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What if Microsoft went Open Source?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the something-to-talk-about dept.

An anonymous reader writes "This article on newsforge takes a speculative look at what would have to happen if Microsoft decided to jump on the Open Source bandwagon (using Microsoft Project as the source of speculation). Amusing to think about, unlikely to happen."

5 of 370 comments (clear)

  1. Netscape/Mozilla by HeelToe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You never know, it might just eventually improve their products. Look at Netscape/Mozilla!

  2. A reason by Apreche · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There is a reason why Microsoft doesn't go open source that a lot of people don't realize, or at least they don't think about it. Sure Microsoft made the code for the NT Kernel, Office, VS.NET, etc. So they can legally release all that code. But there are a lot of things within Windows and Office that Microsoft can't legally release the code for. Like the defragger that is made by some German company. A lot of device drivers written by hardware people also. Windows now technically also includes Sun Java, which they can't release the source for.

    So while MS could open lots of source, there would be quite a few holes in it, and all the geeks who bothered to look would be wondering what was up with the swiss cheese.

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  3. I think a better question is.... by smitty45 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If Microsoft DID actually "get it" and go opensource, dropping their strategy and opening up code and changed their development ideas...

    would the OSS/FS community be able to handle that ?

    and would anyone help them out ?
    (assuming that, let's say it's released under GPL or BSD style licenses)

  4. Re:Give it up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Only a person to whom you give your binaries to need get the source.

    So your customer could, in theory, resell yout product. However, they would probbly not be able to support it. I mean, that is the reason for picking MS in business, isn't it? You *know* MS will be around to support your product.

    Additionally, look at Trolltech (produce Qt). they have a GPL product (Qt), but it's GPL. If you include the code in your product (even just by dynamic linking), your product MUST be GPL'd too. Most businesses don't want to do that, but they have to option of buying a non-GPL version which they can use. They have to pay Trolltech for this, so they make money.

    Easy-peasy.

  5. Re:Give it up by Kierthos · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Maybe I want to buy the Open Source software so I can transfer it from old computer to new computer easily. Maybe I want the manual (which, even if available as a .pdf, seems to be so much more handy if I can leave through it). Maybe the download sites are constantly jammed, and it would take less time to drive to Best Buy, purchase a copy, drive back, and install it, then it would take to download the damn thing.

    Maybe it's an impulse buy. Maybe it's a present to another geek. Maybe you actually needed someone to tell you this....

    Kierthos

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