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View Full Version : microsoft opening up...opening source!!!



neoflight
January 26th, 2006, 04:05 PM
here is some info on this...
quote:

"Microsoft has said it will allow rival software companies access to license parts of the source code for its Windows operating system.

The concession was made in response to a 2004 European Commission anti-trust ruling, which ordered the company to be more open to competitors' needs.... "

full story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4649348.stm

how is that !!!!:rolleyes:

Stormy Eyes
January 26th, 2006, 04:09 PM
I'm not impressed. This move only cements my opinion that Bill Gates is spineless. With the money he's got, he ought to be telling the European Commission and the US government alike to go bugger themselves, that he will run Microsoft as he deems fit.

Sirin
January 26th, 2006, 04:20 PM
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=121573 :)

angkor
January 26th, 2006, 07:04 PM
I'm not impressed. This move only cements my opinion that Bill Gates is spineless. With the money he's got, he ought to be telling the European Commission and the US government alike to go bugger themselves, that he will run Microsoft as he deems fit.

*LOL*

here here

zkissane
January 26th, 2006, 07:07 PM
Europe is a huge market for Microsoft. I don't think he's spineless, I just think that he believes that he can make more money (or lose less money, as the case may be) by cooperating with the EU than by pulling out.

Kimm
January 26th, 2006, 07:14 PM
As I posted earlier:



...
offer commercial rivals access to a "pretty significant" chunk of the source code governing communications between servers
...
Software developers will have to pay an unspecified amount for the right to inspect the source code and will be prohibited from publicly disseminating the information


Doesnt exactly sound like Open Source to me.

Bandit
January 26th, 2006, 07:18 PM
I just enjoy how the EU loves to screw with M$.
The freaking US is to busing suking M$ arsh..
I wished I lived in Europe....

briancurtin
January 26th, 2006, 07:22 PM
MS will find some way out of this

bonzodog
January 26th, 2006, 09:04 PM
Bill Gates is actually very supportive of open source. Steve Ballmer isn't. Bill was quoted at the end of last year as saying that in 10 years time, there would only be Microsoft and Linux on the home PC market. Microsoft are opening source code to the server platforms also for the samba community, and indeed have contributed to various Open Source projects. There may be hope for Microsoft yet. Bill Gates is a very moral geek. The real problem is that steve the CEO, isn't. Steve is a very greedy businessman who controls the greater majority of Microsofts policies. It is known that there are frequent spats between the two of them, and Bill really likes the idea of Open Source and where it is going. but to steve, it isn't business sense.

imagine
January 26th, 2006, 09:10 PM
1. You have to sign a contract and pay money for a licence to get parts of the source code. Similar to the Shared-Source initiative, which is a big joke.

2. You aren't allowed to copy or redistribute the source code in any way, what makes the whole thing pointless for opensource projects.

3. The European Commission never asked for any source code, so it's impossible that this was made in response to a ruling. They asked for the *specification* of the communication-protocols used by Windows Server. That was in March 2004 and until today Microsoft did and does everything to hold it back.
They won't get away with this new offer, but it gives them another two or three months...

Derek Djons
January 26th, 2006, 09:13 PM
Europe can be a pain in the ass about many things. For example the iTrips made to stream your music through FM so you can tune in on the FM on your car radio and listen to the music on your iPod. In some countries (or all, not sure) it's illegal since the government doesn't wants such devices on the FM since there is a tiny mini small change it will block out communication and makes it even possible (modding it) tune into other corporate, government coincidal broadcast.

But the real reasons for as far as I know it is that in Europe the development market for closed source app's can't really jumpstart to a new level. It's being hold at it's level and by releasing sourcecode these european companies can start competing against US and other developed software. I mean, how many european software is there installed on a default Microsoft box... indeed, very little to none :)

Stormy Eyes
January 26th, 2006, 09:35 PM
I mean, how many european software is there installed on a default Microsoft box... indeed, very little to none :)

Does it matter whether an app was developed in Europe, the US, or on Mars as long as it works?

Derek Djons
January 26th, 2006, 10:03 PM
Does it matter whether an app was developed in Europe, the US, or on Mars as long as it works?

For the end user it doesn't matters. But looking at it from economical views Europe would really benefit if it's IT / ICT / Software Developing companies became more popular and sold more products.
But I doubt if European software companies can compete against companies outside Europe. It's just that I've seen, heared and worked with a lot of European software (at highschool, at college and at work). God how many app's are so badly written and feature unlogical interfaces. Of course there are really outstanding companies but these are devvin' Bussines 2 Bussines software (almost always ignoring the consumer and educational software market).

TechSonic
January 26th, 2006, 10:10 PM
They need to get off Microsoft's back and chew on their own feet.

If I were Bill Gates and was for the idea of open source, I would just hand the company over to the CEO and go start a new one. God knows Mr. Gates has enough money to start again. Sure would be awesome if Mr. Gates would join the Linux community and really whip out a diss to Microsoft CEO by beating them in software area.

Derek Djons
January 29th, 2006, 01:01 PM
They need to get off Microsoft's back and chew on their own feet.

If I were Bill Gates and was for the idea of open source, I would just hand the company over to the CEO and go start a new one. God knows Mr. Gates has enough money to start again. Sure would be awesome if Mr. Gates would join the Linux community and really whip out a diss to Microsoft CEO by beating them in software area.

Don't mistake for Microsoft (I doubt Bill Gates only) releasing sourcecode and changing strategy.

Bill Gates is still totally Microsoft pro although he has a some other opinions on Opensource than his CEO and managers. Bill gates believes in great lines with the vision and course of Microsoft. Joining a Open Source, Linux or founding a new company is more of a fairytale company. This at least for the upcomping 20 years. Microsoft has set a new course in to die-hard Home Entertainment and powerful, yet diverse Home and Bussines Solutions. In these markets a lot of money, customers and continuety can be found.

Virogenesis
January 29th, 2006, 02:24 PM
microsoft will never go opensource its already as opensource it will get with the old windows 2000 code floating around the net from when they got hacked most of it is there from what I heard it didn't actually include the data about NTFS.

Bill gates believes in IP and listen to the speech he made earler in his career.
He isn't going to opensource anything and from what I understand you'll have to pay for the code behind networking and what have you meaning only a select few companies will be able to throw money at such project to most it will basicaly be impossible.
The capitalist game goes on.

mostwanted
January 29th, 2006, 02:44 PM
Europe can be a pain in the *** about many things. For example the iTrips made to stream your music through FM so you can tune in on the FM on your car radio and listen to the music on your iPod. In some countries (or all, not sure) it's illegal since the government doesn't wants such devices on the FM since there is a tiny mini small change it will block out communication and makes it even possible (modding it) tune into other corporate, government coincidal broadcast.

But the real reasons for as far as I know it is that in Europe the development market for closed source app's can't really jumpstart to a new level. It's being hold at it's level and by releasing sourcecode these european companies can start competing against US and other developed software. I mean, how many european software is there installed on a default Microsoft box... indeed, very little to none :)

I can think of Skype and Opera, there are probably some more popular proprietary apps.

Europeans (and Canadians, Asians, etc.) also work and create software for Microsoft, it's not just an American company so it's not really a fair argument... and free software probably has the strongest base in Europe!

lotusleaf
January 29th, 2006, 02:59 PM
Unless they go 100% open source, I could care less what crumbs are thrown. I'm sick of hearing and reading the word 'Microsoft'.

kewl1uk
January 29th, 2006, 03:17 PM
Most comentaries I've seen revolve around free open source products based on the Microsoft code. But it will also give commercial developers a chance to develop software for Linux based on MS source code and also gives Microsoft a get-out in providing their own commercial products for Linux: Personally I'd go with a MS Media Player for Linux because some sites such as cnn.com search your computer for it and don't play media files if you don't have it.

BWF89
January 29th, 2006, 03:21 PM
Their not making their code open source. Their just putting it under a "look but don't touch" licence similar to Sun's Java. I still couldn't take the Windows source code and create a new OS called NewWindows or OpenWindows.

laxstar5
January 29th, 2006, 05:34 PM
Well,
actually, the EU asked to them to release full documentation on how to communicate with a Windows Server machine so that their competitors could make better products. Microsoft releases the source code instead of documentation, saying it's the "DNA of the product" PLUS you have to license it.

I can already see SCO-IBM style lawsuits in the not-so-far future.

xequence
January 29th, 2006, 06:13 PM
Someone should take the windows 2000 source code that was leaked and make a linux / windows / solaris / freebsd hybrid. Take the best thing from each OS...