[ Thanks to Dave
Fisher for this link. ]
“Ever since Linux started to make some ground against Microsoft,
no matter how small, various attempts have been made to guess and
second-guess what response the Beast of Redmond is likely to take.
A lot of the analysis is written by Linux “true believers” and has
been clouded by wishful thinking or a lack of experience of working
in large organisations. We’ve tried to look outside that particular
box…”
“We think that what Microsoft has done so far is a
first-rate example of a typical quick-fix: try some FUD, dismiss
the “problem” in disparaging terms, try not to let it gain credence
in the minds of the captive customers and hope and pray that it
will just go away. The latter – hope it goes away – is usually a
good tactic. Seasoned managers the world over know that this
works well about ninety percent of the time. It’s commonplace for
this month’s panic to be evaporate of its own accord a few weeks
later. A policy of relative inaction is often a good one.”
“Microsoft’s difficulty is that Linux is far from going away,
but gaining visibility by the day. Linux is by no means their only
problem either; their attempts at domination of the handheld and
PDA markets are struggling, the mobile phone manufacturers are
proving very awkward, sales of desktop systems (and hence software)
are flat, NT penetration has levelled off and the press seem to
sense a wounded giant. The news is not good…”