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Microsoft to Give Away Software

dptalia writes "In an attempt to suck up to the European Union, Microsoft has announced that it will give away software allowing multiple operating systems to run simultaneously. Microsoft says this is part of their strategy to make more software available through OSS." From the article: "Georg Greve, president of the Free Software Foundation Europe, said he had not seen the details of Microsoft's giveaway but cautioned against assuming it was motivated only by pragmatism or a new spirit of cooperation. 'If Microsoft were doing this for altruistic reasons, it would be a first,' Greve said. 'I think they are probably trying to get more machines on the Windows platform, and they may also be trying to improve relations in Brussels.'"

6 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Maybe it will be rigged by 0xABADC0DA · · Score: 0, Troll

    Welcome to Microsoft Bootcamper 2006!

    Boot Progress:

    Install Hypervisor [OK]
    Detect Windows OS [FAIL]
    Warning: Your system is damaged.
    Repair by upgrading to Windows 2006 [Y/y]? No dammit!!!!
    Set Memory Access Policy == slow [OK]
    Set Network Reliability Helper == unreliable [OK]
    Set Mean Time To Failure == 3600 [OK]
    Transition to Grub [OK]

  2. Free crap by electrosoccertux · · Score: 0, Troll

    Free crap is still crap. Would you want it anyways?

  3. Re:Maybe it will be rigged by jZnat · · Score: 0, Troll

    It's just the Microsoft astroturfers with mod points again...

    --
    'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
  4. Re:Maybe it will be rigged by Typhon100 · · Score: 1, Troll

    Claiming slashdot and/or its readership doesn't lean anti-MS is one of the most insanely asinine things I've ever heard.

    As for MS being ethical, I think they are. So there's one exception to your grand sweeping generalization. I would actually argue that most rational people think MS *is* ethical, and they also would agree that, in the past, MS was *not* ethical. Assuming MS is unethical now and forever, because once upon a time several years ago they abused a monopoly, doesn't give the impression that you're thinking critically about this.

    If people get modded up for saying things like, "Well, to be fair, MS is a business...", its because they're the only ones who can overcome their irrational personal loathings long enough to have some perspective.

  5. Re:Maybe it will be rigged by LinuxIsRetarded · · Score: 0, Troll
    Maybe it will be rigged to make the other OS run more crappy than windows
    It doesn't take any rigging to do that.