In what ways is/will M$ try and derail Ubuntu from going mainstream? Xandros deal?

[bishop9226]

They already threatened linux with violating patents, a scare tactic to keep people from switching to an OS that might seem "illegal" or "questionable." All that does is buy them time, now they need to strike a bigger blow because if this gets any better before there next OS gets out they will lose market share, maybe 5-10% but that is very significant.

[jgrabham]

Throw chairs at us?

[eentonig]

Bill Gates, note to self.
- Engage some decent hackers to show off Linux vulnerabilities.
- Increase FUD spending
- Buy a few smaller linux distributions so we can show the world linux loves MS.
- Threaten business with lawsuits for using linux. (use patent FUD from above)
- Buy chairs for throwing purposes.
...
- Sell Stock

[jiminycricket]

Threaten OEMs. They've done it successfully before, like when Dell dropped Red Hat on the desktop in 2001. BTW, big parts of the MS-US antitrust consent decree that prohibited bad conduct are set to expire this November.

[Quillz]

They already threatened linux with violating patents, a scare tactic to keep people from switching to an OS that might seem "illegal" or "questionable." All that does is buy them time, now they need to strike a bigger blow because if this gets any better before there next OS gets out they will lose market share, maybe 5-10% but that is very significant.
Honestly, they don't need to do anything. If you honestly believe Microsoft is going to lose as much as 5-10% market share in a very rapid amount of time, you're simply wrong. Will Microsoft eventually lose market share? Yes, it's only natural. MS-DOS eventually died out, so will Windows, at least not unless the core kernel receives a drastic overhaul. But don't expect even popular distros like Ubuntu to suddenly take over in just a few days, figuratively speaking.

[karellen]

Throw chairs at us?

that was a good one :lolflag:

[smoker]

i believe ms perfect their chair throwing techniques in this mri lab!
http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html#

obviously, practice, and magnetics helps with targetting!:-)

[Iceni]

I hear they are screwed because they are now subject to the GPL. Good thinking there.

They'll probably throw money into TCPA.

[jgrabham]

i believe ms perfect their chair throwing techniques in this mri lab!
http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html#

obviously, practice, and magnetics helps with targetting!:-)

cool, we love those chair jokes! :]

[forrestcupp]

Honestly, they don't need to do anything. If you honestly believe Microsoft is going to lose as much as 5-10% market share in a very rapid amount of time, you're simply wrong. Will Microsoft eventually lose market share? Yes, it's only natural. MS-DOS eventually died out, so will Windows, at least not unless the core kernel receives a drastic overhaul. But don't expect even popular distros like Ubuntu to suddenly take over in just a few days, figuratively speaking.

The only reason MS-DOS died out is because when Microsoft released Windows XP, all of their OS's were then based on something other that MS-DOS. It's not any different than Windows 3.11 dying out. It's still all Microsoft.

[kamaboko]

They already threatened linux with violating patents, a scare tactic to keep people from switching to an OS that might seem "illegal" or "questionable." All that does is buy them time, now they need to strike a bigger blow because if this gets any better before there next OS gets out they will lose market share, maybe 5-10% but that is very significant.

People have talked about the de-throning of MS since Windows 95. Well...nearly 12 years later nothing has happened. Pipe dream.

[phidia]

Microsoft had good positioning, being the first kid on the block. They maximized that advantage, copied the GUI idea from Apple. To unseat them somehow would take dramatic events.
They have a lot of green stuff to spend on marketing and it's mostly marketing the sells stuff. Which is why I beleive that good products fail to even be recognized all the time while businesses with lots of loot to spend on hype can sell sh*t.
M$'s ad campaign against linux is most likely a stradegy of keeping as much revnue in their coffers as they can. There are always dissatisfied users just let them "..lead lives of quiet desperation" and plug the holes they might use to escape.