Why does Microsoft have to get their fingers into everything?

Well they are doing it again, hear is a copy from www.smartmoney.com I am really becoming irritated by Microsoft. Before I was just happy to use my Mac and play with my linux, but now they are bothering me. In fact I am on the verge of removing my windows partition. Feel free to post whatever you think.
If you want to see the whole article hear is the link.

http://www.smartmoney.com/Techsmart/index.cfm?story=20061108

Microsoft Tries Soft Touch
While Oracle is brash and upfront about its attack on Red Hat, Microsoft's move seems more conniving. Just days after Ellison's announcement, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that Microsoft and Novell had put their long-running patent disputes behind them. In fact, the two have teamed up, vowing to make Windows and Novell's brand of Linux, called SUSE Linux, work more effectively with one another. It's a development that'll make customers happy. Many businesses use both Windows and Linux and have difficulty switching between them. However, Microsoft's motives go far beyond accommodating customers.

Microsoft has long hated open source, so pairing up with the beleaguered Novell instead of market leader Red Hat has raised suspicions that Microsoft is trying to splinter the Linux community and confuse customers. As part of this deal Microsoft offered patent covenants to programmers using Novell's SUSE Linux until 2012, begging the question of whether Microsoft plans on suing those who use a different version of Linux like, say, Red Hat's RHEL. Microsoft officials didn't respond to a request for comment by press time.

The impact of the patent covenants granted by Microsoft will most likely be psychological. As Hapoalim's Williams points out: "If Microsoft starts suing people about patent issues on open source, that will be a mistake that they will regret for a very long time. There's an array of forces that would become very organized very quickly."

More importantly, though, is the impact that this deal could have on the face of the Linux market. CIBC World Markets analyst Brad Reback wrote in a Nov. 3 research note that the partnership will undoubtedly result in some "fear, uncertainty and doubt" among investors who are trying to get their heads around all of the new offerings and agreements.

There's little doubt, however, that Novell bulls welcome the change. Novell's stock has shot up 16% so far in November, including the 5% bump it experienced Wednesday after a Securities and Exchange Commission filing outlined the financial details of the collaboration. Microsoft will pay $240 million upfront for SUSE Linux subscription certificates, which can be redeemed for technical support and upgrades from Novell. Microsoft can resell the certificates outright to corporate clients or bundle them into broader deals with its customers. Among the other terms of the agreement, Microsoft will spend $94 million over the next five years to build a dedicated sales force and market complementary uses of Linux and Windows.

As for Red Hat, investors should be patient. If you already own shares, hold on to them. But if you don't, wait. That "fear, uncertainty and doubt" will most likely continue to plague Red Hat's stock for the next couple of quarters. Eventually, the strengths and weaknesses of all of these companies' Linux plans will be born out, and I'm betting that Red Hat will once again thrive.

 

So much of Microsoft's strategy depends on them leveraging their near monopoly. So it stands to reason they will do everything they can to take out Linux.

I actually see this as the first step of them transitioning from a FUD-centric strategy to an embrace and extend strategy, using SuSE as a proxy. Will it work? Who knows....

Personally, I do not see MS making any patent claims agains Linux... at least any time soon. Those are the Nukes of the business world, and woe will surely find those who bring it out too readily.

 

Gods, Suse has been one of my favorites for years.....Guess I have to nuke the suse partitions on my PC's now and go Red Hat.....

 

Yea I am definitely looking into Red Hat much more seriously now, I am going to do whatever I can to help them. Even of it is only reporting bugs.

 

One of the reasons I liked it so much was BECAUSE of that feud with Micro$oft, lol!

If MS pulls something most of the enterprise level Linux world will organize and counter sue to stop their insane terror.

 

I hope you are right. There have been some instances like this with Mac, but I think Linux is far bigger than Mac(currently it holds 70% of the server market, and those are big businesses not individuals that Microsoft would be dealing with). So it hopefully could not be brushed under the carpet like it was with Mac.

 

Heres a rather interesting transcript from Ballmer. Once his ego takes over its easy to see his plans to destroy Open Source!

 

Reading that article you would think Linux was all Microsoft's idea. lol

 

alright that is it, say bye bye windows partition. Man it is like a little dog making an agreement with a lion not to eat him. It would be safer if the dog would just to stay away from the lion. Microsoft plainly admits that they are going to try and get everyone to use windows, so what happens to Suss when that happens? It's kinda a joke, linux will be safe as long as it remains totally open source. But as soon as Microsoft is able to claim patents on the open source, you can kiss your linux community goodbye.

 

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=301389

check this thread out to see some thoughtful responses from some of the more knowledgeable in the Ubuntu Community.

you'll have to wade through some junk, but there are quite a few nuggets in there.

 

Well, it is decided. I am not going to buy an Xbox360. I'm gonna buy a PS3 and run Linux on it. My Vista RC2 partition says bye-bye tomorrow, and my Ubuntu parition gets a little more breathing room. Unfortunately, XP is gonna have to stick around until I can figure out a way to get my university's wireless working in Ubuntu and find a way to run Solid Edge/AutoCAD in Linux. Shame...

Oh yeah, and that SUSE DVD I have laying around is going into the garbage.

 

Hey, I think I found some of that IP that Linux "stole" (see attached images)

Those cursors look really similar!!!! Man, those Linux guys totally stole those Vista cursors!!!! Oh wait... Vista is still in Beta and Ubuntu has been using those cursors for a year and half...

 

Thats the truth, it seem like microsoft is just making a bunch of threats. Whether they plan to cary them out is what I am wondering. It seem like they would really get smashed by the opensource comunity if they tried though.

 

A gigantic thread at suse forums:
http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=26319

 

I have no doubt that if MS were to attempt to sue some Linux packagers for patent violations IBM would get their panties in a wad and dig into their ridiculously large patent library and sue Microsoft for infringing something of theirs.

Big Blue is making gobs off Linux consulting and people running Linux partitions and open source software on their big iron at the moment, and I doubt they want to see the gravy train stop, which it will if MS sues someone in the Linux world. As long as they're making big money from Linux, I have no worries.