" to interface directly into the human brain.
Posted on 06/07/2007 10:27:53 AM PDT by bigdcaldavis
Microsoft should have admitted that Linux matters sooner. For years, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant seemed to be in denial as the open-source operating software made gains against its Windows franchise. But now a series of deals is finally allowing Microsoft to argue that it's ahead of the curve--with the entertaining upside of making some of the open-source community's truest believers even angrier.
Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) announced a pact with Linux software distributor Xandros Monday that will the offer tiny company's customers so-called "patent covenants," protecting them from the threat of litigation from Microsoft.
So do Linux users need protection? It's an open question. In 2004, software vendor The SCO Group (nasdaq: SCOX - news - people ) sued Linux user AutoZone (nyse: AZO - news - people ) for what it claims are violations of its intellectual property--a case that hasn't yet been resolved. Some now fear Microsoft could play that game after open-source software distributor Novell (nasdaq: NOVL - news - people ) struck a sales and marketing pact with Microsoft last year.
Linux advocates were angered because, as part of the deal, Microsoft agreed not to sue users of Novell's Linux distribution. And Microsoft executives are hinting that trouble could be brewing--claiming last month that open-source products are violating 235 of the company's patents.
Meanwhile, the folks behind open-source software are growing more upset as they see companies aligning themselves with Microsoft to give their customers a free pass against that possibility. "They know their standing in the community is going to take a hit," wrote one commentator on geek site Slashdot.org in response to the news. "So, how much was it worth to them?"
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
This is like the ADA lawsuits.
We give you a “pass inspection” paper for us not litigating further.
THIS is where tort reform should happen.
My guess is that within ten years, Windows will be a GUI running on top of Linux or some flavor of Unix.
A first step could be something like BootCamp. You could boot Linux, allow it to manage security, and let a light version of Windows launch the apps. Windows used to run under DOS, so it’s been done before.
The things that make me think this are articles such as these and also what seems like to me, the abysmal failure that is Vista. I guess the jury is still out on Vista but it’s starting to look like another Windows ME.
MS’s traditional approach is starting to look as long in the tooth as Windows 3.1 or for that matter DOS did in its day.
Time has a habit of marching on!
This is about sinking RedHat, MS is hoping to damage if not Kill its only serious (Linux) competition in the server market. Redmond would love it if when facing a decision a manager was faced between very expensive solutions from IBM, SUN, a more affordable solution from MS, and a legally questionable one from RedHat.
I thought there was some sort of stock deal at the time Apple looked over Xerox's work. I could be wrong, though.
My understanding is that Window NT (back to 4.0 at least) was already that. A Windows GUI running on top of a UNIX or UNIX-like kernel. Win XP was then built on top of that. This whole thing is really about killing your competitors using the force of law rather than competing.
I don't know about you, but my arms would get tired pretty quick. And we are long long double quad away from "wetware" to interface directly into the human brain.
Could be, could be. Maybe Windows sucks despite having a unix kernel under the covers, not due to lack of one. Certainly, the unix kernel doesn’t appear visible in any user or programmer interface or control. If it’s under the covers, it’s under lots and lots of ‘em.
Sun’s support costs for Solaris are about half what Red Hat charges. This has, of course, been pointed out to you before.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1816878/posts?page=11#11
And in those conversations you were shown to have omitted information like redhats cost for test, dev, qa, integration environments, lower end agreement, redhats discounts for volume and other key features. Im not going to have another flame war with you over this..
Im turning on greasemonkey at this point, bird shot away..
LOL I didn’t “omit” anything, Solaris support is significantly cheaper than Red Hat, so is Oracle’s knock off of Red Hat in case you haven’t heard. Those that really believe in free software use Cent O/S instead anyway, Red Hat has nothing unique to offer other than being the one bearing the burden of OSS. And that jig is about up.
30 was for you.
“Ball-muh and I would hate to see anything bad happen to ya” — Billy the Digit
FYI V2 seems to be working fine..
Cool. Glad to hear it
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