Who thinks M$ might try this?

[ed-koala]

Just had a semi frightening idea ... was thinking of M$, and the ways they try to control the PC market, and wondered ... If Ubuntu, and Linux in general, starts to take significant market share away from them, might they try to make Windows lock out other OS's somehow, so that ONLY their product OR the other could be installed?

I wouldn't put it past them to try, just not sure they could possibly even get that to work.

[snickers295]

Easy, make a closed source secret file system.
I have always thought that NTFS would do that.
I'm getting sick of M$'s Monopoly game that has already messed up 2 great distros SUSE (not opensuse) and Xandros.

[n3tfury]

enough with the $'s already. that's so tired. also, this will never happen.

[n3tfury]

E
I'm getting sick of M$'s Monopoly game that has already messed up 2 great distros SUSE (not opensuse) and Xandros.

one has to sell before one buys. perhaps you should lay some blame on the developer(s) of said distros. they knew what would happen other than getting money.

[Kevin Carmony]

Just had a semi frightening idea ... was thinking of M$, and the ways they try to control the PC market, and wondered ... If Ubuntu, and Linux in general, starts to take significant market share away from them, might they try to make Windows lock out other OS's somehow, so that ONLY their product OR the other could be installed?

I wouldn't put it past them to try, just not sure they could possibly even get that to work.

They wouldn't try something that drastic at this point, but they probably wish they had done it back in the glory days of their monopoly. =)

Kevin

[bonzodog]

There was a few incidents with the early vista beta's where they wouldn't support dual booting properly, and it was rumoured that this 'feature' locking in the boot procedure would go all the way to final. MS then altered it, declaring it a bug, but only after the EU and the US legal system reminded them that it was technically illegal to do such a thing, as it could be classed as a monopolistic practice.

No, I think Microsoft are slowly coming around to our way of thinking, and most of the developers there see the advantages of Open Source, but they need a reliable way of retaining the revenue stream from sales of the OS, but letting at least some of it go Open Source.

I wish I could find the quote from Bill Gates, who, when questioned about OSS, effectively admitted that it is the absolute future of development, and that MS would be going in that direction.

Remember, MS can afford to go Open Source on a lot of their OS division, as they have a huge revenue stream from the Console and Gaming divisions.

[maybeway36]

It's impossible - I'll just create a new partition table and install Linux over Windows. :P

[LaRoza]

They would have to have control over the hardware and bios, not likely.

[thx11381974]

They couldn't keep Linux off Xbox, I don't see how they can keep it off computesr they didn't manufacture.

[Denn1s]

you can get linux linux to run in a microwave if you try hard, we would find a way for sure to bypass any obstacles

[bruce89]

An even scarier thought, a software company already does this, and they are called Apple.

Sure, they don't stop you installing other OSes, but they don't let you install MacOS X on non-Apple computers.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Just had a semi frightening idea ... was thinking of M$, and the ways they try to control the PC market, and wondered ... If Ubuntu, and Linux in general, starts to take significant market share away from them, might they try to make Windows lock out other OS's somehow, so that ONLY their product OR the other could be installed?

I wouldn't put it past them to try, just not sure they could possibly even get that to work.

this is a bit rough to do though as it needs co operation from vendors to do it...
of coruse there are some ways that MS could do this, by having something that will modify the bios but it will take a lot more then that to stop us.
perhaps the most major deterrent that MS has is that by default you cannot burn ISO's on its system but there are ways around that too.


An even scarier thought, a software company already does this, and they are called Apple.

Sure, they don't stop you installing other OSes, but they don't let you install MacOS X on non-Apple computers.


yeh but thats one hell of a contrast, as at least with macs you can install linux if you really wanted to, there is nothing to stop you as honestly apple doesn't give a crap though such a thing would probably void your warranty but thats the same as most other computer companies out there.

[n3tfury]

as at least with macs you can install linux if you really wanted to,

as opposed to...

[thx11381974]

An even scarier thought, a software company already does this, and they are called Apple.

Sure, they don't stop you installing other OSes, but they don't let you install MacOS X on non-Apple computers.

It's funny how Linux people warm up to Apple, it's like Hollywood stars hanging out with Hugo Chavez because they hate Bush.

[Vansinnesvisan]

They would have to have control over the hardware and bios, not likely.

That's an option MS has explored.

From 2003:

In a move best described as puzzling, BIOS manufacturer Phoenix Technologies inked an agreement with Microsoft that will more tightly bind Windows to the system BIOS. The goal of the agreement, both companies say, is to improve security, serviceability and deployment of Windows boxes.

More recently, Phoenix BIOS is only for use with Windows Vista (http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/general-10/warning-there-is-windows-in-my..-bios-544779/).

Origionally Vista was suppose to come with Extensible Firmware Interface, a replacement for the BIOS. But it was dropped.

[snickers295]

one has to sell before one buys. perhaps you should lay some blame on the developer(s) of said distros. they knew what would happen other than getting money.
or one gotta threaten to sue and run You out of business before one can buy.
http://boycottnovell.com/2007/06/27/patent-trolling-mouse/
or claim they are going to help you and make it look real.
i think redhat is next linux distro to go because its one of them that costs money.
microsoft has done illegal stuff like this before a gotten away with it because they have so much money.
redhats going next, then mac OS X (because of them starting using Intel CPUs).
then, linux will have to run to sun computers and ppc because of windows BIOs deal above.
and then, if linux survives, windows will be forced to go to those computers and that is were we will get them because of people using those computers will know that windows isn't good and thats why we will go to those computers. then Linux computers will be the only ones left.
it will be a hard battle but i think we can win it.

[bruce89]

It's funny how Linux people warm up to Apple, it's like Hollywood stars hanging out with Hugo Chavez because they hate Bush.

Hang on, I was being anti-Apple.