Microsoft painted into a corner with low-cost laptops
,----[ Quote ]
| That leaves Microsoft executives with a choice: Do they extend the
| availability of Windows XP for low-cost laptops, or possibly concede this
| nascent market to Linux?
`----
http://www.tamilstar.com/news/publish/article_7340.shtml
There are many articles about this at the moment and they all make the same
point. Microsoft needs to expand XP's life, which it will do (while hiding
this). But it's still a situation where they have to give it almost for free
(an example being the Eee PC), which means potentially suffering losses just
to suffocate competition. It's already the case in developing countries
(Microsoft makes little profit there), so it's hardly surprising Microsoft is
near the verge of debt (Yahoo at stake). Free software (and Linux) is
obviously Microsoft's number one threat. As for "open source", Microsoft works
on redefining what it actually means. It tries to 'tame' the term, to
incorporate software patents and make it symbiotic with Windows.
Yesterday:
Microsoft's new weapon against open source: stupidity
,----[ Quote ]
| An Information Week article published last week appears to position Microsoft
| as trying to do something right when it comes to open source. And it
| positions the open source community as being not quite ready to make nice
| after past insults, threats, and abuse.
|
| Speaking for myself, I am always ready to see what somebody has to say when
| they say they want to work with the open source community. Unfortunately,
| Microsoft seems to be continuing its campaign of defining open source on its
| own terms, terms that violate the basic principles of our community.
| According to the article:
|
| For patented protocols, Microsoft said it would offer licenses
| on "reasonable and non-discriminatory terms." Open source developers can
| access the protocols for free for noncommercial use without fear of
| lawsuits, Microsoft said.
|
| The Open Source Definition makes it quite clear in #6 that restrictions
| against commercial use violate the OSD. Thus, a free-of-cost license that
| prohibits commercial use is useless to open source developers. And therefore
| I cannot understand why anybody would think that Microsoft is doing the open
| source community any favors.
`----
http://opensource.org/node/280
The state of open source: Bruce Perens, Open Source Definition
,----[ Quote ]
| Open source leader views software patenting as the No. 1 impediment to
| innovation
`----
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;724324336
Recent:
Feeling the heat at Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| A couple of years ago you reiterated that IBM was Microsoft's biggest
| competitor and you said not just on the business side, but overall. If I ask
| you who is Microsoft's biggest competitor now, who would it be?
|
| Ballmer: Open...Linux. I don't want to say open source. Linux, certainly have
| to go with that.
`----
http://www.news.com/Feeling-the-heat-at-Microsoft/2008-1012_3-6232458.html?tag=ne.fd.mnbc
|
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