If Microsoft made all of their software OSS, would you use it?

[Sirin]

I know, "When Hell freezes over...", but this is a hypothetical question. IF Microsoft actually froze Hell and decided to go Open Source, would you use their software?

[Kindred]

Sure, if it was FOSS and ran on Linux. Not that i'd have much use for it in general.

[3rdalbum]

I'm using it now even though it's proprietry. But you mean "Would you use Microsoft's software instead of Linux".

The answer is no, unless Windows turned into a clone of Ubuntu. Then I might possibly think about it.

[Iandefor]

I like Linux plenty. I'm not certain I would prefer Microsoft Windows, although I might grab a copy of Office if someone would port it to Linux. But only on the condition that it was licensed under a license that was actually Libre, not just an OSS license.

[Polygon]

i would hate it less, as finally a ton of teh stupid bugs and security holes in windows would get fixed and i would be able to play my games.

[Rhapsody]

Possibly, if it was a free software license. Some of their stuff is actually quite good.

[MKR.]

If they made a reliable port of VB.net and the .net framework, I would probably use that. :P

For now, I use gambas for my RAD.

[Dr. C]

It depends on the the license they use. But if Microsoft were to release Windows 98SE under the LGPL how long will it be before the parts of the code found its way into the Wine project for example and many a Linux user would be using it?

The chances of this happening are infinitesimal.

[%hMa@?b<C]

I would probably use it in some way or another (eg WINE ads new code)

[Luggy]

I know, "When Hell freezes over...", but this is a hypothetical question. IF Microsoft actually froze Hell and decided to go Open Source, would you use their software?

If their products were good then maybe.

[BLTicklemonster]

If they would follow linux's example and make you HAVE to enter a password whenever you try to install something or when something wants to install, then I think it would make Microsoft much more secure, which would remove the better part of the egg from their faces. At which point I think the usage between linux and microsoft would see parity for now, but a decrease in people coming to linux.

Arguable, but that's what I think.

[IYY]

I'd use some of their software, but not their OS.

[grte]

Some of it, sure. Flight Simulator is great.

Not Windows, though. Ubuntu being free is a nice bonus, but I use it because I actually prefer it.

[Duo Maxwell]

maybe after a few years so that the majority of the DRM and security holes had been fixed. Till then I'd just wait for Wine/Crossover/Cedega to go through it so I could play some games like FlyFF.