Slashdot Mirror


Ballmer Admits 'Linux Changed Our Game'

wackybrit writes: "We've all known Linux has got Microsoft all worried, but they've always denied it. On Monday at a conference in LA, however, Steve Ballmer (of Microsoft) confessed that the FUD surrounding Linux isn't quite what it was made out to be. The Register has also covered the story in an easier to read fashion. They point out that Microsoft has just changed a page on their site which originally derided Linux, but now simply states what 'Windows does better.'"

5 of 628 comments (clear)

  1. They have at least one part right by KI0PX · · Score: 0, Troll

    I like this clause: "In addition, open source components are often licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which may expose the OEM's intellectual property and source code to open source participants and its competitors."

    I couldn't have stated it better myself.

  2. Hotfixes? by DemENtoR · · Score: 0, Troll

    Did anyone notice this: "...hot-fix support, and hierarchical storage management...." (windows 2000). "Furthermore, Linux offers no support for hot fixes and does not have a hierarchical storage management capability." (Linux) Hmmm, starange what are kernel patches then? By the way hotfixes (that usualy break something elses) from ms are always way to late. Also this hummors me: "Windows 2000-based server appliances provide advanced reliability features including a mature, well-tested journaling file system (JFS), which enables easy,..." "Linux now has over five options for a JFS. All of these are new to Linux and the depth of integration and regression testing can be scattered and the number of real-world implementations limited. The OEM will need to verify for itself the integration, depth of testing, and in-field results. With Linux, the OEM will have to take on the extra integration work to incorporate an add-in..." So what happened to the best file systems ever (NTFS) that ms was promoting. Also according to ms extra work on JFS by distributions, that increase realiabitly and stabilty is a bad thing according to M$. Last couple funny things i will leave of with: "..And no functionality equivalent to Windows File Protection--significantly increasing difficulty and time when recovering from a failure." I alays thought linux had file portecting, using users and groups and modes. (did Ms chmod -Rf 777 / after linux installs). "significantly increasing difficulty and time when recovering from a failure." - did these people ever try to use nt recovery console, to save windows (i think not). Hmm, resucing linux data using a boot disk, is so easy.

    1. Re:Hotfixes? by DemENtoR · · Score: 0, Troll

      blah, crappy formating, i guess Enter is broken.

  3. Re:This is totally obvious by Mrs.Trellis · · Score: 0, Troll
    "only worth using on low- to middle- stress servers"

    Simple example of default copy & paste.
    • Windows: Left click, drag, right click, left click, right click, left click.
    • Linux: Left click, drag, middle click.

    I make that 6 movements in Windows and 3 in Linux, that makes the Linux desktop twice as productive as the Windows desktop. Are there any other misguided and ill informed comments you wish to make?

  4. What Windows Does Better..... by javacowboy · · Score: 1, Troll

    1) Crashes more often than Linux
    2) Attracts more hackers and viruses than Linux
    3) Forces you to upgrade more often

    Linux is free. Windows costs money. You get what you pay for, right?

    --
    This space left intentionally blank.