IBM Probes Microsoft's Relationship with SCO

[KevinO]

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Jerry Davis wrote:
> On Saturday 25 February 2006 05:54 am, Craig White wrote:
>> On Sat, 2006-02-25 at 02:13 -0700, Joshua Zeidner wrote:
>>> Jerry,
>>>
>>>   I don't think so.  The real history of american business is 1)
>>> innovation, 2) expansion, 3) overbearance, 4) bloat, 5) death.
>>> Microsoft is at stage five.  Gates was on CSPAN tonight.  He looked
>>> really nervous, not his usual self assured smugness.  As far as Gates
>>> billions: today money is way more leveraged and detached from reality
>>> than ever.  Wealth on paper means nothing.  Do you think that Gates
>>> can just cash out his stock and buy a south american country or
>>> something?  Microsoft is not all powerful.  The profitable moves that
>>> they have available to them are diminishing by the day.  And the
>>> public( and our government ) is starting to catch on to their tricks.
>>> Remember in the first anti-trust trial, one of the key prosecutors had
>>> NEVER USED A COMPUTER BEFORE.  We have come a long way from those
>>> days...
>>>
>>>   Money will buy time... but it wont buy the truth.  Microsoft is
>>> done.  Have some faith in your country...
>>>
>>>         > Looks like the same old blah to me. If m$ was in .ca.us it
>>>
>>>         might be doing
>>>
>>>         > hard time due to the 3 strikes laws, but barring that it'll
>>>
>>>         be business as
>>>
>>>         > usual because the minor legal annoyances don't outweight the
>>>
>>>         ill-gained
>>>
>>>         > income or market share.
>>>
>>>         yep. m$ can't be nailed -- ever. they have too much money and
>>>         we all know that
>>>         money talks everything else walks in our system of justice.
>> ----
>> First of all - Linux is not the anti-Microsoft foundation...Macintosh
>> seems to live for that and please, let us keep it that way.
>>
>> Secondly, Microsoft has basically vanquished all comers in the Desktop
>> OS and Office productivity suite software categories to the point that
>> their profits of these 2 categories alone allow them to subsidize huge
>> losses in their attempts to gain a stranglehold control over markets
>> such as handhelds, phones, gaming consoles, on demand video, digital
>> rights management and more. I think you are ringing the death bell way
>> too prematurely.
>>
>> Thirdly, the DOJ had a conviction of Microsoft in their pockets at the
>> close of the millenium and the election of George W. Bush, with his
>> appointees in the DOJ handing Microsoft a 'Get Out of Jail, Free' card
>> immediately after the election ended all efforts/all thoughts about a
>> breakup. This administration has little interest in breaking up a
>> monopoly held by this huge American corporation, regardless of their
>> sins. So much for faith in my country.
>>
>> Lastly, what does this have to do with Linux?
> 
> 
> Craig,
> 
> 1. You said in many words what I said in a few. Thanks.
> 2. Let me tell you what this has to do with linux.
> 
>> Secondly, Microsoft has basically vanquished all comers in the Desktop
>> OS and Office productivity suite software categories to the point that
>> their profits of these 2 categories alone allow them to subsidize huge
>> losses in their attempts to gain a stranglehold control over markets
>> such as handhelds, phones, gaming consoles, on demand video, digital
>> rights management and more. 
> 
> This is the crucial statement. This has everything to do with linux (or more 
> particularly FLOSS). Microsoft's stated goal by Bill Gates and the ape-like 
> man (Balmer), is "Microsoft Everywhere". This is a fact - not surmise.
> 
> Because Microsoft has sown up the Desktop and the Office Productivity suite 
> they charge mucho bucks for them, and use the profits to get into 
> "everywhere" else. Even though linux is a good desktop (I have been using it 
> for years), and OOo is a good office suite (which I have been using for 
> years), and Samba NOW does a good job of interoperability with Windows. This 
> is not guaranteed in the future if Microsoft has anything to do with it. Wait 
> for when microsoft's new file system comes out. Will it be compatible with any 
> open source projects? I'll bet no.
> 
> Like it or not, we have to work with Microsoft, but conversely Microsoft does 
> not have to work with us. Why? They are predators, convicted monopolists, and 
> they have NOT changed their business tactics since the old days -- it has 
> just gone more underground -- READ harder to prove.
> 
> As long as Microsoft continues to BE a monopoly and continues to charge 
> horrendous amounts for their cash cows (because they HAVE NO COMPETITION) so 
> that they can leverage all the other ventures to make their stated goal 
> happen, we in FLOSS will take a back seat in this country.
> 
> Other countries are trying their best to not be shackled by microsoft, but it 
> is hard when one of the world's richest companies can foil those attempts by 
> any means necessary.
> 
> I believe strongly in FLOSS, and I believe also that our government and 
> governments around the world should be biased in favor of FLOSS and not 
> microsoft until PARITY in the market is reached, and THEN and only then let 
> us duke it out in the marketplace based upon feature/benefits. 
> 
> Some wise person once said "you are either for me, or against me". There is no 
> middle ground in this battle. And if you don't think this is a battle for the 
> mind and control of everyone on this planet that owns a personal computer you 
> are very much mistaken.
> 
> This is more than I've ever said on this subject, but I hope you understand 
> that this HAS EVERYTHING to do with linux/FLOSS.
> 
> Jerry
> 
Unfortunately, I have to agree. We just don't like to talk about it
much. :-(

- --
KevinO
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