Eric Kidd writes:
Praise for the Linux community; advice for Microsoft about
pricing and respect; information about Microsoft’s anti-Linux
spiel. (Full disclosure: I work for the author of this
article.)
“It’s fun to watch the Microsoft machine rumble into position
for a battle that ain’t gonna happen. They post bug reports about
Linux in the Wall Street Journal and PC WEEK. After a bit of
hand-wringing and groveling, what does Linus’s community do? They
fix the damned bugs. I love it! Whistle while you work…
“Last week, talking with Victor Raisys, Microsoft’s guy watching
Linux, a heated conversation — they were playing the “There have
always been a lot of Unixes” tape for me, and I said emphatically,
Linux is not Unix. Linux is Lotus in the early days. Linux is
Apple. Linux is a bright hope that millions of young programmers
have for an independent and free future. In the past it was
independence from IBM that mattered, now it’s independence from
Microsoft…
“Net-net, force Microsoft to market to us, based on our
intelligence, not ignorance. The Linux community has done admirably
in this way so far, and I see no signs of it changing. It’s
incredible to see the earnestness and bright eyes. A long time ago,
I remember when Microsoft had that kind of brilliance.”