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So M$ goes where?

On a level playing field such as linux, SQL Server would win its share against Oracle and DB/2. It is not without features, and there are people who like it.

It's just that if I've got 10,000 servers and I'm looking at a half-million dollars in Windows licenses just to use SQL Server, I might conclude that Oracle on linux was plenty good. The truth is, all those high-end databases have more features than anybody needs, and whoever is winning the benchmarks this week will be losing them next week. It's a fairly vigorous competition.

Nick, I agree with what you said

>> all those high-end databases have more features than anybody needs

And this can be repeated for practically every app, like ms-office as an example. Does any user actually know what all those features do? Or do they just want to type a nice looking letter?

Users want to get their jobs done and not spend their lives installing upgrades, reading howto books or sitting in training classes.

I think this is why there is a big push most everywhere for open software.

Using the right tool(size and complexity) is the right answer for most people. Unfortunately for ms you don't get to sell them an upgrade every year.

The open software movement is going to force software to free, and software vendors to supply value to customers not upgrades. The Linux vendors are quickly learning the pay for support bbses with tech support people on board, and patch/fixes support/downloads will get you paying customers.

I have no doubt that on a level playing field, ms sql server would win it's share. But 85% profit margins aren't going to survive.

vi still works and if you knew how to use it in 1985, it still works the same way today. It is the right tool, for some tasks.

snooker
Penguins are forever. M$ is just a fading fad.

A. This article is pure speculation.

B. If or when Linux becomes viable, then any company would be foolish to overlook it.

C. I wouldn't expect MS to port desktop apps to Linux. Perhaps SQL Server. Perhaps Exchange. But not Office. The desktop Linux market is too small. And I don't buy the argument that MS can build the market. That is a non-starter.