Following Bill Gates' Linux Attack Money

UnderScan writes "After researching this material for about three years, Tom Adelstein tracks Microsoft's anti-Linux lobbying money: "Microsoft has unparalleled influence throughout the Federal government. On the cover of a recent edition of VarBusiness Magazine dated June 26, 2005 the editors presented a large headline which read: 'It's A Microsoft World. Five years after running afoul of the Feds, Microsoft is as powerful as ever. Pushing a platform instead of products could make it stronger still. Why nothing seems to stop it.'""

Comments

I don't get it

[Anonymous Coward]

I tried switching the family over to Linux machines over the summer
vacation and the objections from the other family members was more
than enough to send all 7 machines right back to Windows ME, Windows
2000 and Windows XP.
So why all the troubles?
Afterall Linux users in COLA love to tell stories of how Linux is so
much better than Windows and they would never go back and so forth.
My conclusion after seeing real people in a real average Jane setting
revolt against Linux is that the Linux advocates are just plain lying
because Linux is really a step backwards for people used to using
Windows.

To make this short and simple, virtually NOTHING worked properly under
Linux.
Video cards could not get maximum resolution.
Capture programs, for my ATI All In WOnder and Video camera did not
work. In fact my ATI cards advanced features (remote control amongst
other things) didn't work at all.
My printer (Brother all in one fax/copier/printer) did not work.
My DSL connection did not work and when I called support they said
that Linux was not supported.
My mp3 and mpeg video and music files played but they skipped
horribly.
I couldn't log into my router via konqueror to change/view settings.
MANY, MANY, MANY web pages did not display correctly.
And it goes on and on for pages,but the bottom line is that Linux
lasted about 3 days in my house before I ditched it and went back to
the Windows versions I was using.
Thank goodness for Ghost which mad it easy to do.

Conclusion is that Linux is a birds nest of confusion. Linux seems
like it might be good until you actually try and use it and then it
shows it's ugliness, slowness and instability.

Why on earth ANYONE would use Linux for a home system is a mystery.
Stephanie

Re:I don't get it

[Talrinys]

So true What people need to understand is, that if someone wants to do something they can do with a nice shiny GUI in Windows you shouldn't tell them: Well we have 79 different command line interfaces for that, but you don't need a GUI, you really don't, seriously, we mean it, and if we keep telling you you might believe it. Of course the pleasure of getting away from Microsoft outweighs every single little bug and irritating thing about Linux, cause if there is a bug in Linux, people cares, if it is in Windows, it's usually your fault in Microsofts eyes. You are not gonna get the average chat/surf internet user to change to Linux using that argument though, not before you can show them a nice GUI and then point out all the advantages over Windows Linux has(which by all means it does, i mean, it feels so damn nice to feel like you are interacting with an OS, not a GUI controlling a bugged program to make a bugged GUI for a working program work) Sorry for rambling :-P

So? Google has money too.

[Adolph_Hitler]

Let Google use its Microsoft attack money. Microsoft has serious competition now. Google has more power and influence than Microsoft and Google is already politically connected.

MOD PARENT UP. Not a troll.

[bturnip]

Parent post is not a troll. First reply is a troll. I am Linux only household and it all works for me (mostly). Does that make trolls out of people who tried Linux and couldn't make it work? Oh right- Slashdot, where the inmates run the asulym and wanna-be do-nothings are the loudest critics. Do the loudest geeks and nerds all have the mentality of 4th graders? Oopps...asking for some rational thought. Mod me an unfunny troll.

Three Sentences, Three Weasel Words

[Cr0w T. Trollbot]

In Monday's article we discussed how a dispute in the House Ethics Committee has kept the members from meeting and considering House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's activities that could have ramifications for Microsoft. In making legislators aware of many issues, the Redmond company's financial reach may be part of why the committee has delayed their investigation. Perhaps everyone involved hopes that a delay will allow the heat to pass on this and other issues.

I'm no Microsoft booster, but that's three sentences, marked by three weasels words, indicating the author isn't sure of anything, but has to throw these points in to support his conspiracy theory.

I stopped reading there.

Crow T. Trollbot

Re:Microsoft may not be the problem.

[110010001000]

Uh huh. Its the corporations/George Bush/Bill Gates/black helicopters/The Boogeyman that are keeping people from adopting OSS.

If that were true then how do you explain Redhat, Linspire, etc? They are certainly corporations. How does that fit in with your conspiracy theory?

Maybe people aren't adopting OSS for other reasons (other than George Bush whispering in their ear).

Re:Microsoft may not be the problem.

[Anonymous Coward]

...unless they're not facts.