MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register) [LWN.net]

The Register responds to yet another Microsoft-funded study showing that Windows costs less than Linux. "Microsoft thinks the problem is getting the message across. Microsoft thinks Windows 'wins against Linux every time' (although it appears unwilling to share that particular case study outside its reseller community), whereas large swathes of customers think Windows is expensive and Linux much cheaper. Microsoft is therefore convinced that if it continues to place 'the facts' in front of these sad, deluded people they will ultimately accept that Microsoft is right, and Windows will triumph."

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Is this the best shot for MS?

Posted Sep 9, 2003 21:21 UTC (Tue) by southey (guest, #9466) [Link] (1 responses)

Surely this means that Linux rules in everything else, given everything else they could choose to study. I would of thought it would be more fun using this study in pointing that out than worrying about the development of a java portal!

Is this the best shot for MS?

Posted Sep 10, 2003 0:13 UTC (Wed) by apwiggins (guest, #14171) [Link]

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mohandasga103630.html
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Since Microsoft is now changing the subject from the operating system to the applications (higher in the software stack), I think that we may be seeing a tacit admission that Microsoft can no longer compete in the operating system space.
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One monopoly teetering...Now Microsoft is fighting us in the application space...what will be commoditized next?

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 9, 2003 21:28 UTC (Tue) by maxmurd (guest, #14858) [Link]

Damn, this surely IS a winning strategy for MS...
Are they gonna sell W for free in East Asia?... I won't bet on it...
;);)

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 9, 2003 23:20 UTC (Tue) by tome (guest, #3171) [Link] (7 responses)

What The Register writer does not seem to understand is that the technique really does work. The only reason Microsoft is having trouble with it is that they are not spending enough money on it. They need to get their message on television and radio and they need to keep repeating it. Need an example to be convinced? Ok... seven out of ten Americans now believe that Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 attack on the WTC, and that the war in Iraq is part of a battle against terrorism. We have Fox News and their ilk to thank for this massive level of delusion. Microsoft could accomplish similar feats of persuasion but they'll need more than a few pathetic web pages.

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 0:41 UTC (Wed) by tazman (guest, #14959) [Link] (6 responses)

You evidently don't get out much. Don't take my response as a validation to your paragraph of totally erroneous statements. First of all, M$ shows commercials on their "NEW" MSN, XP, and Server 2003 products at least 3 times a day. To this, they make statements such as "security", "reliability", and "ease of use" when they should be spending the advertising money to acually fix these problems in the products! I haven't been aware of any internet slow down due to a Linux "virus". Show me ANY independent report that shows the M$ products TCO is cheaper than Linux. Also, just because you have a problem with "fair and balanced" reporting doesn't give you the right to LIE about statistics. Maybe 7 out of 10 members of your family believe what you stated, but the American people will beg to differ.

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 6:12 UTC (Wed) by kubrick (guest, #752) [Link] (1 responses)

Fox News is "fair and balanced"? Now I've really heard it all.

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 20:19 UTC (Wed) by jdthood (guest, #4157) [Link]

Fox registered the phrase "fair and balanced" as a trademark.
Thas is how fair and balanced Fox News is. Fox is currently
suing Al Franken who dared to use the phrase in the title of
his book.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/books/08/12/foxnews.lawsuit.ap/

This proves at least that Fox's managers have no sense of humor.
Or perhaps they do and I'm just not getting their joke.

MS isn't trying to fix anything

Posted Sep 10, 2003 6:29 UTC (Wed) by utoddl (guest, #1232) [Link] (2 responses)

they make statements such as "security", "reliability", and "ease of use" when they should be spending the advertising money to acually fix these problems in the products!

M$ isn't in business to fix these problems; they're trying to sell software. They are their only competitors, so if their new products don't target their own security, reliability, and ease of use issues, then nobody has a reason to by their new products. On the other hand, if they actually solve those problems nobody will have a reason to upgrade later. Then they would have to add real value instead of just lessen the pain to get people to buy the same software over and over. But...

I haven't been aware of any internet slow down due to a Linux "virus".

You would be, if 90% of the computers out there were running Linux. Everybody I know either is or knows somebody who's Linux box has been hacked. Sure, the OS is pretty secure, but apps introduce holes... Those problems will be magnified dramatically as Linux desktops inevitably take over. Adoption success will wipe that smug security grin off a lot of faces around here. Aunt Tilly and Uncle Jake aren't going to update their apps every time there's a new security advisory.

MS isn't trying to fix anything

Posted Sep 10, 2003 11:54 UTC (Wed) by MGPoolman (guest, #3469) [Link] (1 responses)

"Everybody I know either is or knows somebody who's Linux box has been hacked"

Troll bait surely !! I can't even say that about other operating systems. Of course if you have wide enough circle of freinds who also wide circles of freinds the latter part may prove true, but doesn't establish much.

No more food.

MS isn't trying to fix anything

Posted Sep 10, 2003 16:07 UTC (Wed) by kokopelli (guest, #11341) [Link]

I think it just means he has no friends.

Linux can be hacked if the person hasn't tightened up the default permissions, doesn't update packages, etc., but even if you get in the damage that can be done is usually limited by the permission system. We could see a modern equivalent of the Morris worm. Blah blah blah, the simple fact is that we haven't seen massive exploits in the field.

As for the presumed 90% market penetration of Windows, so what? Anyone with a clue knows that the real targets are the big servers on fat pipes. But they usually run Unix or Windows NT/server XP and have sysadmins with at least half a clue. Office and home systems are a poor second choice, and of the mix in that environment (Windows, Apples, Unix) one platform stands heads and shoulders in the ease in fully compromising the system. When Unix and Macs own 80% of this market and Windows is delegated to the clueless 20%, we'll STILL see the bulk of viruses target that platfform.

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 7:12 UTC (Wed) by Cato (guest, #7643) [Link]

I don't want to divert discussion but the stat on 7 out of 10 Americans is correct - www.usatoday.com/news/washington/ 2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm

Try the recursive approach

Posted Sep 9, 2003 23:33 UTC (Tue) by abatters (✭ supporter ✭, #6932) [Link] (1 responses)

And now for the more interesting question: which of the following two studies costs less?

1) A study that shows that Linux costs less than Windows
2) A study that shows that Windows costs less than Linux

Maybe someone should do a study.

Try the recursive approach

Posted Sep 10, 2003 2:42 UTC (Wed) by stumbles (guest, #8796) [Link]

LOL, that was a good one.

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 7:42 UTC (Wed) by Ajarn (guest, #8521) [Link]

(Posted Sep 9, 2003 21:28 UTC (Tue) by maxmurd) (Post reply)

-----Damn, this surely IS a winning strategy for MS...
-----Are they gonna sell W for free in East Asia?... I won't bet on it...
----- ;);)

I got news for you,

<<<<<Windows IS free already.>>>>>
One CD , containing windows2000-SP4, Offixe XP, McAfee Virusscan, ADCSee,PQ Magic 8.02 , Nero 6 , Plus another 60 programs, for the Price of 4 US$.

That makes any Windows OS much cheaper than an icecream

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 10, 2003 14:57 UTC (Wed) by sethg (guest, #14970) [Link] (1 responses)

Giga Research, which with the aid of Microsoft funding has produced a study indicating that it is cheaper to create a portal using Windows and Microsoft development tools than using Linux and Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) tools. [emphasis added]

Having recently struggled through a J2EE class, I can almost believe this....

MS' Linux obsession - time to call in the shrinks (Register)

Posted Sep 11, 2003 12:11 UTC (Thu) by dark (guest, #8483) [Link]

You're right! I missed that. Comparing with the use of PHP or Perl would have been much more accurate, since those are the common languages for such tasks. But I guess accuracy wasn't in the requirements spec :)