Microsoft will launch several projects around Linux and other open source technologies for allowing Indian customers the option to run its products on different operating systems and technologies. The initiative, to be rolled out in around a month's time, is aimed at grabbing "more market share for the Windows platform by allowing interoperability with open source technologies such as Linux," said Radhesh Balakrishnan, director, platform strategy, Microsoft India.
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Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2007-02-26
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2007-07-10
they're a company. they make money. their motive is, to make money. no one has (or should have) a problem with that, it's just that when they make peoples lives harder by overstepping ethical (and maybe even legal, depending who you listen boundaries), it, logically, pisses us off.
Edited 2007-08-24 17:20
Member since:2005-07-18
If Microsoft ..., they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. ...
They are accused of having so many hidden agendas, that were they all true, Microsoft would have more secret plans than every other plan (hidden or not) of every other group in the world.
You make it sound like the accusations are baseless.
Member since:2006-04-26
I mean, I totally agree with you. I think the paranoia is a little overboard. However, MS has engaged in some pretty nasty business practices over the years, as was revealed by the evidence in the Comes vs. Microsoft case, as well as in the well known Halloween Documents. We can only speculate as to what else they were doing that we didn't find out about. I guess what I'm saying is that though people are being a little overboard in this case, everything MS does should be looked at sceptically until such time that they prove themselves to be a more positive corporate citizen.
Now, that said, I think the most telling part of the article is right in the headline:
"more market share for the Windows platform by allowing interoperability with open source technologies such as Linux," (emphasis mine)
That's a pretty interesting admission of their general strategy to lock out competition by not allowing them to inter-operate. Don't you think?
Member since:2006-06-02
The paranoia around Microsoft is hilariously inappropriate.
No paranoia. Simply a well reasoned position based on a long and well documented history. It is apparent that Microsoft, as an organization, hasn't come fully to accept reality by showing a greater sense of paranoia concerning *Nix and FOSS. When Microsoft really begins listening to their customers, which is us and our customers/employers, and making better products, then we will all be better off. Who knows, we might be compelled to buy some more Microsoft products, although their operating systems are too far gone for many of us.
Edited 2007-08-25 02:28
Member since:2005-12-31
>>The paranoia around Microsoft is hilariously inappropriate. <<
Maybe you're not aware of msft's sordid history?
This is the company that bald faced lied to the US-DoJ with video taped testimony. Msft told similar lies to the EU.
Are you aware of the letters-from-dead-people astroturf campaign? How about the msft financed scox-scam? Or msft bogus TCO studies? Or bogus msft sponsored benchmark studies? How about msft sponsoring phony think tanks like AdTI? How about msft rigging windows to not work with drdos? How about msft using shill "journalists" like Enderle? How about msft customers being sued because of msft's patent violations?
Msft's ebrace-extend-extingish strategy is not anti-msft paranoria. It is a well established fact. Msft has been successfully sued over this.
Msft astroturfing:
http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/24514/
Fake TCO:
http://os.newsforge.com/print.pl?sid=05/06/23/2027229
Microsoft Tax Scam
http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/mm1297.08.html
Bestbuy rackteering
http://consumerist.com/consumer/lawsuits/best-buy-attorney-admits-t...
Member since:
2007-02-22
If Microsoft started packing in GPL software with Windows, they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. FUD and embrace-extend-extinguish would be cited as the reasons by Internet posters.
If Microsoft gave Windows out for free, they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. FUD and embrace-extend-extinguish would be cited as the reasons by Internet posters.
If Microsoft sold out to a Linux parasite like IBM, they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. FUD and embrace-extend-extinguish would be cited as the reasons by Internet posters.
If Microsoft released Windows and Office under the GPL, they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. FUD and embrace-extend-extinguish would be cited as the reasons by Internet posters.
If Microsoft closed its doors for good, they would be accused of having a hidden agenda. FUD and embrace-extend-extinguish would be cited as the reasons by Internet posters.
The paranoia around Microsoft is hilariously inappropriate. They are accused of having so many hidden agendas, that were they all true, Microsoft would have more secret plans than every other plan (hidden or not) of every other group in the world.