“Accused in a trade-publication story of discrediting Linux, as
well as calling Linux developers a bunch of ‘punk kids,’ Mr.
Michels’s alleged quotes stirred up a firestorm in the Linux
community, one finally quelled when Mr. Michels sent an apologetic
email to a Linux industry organization to clarify his views. With a
been-there, done-that shrug of his shoulders, Mr. Michels smiled
and surmised that some reporters are just looking for conflict, and
when they can’t find it, they create it.
The question of competition from Linux, however, is a valid one,
since Linux’s potential market — price-sensitive
small-business operations looking for a stable computing platform
— accurately describes SCO’s current customer base. In terms
of perception, Linux is hot right now, with a funny, likable
spokesperson in the form of lead programmer Linus Torvalds.”
” ‘Of course my customers are asking about Linux,’ says one SCO
reseller, who preferred to remain anonymous. ‘And to be truthful,
SCO stinks when it comes to support. They need to give us better
tools to compete.’ “