Microsoft vs. Linux

[vniow]

I don't get it, why are they trying to obliterate something that has less than 3% market share, and that's in mostly in servers. M$ makes more money in the desktop business, I think, so it just doesn't make sense to fight such a miniscule (in market share) opponent.

Ballmer: United, we stomp on Linux

Microsoft's taking a leaf out of Linux's book to fight off its open-source rival--it's calling its dedicated band of supporters to arms.

Although the software company cannot compete against Linux on price, the company will use its community of professionals to outsmart the open-source movement, CEO Steve Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVPs) in London on Monday.

Either they're completely overwhelmed with a natural instinct to dominate. completely nuts, or know something about the future on Linux that we don't.



click

[SilvorX]

theyre both...
they want to get back the "switchers" any way they can, first by trying to convince linux users that windows is better then sooner or later they'll be doing stupid stuff so theydd try to convince switchers to macs to come back...even though it wont work...microsoft might as well give up in developing operating systems....they piss off ppl more than make ppl happy (activation, ie integration, palladium, windows media, bsods)

[strider42]

Originally posted by edvniow

Either they're completely overwhelmed with a natural instinct to dominate. completely nuts, or know something about the future on Linux that we don't.

It would be foolish of them to overlook any competitor. They don't really have to compete with apple because they make money selling mac software, but linux users are MS free. They may represent a small percentage of the market, but its a big market, so thats a lot of extra dollars MS doesn't want to give up. Whats more, if you give a competitor an inch, it will take a yard, so competition at an early stage is the best way to stay dominant. So long as they don't illegally leverage their monopoly power, thats the way business shuold be done. Competition is good, for MS and for linux. If linux wants to survive, they'll have to counter MS strategies. If MS doesn't want to lose revenue, they'll have to be better than linux on some levels.

[Nipsy]

Also, M$ sees every Linux server as a lost sale of server tools, for instance, in M$'s mind they're losing:

M$ Windows 2000 Server (5 client) - $999
or
M$ Windows 2000 Server (10 client) -$1199
or
M$ Windows 2000 Advanced Server (25 client) - $3999

On top of this you have things like Commerce Site Server, Back Office, etc., which are seen as lost revenue.

Lastly, it is easy to switch client desktops to avoid M$ licensing assaults (thanks for buying this, now buy it again or it will stop working), but much more difficult to change servers. If you spend $20k to set up a machine with all the M$ crap you need, but later decide to switch to Linux, you'll need to rework & redeploy (via a paid professional) all of your services. M$ have a staff of people whose job is to FUD you into beleiving that the switch to Open Source software is more expensive because of the professionals need to deploy it.

These guys work with the licensing guys to extract as much as $$$ they can from you...

[ddtlm]

Products like Lindows (Linux with a windows emulator on top) are M$'s worst enemy. Free, runs on the same machines they do, can even run most of their software.

If Lindows ever does "grow up" M$ could be in serious trouble, and they are doing their best to make sure it never happens.

[vniow]

Originally posted by ddtlm
Products like Lindows (Linux with a windows emulator on top) are M$'s worst enemy. Free, runs on the same machines they do, can even run most of their software.

If Lindows ever does "grow up" M$ could be in serious trouble, and they are doing their best to make sure it never happens.

I'll agree that those $199 Lindows boxes are currently looking like the next big M$ killer, but since Lindows came out, they quickly realized that running most of Windoze applications on an emulator is next to impossible and would take more time and money that the little start up has.
Now they're focusing on making existing Linux applications easily run on it. A better move in my opinion, cuz running Windoze programs on Linux is kinda pointless if you've got the money for a Windoze box.
I think what Lindows is doing is a good thing, although I have my doubts, but it is getting a lot of Linux apps into the mainstream eye, and that's exactly what it or any other Linux distro needs to compete with M$.

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by ddtlm
Products like Lindows (Linux with a windows emulator on top) are M$'s worst enemy. Free, runs on the same machines they do, can even run most of their software.

Free? Not quite....

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