05 October 2006
Microsoft's Childish View of Linux and OSS
Microsoft has written off Linux and Open Source as a threat and has almost mocked OSS and Linux.
When asked by ZD Net if they agree that there is more Linux operating systems in business, the MS head of platform strategy stated that it wasn't true and that more and more businesses are moving away from Unix. He goes on to further say that Linux cannot be used as an end-to-end solution but is only useful for very specific situations.
Later there was a question about security in Windows and it was stated that Windows has more vulnerabilities than Linux. This was denied and it was stated that the vulnerabilities are not generally more severe. With the third question about the severity of Microsoft vulnerabilities being fairly severe, the question was left unanswered with the comment being only that Microsoft, Novell, and Red Hat all have to produce updates and that there has been a significant decline in vulnerabilities. Judging by the latest number of critical vulnerabilities for Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office (PowerPoint), I have to disagree completely on this one. August and during the summer months this was completely true, but there seems to be a new wave of vulnerabilities that are being exploited heavily.
Later when asked about Open Source and producing a version of Office for OSS it was stated that Microsoft would not do it in the future because of a commitment to the Windows platform. It was also stated that there are many alternatives on Linux and that it was about 'flexibility and choice'. The success of MS Office for Mac was also mentioned. The final statement regarding Linux and MS Office was 'if people want to run Office then buy Windows. Or a Mac.'
Microsoft in this regard seems to be brushing off Linux and the Open Source community as a viable threat even though there is a movement for people to go to Linux and OSS. They also seem almost childish in the comments about not producing Office for Linux. With Linux becoming easier for the average person to use and looking almost like Windows for the KDE desktop with a lot better features in many regards, it has become a system that wouldn't be very hard for someone to migrate to. Of course there is still a short time required to learn the differences, but there will be one for Vista as well. Also people who cannot afford or don't want to buy such a high end system for Vista can get more eye-candy from Linux on less expensive and powerful hardware.
When asked by ZD Net if they agree that there is more Linux operating systems in business, the MS head of platform strategy stated that it wasn't true and that more and more businesses are moving away from Unix. He goes on to further say that Linux cannot be used as an end-to-end solution but is only useful for very specific situations.
Later there was a question about security in Windows and it was stated that Windows has more vulnerabilities than Linux. This was denied and it was stated that the vulnerabilities are not generally more severe. With the third question about the severity of Microsoft vulnerabilities being fairly severe, the question was left unanswered with the comment being only that Microsoft, Novell, and Red Hat all have to produce updates and that there has been a significant decline in vulnerabilities. Judging by the latest number of critical vulnerabilities for Windows, Internet Explorer, and Office (PowerPoint), I have to disagree completely on this one. August and during the summer months this was completely true, but there seems to be a new wave of vulnerabilities that are being exploited heavily.
Later when asked about Open Source and producing a version of Office for OSS it was stated that Microsoft would not do it in the future because of a commitment to the Windows platform. It was also stated that there are many alternatives on Linux and that it was about 'flexibility and choice'. The success of MS Office for Mac was also mentioned. The final statement regarding Linux and MS Office was 'if people want to run Office then buy Windows. Or a Mac.'
Microsoft in this regard seems to be brushing off Linux and the Open Source community as a viable threat even though there is a movement for people to go to Linux and OSS. They also seem almost childish in the comments about not producing Office for Linux. With Linux becoming easier for the average person to use and looking almost like Windows for the KDE desktop with a lot better features in many regards, it has become a system that wouldn't be very hard for someone to migrate to. Of course there is still a short time required to learn the differences, but there will be one for Vista as well. Also people who cannot afford or don't want to buy such a high end system for Vista can get more eye-candy from Linux on less expensive and powerful hardware.
Comments:
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Well, Microsoft didn't say much wrong there. They, in general, stated that 'Linux sucks' and that, my friend, is something I agree with!
# posted by 
: 5/10/06 14:11
: 5/10/06 14:11
I won't say that Linux or Windows sucks, both can be very useful for different types of people. For those who want the most power and flexibility along with some risk, Linux is the better option. For those who don't need or want to work that close with the hardware and want a computer that requires little effort to get running Windows is an option. I personally prefer the flexibility that Linux offers me, but I won't say anything against someone who's happy and wants to stay with Windows either and would recommend Windows, Mac OS or Linux to a person based on their knowledge and preferences.
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