On Feb 2, 9:16 am, "DFS" <nospam@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Terry Porter wrote:
> <snip>
> You mad that XP took most of Linux's netbook market share in just a year?
I'm mad that Microsoft was able to continue to strong-arm retailers
and OEMs in the netbook market - extending their monopoly to yet
another market generated, financed, funded, and supported by Linux and
OSS people - locking the very people who created the technology out of
the market.
I'm mad that neither the DOJ nor the EU lifted a finger against
Microsoft even though they have directly violated existing antitrust
judgements in both courts.
I'm mad that Microsoft has yet again boon-doggled unwitting users into
a dead-end situation - and turned the sub-notebook into a sub-standard
market.
I'm mad that Microsoft has been able to do this while OEMs lost their
shirts on Vista machines,
3 retail chains whose primary profit center was once PCs - have now
closed most or all of their stores.
Gateway was on the verge of bankruptcy when Acer - not exactly a fan
of Microsoft, bailed them out
- only to have Microsoft try to lock them out of the retail market
because they put the Aspire one on retailer shelves - running Linux.
One of the retailers who displayed running Linux machines next to
Vista and XP machines have closed their doors due to inability to get
credit from Microsoft partnered banks like BOA.
Even though Linux machines were profitable and XP and Vista machines
were selling at a loss, the retailers were terrified of Microsoft
reprisals.
In Europe, Asia, and the Middle East the hottest new product is "No
OS" machines - ready-made to support ANY major Linux distribution.
They cost 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the Vista machines.
> You mad there's not much of a future for Linux on netbooks?
I'm mad that Microsoft has become so obsessed with killing all
competition that they are willing to throw the entire global economy
into bankruptcy rather than let Linux enter the market and raise
productivity.
> http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2009/011509-windows-7-on-netbooks-does...
<quote>
In its last quarterly earnings report in October, Microsoft pointed
directly at explosive netbook sales in 2008 as one of the main reasons
for sluggish year-over-year growth for Windows Vista. Because Vista's
hardware requirements and licensing costs are too much for netbook
OEMs, Microsoft had to get Windows XP running on netbooks to curb the
Linux momentum, analysts say.
</quote>
It wouldn't be that Vista sales are sluggish because people hate
Vista!
It wouldn't be that Vista is such a pig that gives no productivity
gains!
It wouldn't be that people actually LIKED Linux.
No, it HAS to be because Linux was inferior and Microsoft HAD to
RESCUE the netbook buyers from themselves.
The irony is that when people were buying netbooks for THEMSELVES,
they were buying Linux 6/4, but when Microsoft locked up the Linux
boxes and kept them off the display racks, users got Windows XP
netbooks for Christmas instead.
Linux netbooks prove that Linux is "Good enough" for at least one
market - but Microsoft can't stand the thought of competition in which
Microsoft can't tie down the competitor with every kind of legal
encumbrance, licensing restriction, and marketing disadvantage they
can think of, even if they have to resort to:
fraud (claiming that Linux is impossible to use without knowing shell
programming),
Extortion (stop displaying Linux boxes or stop displaying ALL Windows
and Vista boxes). Retailers must License the trademarks from
Microsoft, and agree not to do ANYTHING that damages the brand (might
reduce their 99.9% market share).
sabotage (don't let Linux have a disk drive or cellular card, only XP
can have those - even though both work fine with Linux). Microsoft
prevented a direct side-by-side comparison by getting extra hardware
and features for XP machines that weren't permitted on the Linux
machines. People were comparing an Acer Aspire with 512 meg of RAM
and 8 gig flash drive running Linux to a similar looking machine with
1024 meg of RAM 120 gig hard drive running XP.
dumping - most of the XP net-books were sold at a LOSS. Most of the
Linux net-books were sold at a PROFIT.
collusion (all of you OEMs and retailers have to agree not to sell
Linux machines anymore).
Blackmail, we think Linux might violate Microsoft patents and we won't
tell you what they are, but if Linux is violating those patents, and
you haven't purchased Windows Licenses for those machines, we will sue
you for the full price of Windows or Vista.
Blackmail - we think that a few machines sold at your store with Linux
were used to run pirated versions of XP. We demand $400 for each copy
we've discovered, and $400 for all future Linux machines you sell that
we think might be running Linux. - Same tactic against the OEMs.
Linux had both hands tied behind it's hands, both feet tied closely
together and Microsoft was using a baseball bat to hit back. This is
what Microsoft consideres "fair competition".
Fortunately I won't need to buy another computer for a few years now,
and I won't buy another one until I can get it with LINUX
preinstalled.
I did buy 2 net-books with Linux pre-installed, my wife has "adopted"
one of them.
She won't give the Acer Aspire back.
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