IBM Probes Microsoft's Relationship with SCO

[Jerry Davis]

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

>
> Craig
>
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+++++++++++++++++++
>
> Craig
>
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