Micro$oft Linux
Gregory Toomey
But will Micro$oft produce a linux distro??? Read on
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Will Longhorn become a Microsoft Linux distro?
Thursday January 01, 2004 - [ 12:00 PM GMT ]
Topics: Application Development , Software , Personal Electronics
By: Chris Gulker
New Year's prediction: Longhorn will never ship, but Microsoft Linux will. Even if I'm wrong, it's clear that software development is headed for a new place, and the end game that most observers saw even five years ago -- that MS would win it all -- doesn't seem as likely on the eve of 2004. That said, Microsoft isn't going to go away, in this author's opinion.
More at http://software.itmanagersjournal.com/software/03/12/30/2034258.shtml?tid=44&tid=70&tid=79
gtoomey
Rick
I see where this could be the only direction that M$ might go in the
future. My wife and I are in the over 55 yrs. of age group that just got
into computers in the last three years and of course the box's we bought
came preloaded with M$98se. I, being more mechanical in my thinking and
wanting to know how everthing works, decided to build my own box but
didn't want to buy what I felt was over priced M$ software to install on
it. Not to mention articals I had read about the new EULA that would come
with M$-XP. Friends that had XP were not high in their praise of the
system either. In fact, a couple of them brought their box to me to have
XP removed and Win98 reinstalled.
Prior to building my new box (faster + bigger = better, frame of mindset:)
I searched the net for an alternate system and found Linux. Searching
newsgroups I found what was discribed as the easiest distro's to install
was Redhat or Mandrake. The people on the Mandrake group were friendlier
and not as inclined to flame posters with what they percieved to
be,"simple questions". All groups have the retards that post dumb$hit
like, "Google is your friend" or "Read How to Man Pgs." translation = I
don't know but someone "might" think I do and I'am not going to tell YOU.
But the Mandrake group was the most helpful. So Mandrake it was.
Started with 7.2.
Now 9.1.
Tried 9.2.
Reinstalled 9.1.
What the hell, go with what you like and comes with the programs I use for
burning CD's to give friends a copy of any distro's I have. It already
comes with office programs that I wouldn't have bought from M$.
I installed Linux on my wife's box with "Winders" but, her thinking is "I
know how to use Winders" and she plays card games online against other
people worldwide and the sites are ported to "Winders". All she need to
know is what "executible" file will take her there and can I put a
shortcut on her desktop so she doesn't have to look for it. She uses Yahoo
mail (scanned for virus') and I don't know how many different instant
messenger programs (doesn't accept files from anyone). I am the only one
that installs any software on her box that is connected to LAN through
router for a firewall. Then she found out Linux has GAMES. She determined
"Frozen Bubble" only has 54 levels, 51st being the toughest, if anybody
cares. Even she is starting to come around to Linux.
Now to the point, if M$ had a distro that installed as easy as Mandrake,
was "open source" and free to redistribute to friends, used RPM base to
install software, instead of command line, and was kept up to date through
downloads. Even if they sold it in box sets like Suse, without opportunity
to download distro from net. We all know it would be stable. Just name
recognition alone would sell the box sets because most people think that
their PC was designed to only run M$ junk....Ahhhhh!!!!! but look at the
opportunities that would fall on those of us who have hardware such as usb
scanners or cameras that won't run on Linux...... Drivers would be ported
to Linux by manufacturers that would be open source or the manufacturer
wouldn't survive. The key is Linux/Unix systems must remain open source.
Screw SCO & their silent partner M$.
distro's I have burned and distributed without any cost to my friends are:
Knoppix3.2 A bunch of these
Mandrake 7.2 - 9.0 - 9.1, I wouldn't give 9.2 to a friend Redhat 7.3 - 8.0
- 9.0
Slackware 9.0 One friend was more advanced & wanted to try it. I still
gave him a copy of Mandrake 9.0 (current at the time) I have downloaded
MandrakeMove and tried it myself, I'll find another potential convert and
give this to them instead of Knoppix. I like Mandrake myself, but that's
what it's all about, to each their own.
bghfhfg
If Microsoft released a Linux distro, they would have to open source
whatever modifications they made to it due to the GPL, and I think
Bill G would start cursing Windows in public before that happens.
rawrite
> If Microsoft released a Linux distro, they would have to open source
> whatever modifications they made to it due to the GPL, and I think
> Bill G would start cursing Windows in public before that happens.
Microsoft will not release gnu/linux.
They will do what corporations do when confronted with new paradigms --
try to imitate them using their same old products.
It's kind of like when /health consciousness/ hit America in the 80s.
Suddenly, everything became _fat free_ and _light_ -- even Kentucky
Fried Chicken with Gravy was advertised as /healthy/ .
So, Microsoft's strategy, as GLOSS (gnu/linux/open source) gains
marketshare, will be to try and _mimic_ the whole trend : while trying
to retain marketshare, not doing any hard work, and maintain high
profitability.
To whit, they will create a /Windows distro/ : a CD subscription that
will contain all their products, for a low /monthly cost/ that includes
support. In point of fact, the monthly fee will end up costing the
consumer way more, but advertising and marketing will be enough to
bamboozle the Average Joe.
Then, they will present /Bill Gates/ as the /champion of Openness/ ala
Richard Stallman and Linux Torvalds. However, _openness_ will be
defined as opening your wallet and handing Micro$oft even more money.
After that, they will adopt a cute, cuddly, ice living bird, the Artic
Tern, as their mascot. The Tern will be printing in a loveable cartoon
grahic to be worn on tee shirts and polo shirts. The Microsoft Tern
will be shown dropping /poop/ on the heads of OSS advocates.
Get ready for this and more, as BG and M$, sensing defeat, will now try
to hang on for dear life and use every dirty unpleasant trick in the book...
Jules Dubois
On 4 Jan 2004 15:01:08 -0800, in article
<news:3463e184.04010...@posting.google.com>, bghfhfg wrote:
> If Microsoft released a Linux distro,
While Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and the other capi are in charge,
Microsoft will not release any Free Software.
> they would have to open source
> whatever modifications they made to it due to the GPL,
Nothing, except the need for absolute control, prevents Microsoft from
releasing closed binaries for Linux, as do NVidia, et al.
bghfhfg
True; you legaly can write closed source programs for Linux; but if
you have to rewrite the enire OS without looking at the code just to
make it proprietary, it wouldn't really be Linux any more, would it?
Peter Köhlmann
You don't have to rewrite *any* of the OS to make closed source apps for
linux
--
Microsoft's Guide To System Design:
It could be worse, but it'll take time.
Lorne Smith
"rawrite" <raw...@dd.dev> wrote in message
news:Pk2Kb.20828$lo3....@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> bghfhfg wrote:
>
>
> After that, they will adopt a cute, cuddly, ice living bird, the Artic
> Tern, as their mascot. The Tern will be printing in a loveable cartoon
> grahic to be worn on tee shirts and polo shirts. The Microsoft Tern
> will be shown dropping /poop/ on the heads of OSS advocates.
>
I suspect it's more likely they'll adopt the image of a polar bear. After
all... penguins are one of a polar bears main food sources :)
> Get ready for this and more, as BG and M$, sensing defeat, will now try
> to hang on for dear life and use every dirty unpleasant trick in the
book...
Linux doesn't have a chance of challenging Windows as a mainstream desktop
OS until it has as large a commercial software base and is as user friendly.
Currently neither is true... Not that I'm saying MS won't try a few dirty
tricks to keep it down, but I just don't believe they actually NEED to!
Now, if Apple decided to release a version of their OSX that's compatible
with PC's, then maybe there'll be a product that can compete in the
mainstream, but I doubt Linux ever will as long as it's being developed in
such a haphazard manner...
At the end of the day, each OS has it's own proponents, and each OS has it's
own strengths and weaknesses. People have been arguing about it for decades
and their's NEVER going to be a definitive solution as to which one is best.
Why not just let each group get on with what they like best and cut out the
"mine is better than yours" schoolyard arguments?
Lorne
John
> I suspect it's more likely they'll adopt the image of a polar bear. After
> all... penguins are one of a polar bears main food sources :)
Polar bears are found in the arctic region. That is, the North Pole.
Penguins are found in the South Pole. Ergo, polar bears do not eat
penguins.
>[SNIP FUD]
This Is PBS !
But what if it were a super duper polar bear with a /Jet Pack/ and a map ??
HAH -- You didn't think of that ! Did you ???
the Entity Formerly Known as Jazz
He'd still be Tux-fodder...
--
the Entity Formerly Known As Jazz
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people
very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Douglas Adams
AUWG
Shhhh! Let 'em do it anyway and print up all the brochures and get the
shirts made and all that.
They'll be told sooner or later. :)
Ed Howdershelt - Abintra Press
Science Fiction and Semi-Fiction
http://abintrapress.tripod.com
http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/mw?t=author&ai=10823&id=95920
Bar B Q
i want an animal mascot that would eat that stupid BSD /demon/
i hate that thing.
Lorne Smith
"John" <spamb...@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:Zm%Kb.32187$IM3....@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
I just knew someone would notice that deliberate mistake :) But you get my
point? :)
Bar B Q
a wintard, just as stupid as ever
Lorne Smith
news:E7dLb.32999$IM3....@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
Oh look... the kiddies are coming out to play...
Alucard
"Lorne Smith" <n...@spam.here> wrote in message
news:u2dAyGf1...@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
It's hard to believe that John Bailo is 43. Make me wonder at what
age his emotional development stopped.
Sinister Midget
43???????????? All this time I thought it was 4 or 3.
Sheesh, just when you think you know something......
--
To mess up a Linux box, you need to work _at_ it; to mess up your Windows
box, you just need to work _on_ it.