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META Predicts Linux Software From Microsoft in 2004

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the so-did-nostradomus dept.

trandles writes "According to this story at NYTimes (FRYYY), META Group is reporting that Microsoft will begin selling Linux software in 2004. It also goes on to report that a META Group study comes to the same conclusion as the earlier (MS-funded) IDC study that Linux has a higher TCO than MS solutions for some applications." Remember, this is speculation on the part of META, and has to do with back-end software, not Office. (But if Microsoft wanted to, they could become the world's biggest producer of Linux software.)

9 of 527 comments (clear)

  1. Cool by Squareball · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hey, even if they wanted to put out Office for Linux, I say GREAT! If they started puting out apps for linux, maybe other companies will follow suit, and then maybe we can stop being dependandt on Microsoft for their OS.

    1. Re:Cool by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm only in favor of MS Office if they open up the file formats so that .doc is fully interchangable with other office productivity suites. The level of interoperability we currently have is OK a lot of the time, but it could be better, and I won't be totally happy until the original application used to create the file is completely transparent to someone viewing the file.

      --
      You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
    2. Re:Cool by turgid · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think the point is to stop the MS monopoly by there being alternative products to those of MS, and allowing other software vendors to participate in the market. If M$ Office were suddenly to appear on Linux and every other version of UNIX, it's just possible that MS would kill any last vestage of competition. Luckily, OpenOffice etc. have got some momentum behind them already so that probably won't happen. Can you imagine a world in which you could choose whatever word processor you like as long as it's Word?

      --
      Stick Men
    3. Re:Cool by Squareball · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That is the thing. Most people don't use windows because of Microsoft applications, they use it because of other applications such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash.. etc. If Microsoft started porting their apps to Linux, then i'm sure Adobe would do the same and so would Macromedia. If you could run Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash on linux, then why pay the money for WindowsXP? Once other companies stop forcing you to use Windows to use their products, people can finally ditch Windows.

  2. Sure.. by simpleguy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But remember there is a difference between selling

    1. Closed source, commercial Linux software
    2. Open Sourced/GPLed Linux software.

    Hah, they'll probably GPL notepad.

  3. Re:What do you mean if they wanted to? by perp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "But if Microsoft wanted to, they could become the world's biggest producer of Linux software."

    If Microsoft wanted to, they could become the world's biggest producer of fishing lures. Or coffee warmers. Or pencil lead. They have the money to be the largest producer of anything.

    MS is currently trying to become the world's biggest producer of game consoles (or at least a serious competitor), and it doesn't seem to be working very well from what I've heard.

    --
    There are two kinds of sysadmins: paranoids and losers. I'm both kinds.
  4. Re:LinuX by Zebbers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    only if Linus lets them use the Linux name ;)

  5. Re:I didn't know Bill was sick by sql*kitten · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because the only way Microsoft will start selling software for Linux is over Bill Gates' cold, dead body.

    And he told you this personally, did he?

    MS write and have written software for a number of platforms. Office for Mac, MSIE for Solaris, CLR for FreeBSD to name but a few. Bill and Microsoft do what they do because they believe it will generate the most value for their shareholders - if the competitive landscape changes, so will they. Look how fast they changed their Internet strategy, for example.

  6. TCO depends on lots of factors by g4dget · · Score: 5, Insightful
    TCO depends on a lot of factors. If you hire good UNIX/Linux system managers, you only need a small number, your systems will run like clockwork, and your TCO will be low.

    If you are running a Windows shop and put people with only MCSE training to work on UNIX/Linux machines, they won't know what to do, they won't even know how to find out what to do, and they will hate it. Your systems will run miserably and your TCO will be high.

    What does that mean? Your Linux TCO depends on how your run your shop. If you do things right, the achievable TCO is better for Linux than for Windows.