MICROSOFT: Open Source is a Bigger Threat than Google

[z0mbie]

Speaking at a conference in New York on Wednesday, Microsoft’s chief architect, Ray Ozzie, said open source is a bigger threat to the software juggernaut than Google is. He says open source developers are not restricted by the best interests of shareholders and potentially are, therefore, a stronger market force.

-itbusinessedge.com

So they're finally admitting it?

[bobblehat]

I guess it always will be until they stop seeing it as a threat and start seeing the opportunities like any real innovator does at the moment.

[Methuselah]

In other words, open source cannot be bought or assimilated so it has to be beaten on technical grounds.

I have my doubts microsoft, as it exists now, can compete in the long run.

The unix culture is one of very focused design and thd very distributed nature of open source development pushes it even more in that direction.

Fore example, we need at least the linux kernel, Xorg and Gnome to have anything resembling a decent desktop. Yet all this inter-operating software is developed by completely separate teams that don't have direct control of another team's decisions.

Since the code is not centrally controlled there can't be any spaghetti interactions out of convenience or pragmatism. There is a well defined interface between X and the kernel and between X and Gnome. The decentralised teams complements the unix philosophy.

I'd imagine MS windows is much more complex with graphics/window management code embedded in the kernel with intricate dependencies between parts. IMO, it is becoming more and more difficult for MS to manage this codebase. Anybody remember all the things that were supposed to be in Vista that were cut after several years of development and who knows how many man-hours? WinFS anybody?

Add to this the burden to retain binary backwards compatibility because of the inability to rewrite programs/drivers for which source is unavailable and which manufacturers no longer support. Obviously open source doesn't have this problem.

They say OSS is a greater threat than google but google is a threat.
Google represents the shifting of computing away from the desktop (where windows temporarily holds sway) and towards the internet. In addition, you have cross platform browsers like firefox taking off and limiting microsoft's influence in that arena. It will become increasingly difficult to push Windows/IE specific technologies on the internet when adopters would risk alienating a large portion of the web browsing public. (Silverlight can kiss my ...)

IMO, despite its appearance of invincibility, Microsoft is operating under a significant number of constraints. It's only a matter of time before this become more obvious. In mt view, Microsoft's heyday has passed. I think Bill Gates knew this too, as does Ozzie, his replacement.

[Barrucadu]

Oh, good to see them admitting it.

[Waistless]

To summarise in a sentence, if you try to outdo an apple with an orange, you will fail.

In regards to Vista, I think Microsoft was trying to outdo its' other competitor, Apple, which was a pretty terrible decision on their part. They should be playing to their strengths, not their weaknesses. OSX is NOT a competitor to Windows, it can only be installed on Mac hardware, and I can't see Apple changing that policy. In trying to make the experience easier and compensate its weaknesses, e.g. streamlined install, prettier interface, UAC, sidebar, *the list goes on*, they made the experience worse. The last time I checked with XP, it was the OEM or enthusiasts job to install Windows, to tweak it to their needs, etc. That's what made Windows XP what it was, it was flexible, name one mainstream peice of hardware or software which doesn't work on XP.
Now that Microsoft has adopted a policy of tighter driver control, tighter hardware control, tighter software control, the same heirarchy as OSX... no wonder it's going downhill.

Maybe now that they recognise OSS as a fierce competitor, Microsoft might start playing to its strengths again.

[etnlIcarus]

I find it somewhat of an odd statement since Google supports OSS; use OSS and I'm quite certain they are using OSS to send an implied, "F U", to MS. It's not like the two are mutually exclusive and I'd consider Google + OSS to be a bigger threat than either individually.

[Tomatz]

I myself see Microsoft moving toward the Apple model in the next few years myself. It's the only way they will survive.

[Canis familiaris]

-itbusinessedge.com

So they're finally admitting it?

So finally they have become honest!

[Waistless]

I myself see Microsoft moving toward the Apple model in the next few years myself. It's the only way they will survive.

Read my previous post, they won't survive doing that

[Canis familiaris]

I think Microsoft will survive because of its existing user base 80% of whom just refuse to switch to other platforms for no reason at all.