On Thu, 30 Apr 1998, Shawn McMahon wrote:
> Well, true, but without the emulators, Linux isn't a threat on the desktop.
> At least, not yet.
>
> If Microsoft could squash them, it'd pretty much restrict Linux's growth
> enough to do the damage.
I don't think emulators will put Linux on the desktop. Emulators are
always at least a rev behind. They're a stop-gap measure. What will put
Linux on the desktop are world class applications that can compete
head-to-head with Microsoft apps. And if those apps have GNU-type licensing,
Microsoft doesn't stand a chance.
> Everybody else is vulnerable, if Microsoft were to think Linux enough of a
> threat. Which they probably don't.
Linux *is* a threat to Microsoft's server market. I think Microsoft knows
that, although you probably wouldn't get an acknowlegment out of them.
But what do you do if you're Microsoft? The first thing that comes to my
mind is to drastically lower prices on NT server. In fact it's not out
of the realm of possibility that eventually NT workstation would be free.
That would be enough to counter much of the Linux desktop threat.
Or heck, if you can't beat 'em, join em. While the thought of Microsoft
Linux is enough to make one cringe, Microsoft owns something like 12% of
SCO. They could buy the rest of of SCO up, and release SCO free to the
world. That would be enough to muddy the waters a bit. IS Managers
in their wonderful ignorance, would eat it up.
Whatever they do, Microsoft won't take Linux head-on. They would never
win that fight. But the one thing Microsoft does best is to protect it's
monopoly.
Kirk Rafferty
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