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Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN)
CNN looks
into a META Group study which predicts that Microsoft will start
developing software for Linux. ""We believe that, beginning in late
2004, Microsoft (and its partners) will begin moving some of its (to-date)
proprietary application enablers (e.g., .Net components) to the Linux
environment; this will gradually include the major Microsoft back-office
products, such as SQL Server, IIS, and Exchange," META Group said."
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Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 10, 2002 22:52 UTC (Tue) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link] Lovely, just what we need.I do have to admit that I suspect Microsoft would try to sell space heaters in Hell before selling Linux software, but then again, what do I know. -Rob
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 11, 2002 2:21 UTC (Wed) by foo@share-foo.com (guest, #7940) [Link] Based on demand, they would probably sell more space heaters in hell IIS licenses to linux admins.-ray.
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 11, 2002 9:21 UTC (Wed) by angdraug (subscriber, #7487) [Link] Right, what can they offer?MS Office? We have OpenOffice, Gnumeric, KOffice, and more, all free as in speech and w/o VBV (visual basic for viruses). Internet Explorer? We have Mozilla and its siblings, Konqueror, lynx and links (yes, it is important to have console browser), again all free as in speech, and paying more respect to our privacy and security. Outlook? We have Evolution if you need collaboration tool, and we have tons of excellent mail and news clients, all free and secure. IIS? It will never beat Apache, especially on Unix. Not to mention all other free light-weight HTTP servers and Web application servers. MS SQL? We have PostgreSQL that has all the chances to outdo Oracle within several years' time frame, and MySQL as a dumb and fast CSV-file replacement. Windows Media Player? Come on, my wife switches to Linux to watch movies in MPlayer, because it is faster, more convenient, more robust, supports more formats out of the box, generates better picture, shows nicer subtitles, and so on. Did I miss something? Ah, yes: .NET... Come again when this "framework" really proves more useful than existing open (as in "source") standards with free (as in "speech") implementations.
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 11, 2002 11:54 UTC (Wed) by theshunt (guest, #3118) [Link] Well, many of Microsoft's productivity applications are more robust than those offered on Linux. I have not been impressed with any of the office suites available for Linux. The fonts do not look the same on the screen as they do on paper! Most of the word processors you have mentioned don't even have automatic spelling notification (underlining) and correction. Those that have this have not implemented it as well as Microsoft or Corel. The spreadsheets do not have nearly as much mathematical crunching power or internet integration features as the commercial products. The Linux office suites are very limited in features. Is there anybody who could (with a straight face) tell their secretary to quit using Access for PostgreSQL? Although Microsoft software on the platform would destroy any hope of competition, it would likely be quite usable.
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 11, 2002 16:33 UTC (Wed) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link] I mostly agree with you about the quality of the existing free office applications, but I strongly disagree with your last statement.Although Microsoft software on the platform would destroy any hope of competition, it would likely be quite usable.Having seen MSIE for Solaris, I can say that it neither "destroyed any hope for competition", nor was it is "quite usable". Don't expect wonders from Microsoft. It will take them years before they support POSIX systems reasonably well, even if they decide to use .NET, which still requires native runtime environment.
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 12, 2002 22:16 UTC (Thu) by chohman (guest, #5519) [Link] Ummm - Access and PostgreSQL are not even close to the same type of application, so I don't think I'd ask a secretary to change from one to the other. Would you ask him or her to switch to SQL server? I think not.Font problems would, one could suspect, have vanished years ago if Display Postscript, as championed by the Next computer, had ever caught on. I suppose some people think that integrating the Web with their business documents is a good idea. I'm not one of them. Too many of those malicious users around that Microsoft security bulletins like speaking of in a vaguely whiney tone. Getting MS Office running on *nix would likely involve porting a breathtaking amount of Windows over as well, given how fuzzy the line between the two products is. Are the Linux offering polished and snazzy? Not particularly, but neither was Word 2.0. By the way, doesn't Corel run on Linux?
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 24, 2002 21:46 UTC (Tue) by barrygould (guest, #4774) [Link] Font problems would, one could suspect, have vanished years ago if Display Postscript, as championed by the Next computer, had ever caught on.Apple's OS X is supposedly using Display Postscript. I don't know if any of it is open sourced. Barry
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 24, 2002 21:56 UTC (Tue) by barrygould (guest, #4774) [Link] Hmm... I just came across something called Display Ghostscript. Unfortunately, it looks like it didn't get very far. Maybe it can be picked back up?Barry
Why not BSD? Posted Dec 10, 2002 23:36 UTC (Tue) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link] I fail to see any reasons in the CNN article why Microsoft would prefer GNU/Linux over any BSD clone. Common words about security and openness of the code apply to BSD just as much as they apply to GNU/Linux. I'm sure they will feel much better with an operating system where they can avoid using any GPLed software (of course they have a replacement for the compiler).I'm not saying that there are no reasons for Microsoft to make software specifically for GNU/Linux, but the article doesn't mention any of them. I think the "predictions" are primarily meant to test the reaction of the public.
I think there's already Microsoft software widely used on Linux. Posted Dec 11, 2002 0:32 UTC (Wed) by frazier (guest, #3060) [Link] Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions:http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnservext/html/fpse02unix.asp I was thinking Harmon-Kardon has a embedded Linux-based media player with Windows Media support licensed from MS. Here we go (from http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8403200549.html: So how do you get Windows Media and DVD CCA-licensed DVD software on a Linux box? Simple--be an embedded systems vendor. Microsoft claims not to have seen any demand for Windows Media on desktop Linux boxes, but the Windows Media group at Microsoft is only too happy to strike a deal with the embedded Linux market. They package their library for Linux as a self-extracting .EXE file with documentation in Windows Help format, but it works. The thought of IIS on Linux is creepy...
I think there's already Microsoft software widely used on Linux. Posted Dec 11, 2002 4:56 UTC (Wed) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link] I'm pretty sure MS released their media player for Linux a few yearsago. They claimed it was a test how many Linux desktop users would use the product. Of course it was a binary, and they probably didn't spend much time making it look nice or integrate well with the system, but they did do it.
I think there's already Microsoft software widely used on Linux. Posted Dec 11, 2002 4:58 UTC (Wed) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link] Here's a link to a LUG discussion about the media playerrelease (it was in 1998) and it also mentions that NetShow for Linux was released: http://vancouver-webpages.com/vanlug/1998-3/0015.html
Microsoft to offer Linux software? (CNN) Posted Dec 11, 2002 4:29 UTC (Wed) by macemoneta (guest, #2717) [Link] By the end of 2004, Microsoft will be coming in to an established environment as an outsider, doing things in a way that doesn't fit with already established business practices. Sure, they'll be able to pick up the stragglers, but only for a couple of releases.Look at the last two years. Now look at that (accelerating) progress projected two years into the future. If MS wants any of that, they would need to come on board fast, open and hard. Unfortunately for them, they have become the large, lethargic, behemouth that they accused their competition of being when they took over the world. Evolution is a bitch for the dinosaurs.
Not GNU/Linux, ".Net" software Posted Dec 11, 2002 11:42 UTC (Wed) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link] They'll write software for .NET and we'll write a .NET emulator.People will have to choose whether to run Microsoft software on "Linux" advocates could run linux AND microsoft, if they think running If people know why we have this operating system in the first place Ciaran O'Riordan
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