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Could Microsoft Buy Red Hat?
An anonymous reader writes "Various news sources including ZDnet are today reporting that Microsoft is considering buying out Red Hat, speculating that 'Microsoft could see Red Hat's acquisition as a nice way to undermine IBM, but might not consider that a sufficient reason to do it,' adding that Red Hat is however '...a company that wants to be Microsoft and, like Microsoft, makes its living packaging and selling other people's ideas.'" That description seems to miss the key point that Red Hat releases the software they package and sell as Free software, and that both companies pay coders to create and improve software in the first place.
4. The name (would would immediently be destroyed in many peoples eyes when Microsoft buys it)
You are discrediting the effect the name has. A lot of people using Red Hat Linux have no problems with Microsoft, but need a Linux OS and choose the Microsoft of the Linuxes. These people would see no problem upgrading to "Microsoft Red Hat". It would be a great move for Microsoft, as this move could give them the opportunity to work on Linux, and gain a good (or "better") name in the F/OSS world. Sure, it would cost some money, and it would take some time, but microsoft still has plenty of both.
I wonder what the "Red Hat" brand is worth these days?