[dwollmann]

...the old programming models created by Kerrigan, Ritchee, and Wirth

Ahem. Kernighan and Ritchie.

Microsoft is selling shiny objects to gullible PHBs, again.

Programmers write free open source as a way to gain experience, knowledge, and exposure. They use all three to get paying jobs. Once they have the paying job, they stop writing open sourse.

While this generalization may make you comfortable with the choices you've made and ease your uncertainty about the future, it's simply not true. Certainly there are people who have written code, released it under an open source and walked away, but you know very well that projects like Linux, BSD, Gnome, KDE, Apache, etc. count among their numbers long-term developers who are both volunteers and paid by their employers. As much as you would like to characterize open source as the product of garage programmers looking for real jobs, there are more than a few paid professionals from companies like IBM and Sun participating in the development of open source projects.

[Common Tator]

Kernighan and Ritchie as well was Wirth created software based on the "procedures work on data" model.

That is the model that UNIX UNIX programs and Windows are based upon.

The next generation based on the Component object model of C# is an order of magnitide better in both reliabitiy and maintain ability. Microsoft is spending billions on a new operating system while SUN, IBM, SuSe, and Red Hat and the others play with an antique operating system. BSD UNIX still has a character based installation. It is Model T with a crank starter, tyring to compete with a new Chevie. The BSD boys will loudly tell you they are not trying to compete. They act like they are trying to commit suicide but they can't find a sharp programmers pencil to kill themselves with Some of those boys are still playing with Silent 700's. They can't wait for 1980 to get here.

Sun is playing with yesterdays hardware and software. That is why Sun stock has dropped from 60 bucks a share to less than 4 bucks.

MS competitors are suing Microsoft. That says a lot.

Did you ever notice than Companies who are wining never sue the ones who are losing.

Borland thought there was a market for a good tool to do LINUX Desktop programs. They did Kylix. It did not sell at all. They are now giving it a way with their Windows Delphi compiler. Which isn't selling either. With in 5 years the only peole doing java will work for Starbucks.

No one has done a successful commercial application for LINUX. Only someone as dumb as SUN's management would try to sell an Office Suite it could not give away.

Microsoft is very vulnerable. But not from the UNIX LINUX crowd.

Do you know the difference between Barbi Dolls and Sun Microsystems stock? People still invest in Barbi Dolls.