Microsoft: Lets turn the heat up

[Lord Kalthorn]

EDIT: Bloody Hell. Either its me or the Site; but its having a fun day today. If you want - delete this and the one I imagine is going to be above it in a moment.

 

[root]

Hmmm, I was reading something on slash dot earlier (well it was an article that ilnked to Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU/Linux_naming_controversy

it concerns Linux, well actually it concerns what to call linux, should it be called Linux (as in the simple kernel made by Linus) or should it be called GNU/Linux as a mark of respect to the GNU project, which had been around for nearly ten years before linux was even dreamed of. The GNU project are the makers of many of the applications bundled with linux that actually make it what it is.

Many people have made major contributions to the free software in the system, and they all deserve credit. But the reason it is an integrated system--and not just a collection of useful programs--is because the GNU Project set out to make it one. We made a list of the programs needed to make a complete free system, and we systematically found, wrote, or found people to write everything on the list. We wrote essential but unexciting (1) components because you can't have a system without them. Some of our system components, the programming tools, became popular on their own among programmers, but we wrote many components that are not tools (2). We even developed a chess game, GNU Chess, because a complete system needs good games too.

http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html

Basically Linux comes with pertty much every app you need to make a usefull OS, (including games, compilers and media aplications).

These have been included with Linux since it's first release, and there have been no problems or anti trust law suits, no investigations by monopolies comissions.

what gives?

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

I suppose its because its free; so it can't get anymore competitive. But then again; if you're going to Anti-Trust Big Companies which make money and pour it into dozens of other things including making better software and internet innovations; why not Anti-Trust Big Companies which are non-profit or almost non-profit who pour effort into less things; only really trying to push Open-Source into the World Market, which although in ways grow competition - in all is a gain for themselves like Money is to Microsoft in their own Anti-Microsoft Agenda.

I have no opinions about the naming of Linux; but I do realise your point about nobody having sued Linux for Anti-Trust when it is so many mergers over many years in an ultimate goal of domination. Sounds like somehting for the Monopoly Commission to me?

 

[root]

Aside from the obvious that Mozilla and Konquerer are open source I don't see the difference.

Konquerer comes on linux as a file manager/web browser application, Mozilla comes pre installed as a web browser.

Both of these are free to download.

Internet explorer comes integrated into the OS as a filemanager and internet browser.

This is also free to download, and update patches support and new versions also come free.

IE is a non-profit application, why should microsoft drop it? or unbundle it? The original Anti-trust law suits started when Netscape tried to Sue Microsoft for giving away (what was then the best browser) that inturn meant people didn't want to buy their browser.

However I think that given the choice most people wouldn't use netscape anyway!

 

[root]

Seems now that Sun have sucessfully played the, we love linux and all it's open source goodness, and played the court into their hands. They have now turned their backs on thier former allie! Sun says that Linux sucks, and that they can do much better.

(this is after they had to go running to the courts to seek injunctions against microsoft adding features to their product that made it more usefull).

Clicky!

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Haha! Serves the buggers right; maybe Sun and Linux will kill each other and we can bask in the Microsoft Paradise of the Future in Peace?

Personally, although I like the Sun CEO (he does make brilliant speaches) I think Sun is worse than Linux. Sun are now working with Microsoft to more intergrate .NET with Java (This deal comes with some Anti-Trust clauses , which may take the European heat off Microsoft). Not because they want .NET and Java to cooperate - but because the Java Community as he hinted in his Speach fears its own destruction by .NET. Not that I think Linux, seeing its own destruction coming up, would not be equally as dishonourable. However, all things come to those who wait; and as Red Hat love Solaris, and Sun needs Red Hat: perhaps Sun and the biggest Linux Group will kill each other - opening a hole in the Linux balance of power which will take time to close and opening the Internet Community to .NET completely.

What a time to live in, eh?

 

[root]

I think the problem with SUN and Microsoft is the .net framework achieves everything that was meant to be achieved by Java, just better.

(thats a bold statement, but I think I'll stick by it).

Java is meant to allow scripted programs to run ina secure environment against a machine in as near to the native machine code as it can get.

The microsoft .NET framework is incredibly quick and uses JIT compiling to make sure that the application runs as quickly as possible (on the second time round of course! - after it is compiled and cached).

I'd agree that perhaps Java had a point, when microsoft took suns technologies and broke compatibility that was wrong. but rather than bitching about it I think Sun should have played a little catch-up and in turn made their program better.

instead they've bitched about it and now have microsoft as a source partner (I wonder if the trade is two way?). I suppose at the end of the day they've gotten what they want - access to quality source code. but at what price?
Where can Sun go? I mean they have a technology built on a unix like system, and are now slagging off unix like systems. Last year they were slagging off microsoft, now they are sharing source...

Sun seem to be slagging off anything and everything, the only problem is they are so close to the technologies that they are slagging off.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

I have to agree with you there!

They have slagged off Microsoft so much and now they are needing to make an alliance to live. Only loss I think - will be Scott McNealy's constantly thrilling speaches - hopefully he'll go to Microsoft and work there! Giving lots of great speaches and making fun Linux Puns.

I still hope Linux and Sun kill each other. Then Microsoft can destroy Apple, hopefully Steve Jobs will move onto Microsoft (he is another one who I think makes great speaches and should be making them for Microsoft). Then we can bask in the Microsoft Paradise of the Future in total Peace.