Microsoft Hit List

Microsoft’s latest checklist
Date: 2007-06-14 (transfered from old blog)

I’ve been using Linux on my main desktop computer for many years now and find the recent deals Microsoft is making with major Linux distributions to be very troubling. I use ArchLinux, which is surely not even on Microsoft’s radar, but still, anything that happens to the more popular Linux distros can hurt us all.

Microsoft’s checklist…

[x] SuSE (failing, easy target)

[x] Xandros (failing, easy target)

[x] Linspire/Freespire (failing, easy target)

[ ] Mandriva (failing, easy target)

[ ] Redhat/Fedora (they have money, might be a hard one to crack, concentrate on patent lawsuits)

[ ] Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu (they have community, might be a hard one to crack, concentrate on patent lawsuits)

[ ] Slackware (who cares, only hardcore nerds use this, ignore for now)

[ ] Gentoo (who cares, only hardcore nerds use this, ignore for now)

[ ] Debian (they have militant community, might be impossible to crack, ignore for now)

For more information, check out these Slashdot articles…

Linspire Signs Patent Pact With MS

Microsoft Gives Xandros Users Patent Protection

Novell Goes Public with Microsoft Linux Deal

Windows In A Linux World

Windows In A Linux World
Date: 2005-04-04 (transfered from old blog)

I went to our local Linux User Group meeting tonight and the guest speaker was a Microsoft representative talking about Unix Services on Windows. Basically, Microsoft is pretending that they are involved in the open-source movement by making tools that allow you run Linux virtual machines under Windows and allowing a select few corporations have a peek at some of their source code… but everything was restricted and geared toward having Windows control it all. Everything is made with the sense that the user will want to migrate completely to Windows eventually. He handed out 10 free copies of Windows 2003 Server. “Hey kid, first one’s free!” (thanks, but no thanks)