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Big amount of cash maybe ?

Yeah, agreed. If you need a quick injection of cash...Sign up with Microsoft.

The problem of course, is what happens in the long term?
(Novell has taken a lot of flack from the community already.)

Fear of the big, mighty Microsoft. The deal with Novell was the beginning, so most oft the companies out there think they're serious.

It's just business. Business make deals like this all the time. The only reason it's such a big deal now is because it's between Microsoft and (now) two Linux distributors.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying these deals are good or bad or go against the spirit of the open source communities who support Linux. I'm simply saying that the deals are just business as usual.

With that said I still don't think deals like this give any weight to Microsoft's arguments about patents. I'm sure Microsoft will use it to further it's FUD about Linux and I'm sure a few people (business) will base a buying decision on that FUD. However, the reality is that until the patents or IP in question is pushed through the legal system and proven in Microsoft's favor it's nothing more than ramblings of Microsoft.

The "It's just business" line is used to justify a lot of business practices that are eventually either found to be illegal, or made illegal once the public or authorities realizes there's a loophole in the system.

I'm sorry but most businesses don't operate the way SCO, Eron, or Worldcom do. What Microsoft is doing is straddles the line between extortion and slander.

They're able to get away with it because they have an army of lawyers and have no market competition. If Chrysler said GM, Ford, Toyota, and hundreds of other car manufacturers violated 235 patents (which they won't disclose because it's too much work to write them down on paper, but trust Chrysler, it knows what it's saying) and advertised regularly that anyone who purchased any "non Chrysler approved" cars could be liable and be forced to junk their car, Chrysler would be sued out of existence.

Mafia.

Interoperability. Some offices use Linux; some offices use Windows. It's easier for distros and Windows to work together if they want to sell to their mutual customers, people who use both.

It's not as easy as telling all your MySQL database people to switch to Microsoft SQL, or your MS-Office based people to switch to Open Office. The buzzword they're throwing around here at TechEd is RONUI: Return On New User Interface. Will the change in user interface (including different controls, different software, etc.), return more to the end user than the cost and difficulty of the change?

Right you are - Interoperability is what it is all about! All the noise about patent nonsense is just that. The real world is full of mixed environments and if Linux can talk seamlessly with MS, then its a win-win for Linux, MS and most importantly for companies that actually work in these commonplace scenarios. If Linux wants to be adopted worldwide then it has to be able to deal with this stuff.
You either play together or go home. I think this partnership provides legitimacy in the 'real world' for Linux and makes it a more attractive value proposition for businesses, developers, and users.

Let the lawyers take a flying leap! Neither MS or Linux has a case.

maybe I shouldn't care because I'm mainly a BSD user (with two Debian boxes around), but why...

Let it be laid to rest the myth that BSD users are somehow immune to software patent lawsuits. Software patents threaten everybody, even users of proprietary OSs (like OSX). The only way that companies can protect themselves against these lawsuits is if they have patent portfolios of their own that they can use to counterattack.

Microsoft is using patent FUD to target Linux because Linux has a bigger market share than BSD, and thus is a more immediate threat. But if Linux were to somehow to blown away and disappear, you can bet that Microsoft would then target BSD users.

Software patents are a very stupid idea. Most companies that hold these patents dare not use them, lest they unleash a nuclear war.

You do realise that this arrangement goes beyond the so-called 'infrindgements' they've made claims upon. For instance, WMA/WMV/ASF playback for example.

The depth and bredth of the arrangement hasn't been devulged; does this include access to specifications for Microsoft technology? does that include licencing of Microsoft source code in the case of CODECs?

Before the gnashing of teeth start, it is necessary to sit back and look at the bigger picture beyond the crazy rantings of Balmer and his accusations against Linux distributions and opensource projects.