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Ask Microsoft's Martin Taylor About Linux vs. Windows

Posted by Roblimo on from the TCO-studies-prove-whatever-you-want-them-to dept.

Martin Taylor is Microsoft's global general manager of platform strategy, but he's best-known as the man the company trots out to refute claims of Linux superiority. Here are links to several interviews he's done in the past two years: vnunet.com; CMP; Computerworld; and one on Microsoft's own site. As usual, please submit one question per post. We'll present 10 - 12 of the highest-moderated questions to Mr. Taylor about 24 hours after this post appears, and we expect to publish his answers within the next week.

17 of 1,069 comments (clear)

  1. So, you sold your soul, eh? by Darren+Winsper · · Score: 1, Funny

    Do you think you could have got more for it on eBay? ;) for the humour challenged.

    1. Re:So, you sold your soul, eh? by nine-times · · Score: 2, Funny
      Or: Are you not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not not lying right now?

      uh huh. And why should we believe that answer?

  2. Seriously... by Sensible+Clod · · Score: 3, Funny

    how DO you say that stuff and keep a straight face?

    Botox, maybe?

    --

    The difference between spam and poop is that you don't have to dig through septic tanks looking for real food. -- Me
  3. The one true question... by stu_coates · · Score: 5, Funny

    Notepad or Wordpad? ;-)

    1. Re:The one true question... by outZider · · Score: 2, Funny

      edit.com. ;)

      --
      - oZ
      // i am here.
  4. Plain speech by lovebyte · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear Martin,

    I have read a couple of your interviews and I would like to ask you to answer to this one in plain English. Please! Could you avoid silly metaphors (try not to mention ballpark for instance) or sentences such as "So someone asks 'Hey can you guys ...'". And try to explain what such a sentence means: "We really [wanted] to go dial down the emotion, dial down the rhetoric, have a more fact-oriented approach and dial up the pragmatic analysis of solutions." (see computerworld interview first sentence!)
    It's painful to read and hardly understandable. Thanks in advance.

    --

    I'll do it for cheesy poofs.

  5. FUnDing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Microsoft has had finanical dealings with SCO and AdTI when both were making baseless and sweeping claims against Linux. Are there any other groups that you pay to attack Linux that you would like to tell us about before they come out in court?

  6. Heart by OO7david · · Score: 1, Funny

    So, one a scale of charcoal to black, what color is your cold, cold heart?

    (for the oblivious, : ), fits here)

  7. Consider the Children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Why is there so much swearing in the Win2k source? Did you not intend young children to read it? -If so; Why?

  8. Re:Quality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Lynx supports semi-transparent PNGs now? Sweet!

    Also, you should learn about False Dichotomies

  9. Re:Interoperability by jarich · · Score: 3, Funny
    Thirdly, this would raise a big stink. RMS himself might step out to chastize MS if they did something like this.

    Oh yeah, that's a great reason! I'm sure that Bill is terrified of RMS! :)

    --
    Agile Artisans
  10. Re:Interoperability by prodangle · · Score: 2, Funny
    Oh yeah, that's a great reason! I'm sure that Bill is terrified of RMS! :)
    I'm sure he really is!
  11. Whose voice? by amightywind · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mr. Taylor,

    Will you be answering all of these questions by yourself, or will Bill Gates have his hand up your ass making your mouth work?

    --
    an ill wind that blows no good
  12. Re:Interoperability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Have some cough drops.

  13. Sad story by fishdan · · Score: 2, Funny
    I work at a university and Exchange had crapped all over everyone AGAIN. In our emergency meeting to stop this from happening a 4th time, I suggested that perhaps we get rid of Exchange, and replace it with Sendmail or Qmail or James. With a straight face the CIO told me (and I am the software architect) "That's absurd -- there are no major universities that don't use Exchange." The mindless zealotry was astonishing -- and even more so because that is of course completely untrue -- universities were using sendmail long before there was an Exchange.

    And of course, he's my boss -- so there's not much I can do to change his mind!

    Except of course, keep mail bombing the Exchange Server.

    --
    Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm
  14. Re:Interoperability by PixelScuba · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://www.microsoft.com/windows/sfu/

    I read that as http://www.microsoft.com/windows/stfu/

    You can see my confusion, as I thought that this was their PR Policy

  15. iPod by chuckrey · · Score: 2, Funny

    Martin Taylor, Do you own an iPod and if so, does your boss know?