Microsoft Axes 'Get The Facts'

tom66 writes "Seems like a long time coming, as Microsoft today has axed it's Anti-Linux campaign 'Get the Facts', and Microsoft has replaced it with a new campaign, called 'compare'. This article touches up on why they may have done it, and the criticism surrounding Get the Facts."

Comments

The facts?

[jcr]

I guess too many people actually were getting the facts, and the upshot has been erosion of MS's server market share.

-jcr

If Microsoft says so, it must be true.

[kwabbles]

The guy at the Ford dealership told me that Fords are more reliable, safe, and powerful than Chevys. He showed me a bunch of charts he made, and that made me feel better. He also had a nice suit and really nice white teeth, and smiled alot. Nice guy. What reason did I have to check out the Chevy dealership?

Re:If Microsoft says so, it must be true.

[stubear]

"...vague assertions...unsubstantiated "facts"...biased/self-sponsored technological reviews..."

Please tell me you were being sarcastic there. I have read enough unsubatantiated "facts" and vague assertions about Windows on Slashdot alone to make your head spin. For instace, how about all the recent bullshit about DRM and HD playback on Vista, all perpeturaed by some paper written by a guy who states that he has never even used Vista and the readers should check the facts for him? I could go on but one need only to read Slashdot on a semi-frequent basis to see all the BS written about Windows and Microsoft.

Re:If Microsoft says so, it must be true.

[JohnBailey]

Please tell me you were being sarcastic there. I have read enough unsubatantiated "facts" and vague assertions about Windows on Slashdot alone to make your head spin. For instace, how about all the recent bullshit about DRM and HD playback on Vista, all perpeturaed by some paper written by a guy who states that he has never even used Vista and the readers should check the facts for him? I could go on but one need only to read Slashdot on a semi-frequent basis to see all the BS written about Windows and Microsoft. And unless slashdot releases a Linux distro, your point is irrelevant. If you went to a Windows board or read the Windows fanboy posts, then the same applies. the two factions cancel each other out. Both sides have unrealistic cheerleaders. the Linux fanboys that expect corporate customers to use WINE to run their Windows apps, and the Windows fanboys who challenge every possible criticism about vista with " have you tried Vista yet". One is as bad as the other.

However, Red Hat, Canonical and others have not put up a site claiming the advantages of Linux over Windows using vague or stretched information that only a PR agency could call fact. And they would have to have a pretty big retainer to commit themselves that far. Microsoft (please note the lack of the traditional "$", so I can't be a zealot for either side) has replaced one misleading web site with another.

Neither OS can be held responsible for the actions or words of it's respective users, but they are responsible for their own actions. Didn't some hardware manufacturer get into trouble over the same practice years ago?

"Compare" singles out Red Hat

[physicsnick]

Although there is a "Compare Windows to Linux" tab on the new Compare site, nearly all the material there is targeted specifically at Red Hat -- one of the Linux distributors that is continuing to refuse to sign a patent-protection agreement with Microsoft. Ah, so only the non-blessed distributions are inferior to Windows Server? As if Get The Facts wasn't bad enough; they've started to play real dirty. I don't see a page on redhat.com bashing Windows.

I'm very glad Red Hat is standing up to Microsoft and their shit. I hope people can see through this campaign the same as they did with Get The Facts.

Re:What Linux!?

[loony]

it actually makes sense - SuSE and others are already occupied territory. So why bother emphasizing an attack on them? RedHat said they will not partner with M$, so of course the attack is focused on them...

As for them using SuSE switchers as example - the selection of examples is pretty limited. They had to take whatever they could get.

Peter.

No techie will believe this!

[ylikone]

But I guess that's the problem... techies know the truth, but they have to battle against the ignorant manager who believes the shit MS writes.

Let's Compare!

[BillGatesLoveChild]

Windows: Pain in the ass activation system
Linux: Not

Windows: Media Player monitors what you are watching/listening to and logs it with Microsoft.
Linux: None

Windows: Intrusive DRM, Scarce Driver Support, Many incompatabilities, Huge Security Holes
Linux: None

Windows: Parent company breaks anti-trust laws, slap on wrist by Justice Department, continues to flaunt law without penalty
Linux: None

Windows: Threatens small competitors with a flood of patent lawsuits
Linux: None

Windows: Includes code to spy on China
Linux: None

Hey, Microsoft is right! Linux can't do anything!

Re:Let's Compare!

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

1) Linux is free, why would it need anti-piracy measures? It isn't that they do or don't need 'anti-piracy measures', after all plenty of non-free software have no 'anti-piracy systems' either.
It is about the pain in the ass that 'anti-piracy measures' bring with them.

2) Microsoft does not monitor what you're listening to, unless you choose to allow them.
Played DVDs lately? Yes, VLC plays them just fine thank you. It's only in the USA where software patents mean anything (ok Japan has software patents too). The rest of the world has no legal issue with DVD playback using Free software. And do you know how terribly hard it is to get VLC in the USA? It's easier than getting official DVD software for MS Windows which costs extra. Just download it from the VLC webpage in France the same way you would download it for MS Windows.

3) The DRM is not intrusive, driver support is the widest available, Windows was built for backward compatibility and Microsoft Update / WUS is leading industry. DRM, by its very nature is intrusive, it is a restriction after all, isn't it? But DRM's intrusion even goes above and beyond that, or perhaps you missed this recent example?

Driver support being the 'widest available' is arguable. Sure, everyone and his brother targets MS windows. But once the product is end-of-lifed, the drivers don't keep up with new versions of windows. They do with linux. So plenty of old hardware won't work on vista but will work with the latest linux kernels.

As for "Microsoft Update" leading the industry? WTF? Leading them to hell perhaps? MS Update reports back all kinds of information about each system that is unnecessary. The various updaters for Ubuntu, Suse and Redhat all do the same job without the same loss of privacy.

6) Prove they spy on China? And prove that Linux doesnt Not just China, everyone. See NSAKEY. As for proving that linux doesn't, that's easy enough since anyone who cares has full access to the source code which they can then compile themselves in full confidence. The BEST MS will do is let you look at some, incomplete, source code, under very restrictive NDA licensing and they sure won't let you compile it and use the end result.

Re:Oh boy, it never ends...

[weicco]

You are partly right. Linux is free. Support is not. Now if you read it again like this:

Red Hat's business is based on annual subscriptions for OS support--you pay a subscription for every server, every year. And, if you want 24/7 support, you'll pay more.

Re:yes, this is a spelling flame

[Lazy Jones]

Um... sorry, you're wrong. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_a post.html To save anyone having to follow the link, I will reveal the principle and relevant use of the word: 1) to form possessives of nouns Microsoft is the noun, the campaign belongs to it, hence "it's Anti-Linux Campaign" is the correct spelling.

No offense, but that's bullshit. "it" is not a noun, therefore the quoted use of the apostrophe is not valid. "it's" is short for "it is", "its" is the correct possessive form.

http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~csk/its.html

Re:What a stinking pile that site is.

[jb.hl.com]

Because, of course, a comparison between Windows and Linux written by you would be entirely unbiased and would take in the merits and demerits of each equally.

Company says things about competitor to sell product; news at 11.