Readers' Comments

Reader Comments on Aardvark Daily 6 January 2003
Note: the comments below are the unabridged submissions of readers and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.
From: Allister Jenks
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: MS-Linux

I wonder whether they might take the Apple approach and
create a distinctly MS operating system that is *based* on
Linux in the way Mac OS X is.

Perhaps I should go ahead and register windox.com?




From: Richard
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: MS Linux? What? Haven't you heard?

A taste of things to come...?

http://www.mslinux.org/

That said, on a slighty more serious (but sarcastic) note,
would all those I.T. people really be stupid enough to buy
into the Microsoft marketing story and follow the same road
to damnation all over again?

Oh, yes, that's right, it is I.T. after all ;-)  Never have
so many been eager to suffer so willingly.




From: Peter
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Microsoft Linux


Will MS produce a MS Linux distro?
If they made a real distro, it might show up MS Windows,
which would defeat the purpose.
If they made a crippled Linux distro, it would make MS
Windows look good, but it wouldn't fool anyone.

Would it?




From: El_Man
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: MS Linux

That's an interesting thought, and it does go with MS's
'embrace & extended' strategy.

However, as they would have to release the source code with
MS-Linux in accordance with the GPL (wouldn't they?), and
then release applications for MS-Linux only (but no source
code, naturally), wouldn't it just be a matter of time
before some clever Linux coder releases a patch to enable
any Linux distro to run 'Office for MS-Linux'?

Perhaps not an easy task, but not impossible either, and
there would be an army of coders willing to make the attempt.
Of course, it would be against the EULA for the app and MS
would scream and call in the lawyers, but what did they expect?

MS have been discrediting Linux for a long time, and rolling
their own distro would be like admitting they were wrong.

I think MS would drop their licensing rates to encourage the
use of Windows, rather than do that.




From: Dominic
For : Right Of Reply (for publication)
Subj: It's not a threat

Why would an MS-Linux distro be a threat to the existing Li
ux situation?

What MS could do is make a Linux distro that is
incompatible with other distros, by altering the kernel,
making its own desktop, etc. But then, if it did this, it's
Linux distro isn't true Linux. I bet loyal Linux users
would ditch their MS distro!

MS can't stop the several thousand strong Linux movement.
There are lots of guys (and girls I presume) that make
Linux s/w.

MS can't make the same amount of money out of a Linux
distro that it does from Windows. Maybe Gates is not making
the money he used to and so he has accepted that the
revenues from an MS-Linux offering are to be taken with
content - for him, it's just nice that people continue to
use MS.

As long as there is someone willing to make for Linux what
gets made for Windows, MS can't shut down Linux or draw
people away from it.
Hit Reload For Latest Comments
Now Have Your Say