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

What a stinking pile that site is.

[twitter]

Thanks for the link to that utterly useless page.

You are right about this being little more than FUD that M$ should be embarrassed of. If you are looking for normal metrics like cost, manhours, click counts, and other apples to apples data, you won't find it there. If those clowns had any real advantages to offer, they could make a simple chart. The page looks like it was made by a freshly minted MBA on crack. Can they do anything professionally?

No they can't. It would be easy enough for them to compare their costs with Google's published costs to make their point. The problem is that reality is not as they would like it.

Re:What a stinking pile that site is.

[twitter]

One of my biggest fans, a person who hangs on every word of every post I write, gives me great credit:

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.

Well yes, it would be better and that's the scandal. I might include a metric like "freedom" along with cost, UI friction and other drier material, but even there I can make direct comparisons. The GPL does not restrict user actions, M$'s EULA often does. The GPL does not demand user data access to insure nothing violates copyright, the Windoze EULA does. I can also admit that Windoze users have an easier time getting non free video codecs and list them by name. My complaint is that M$ has not compared apples to apples, which is shocking for such a large company. M$ has studied free software for ten years, they have whole labs devoted to it and they should be able to do much better but won't. How can anyone take M$ seriously when they continue to act so unprofessionally?

An unbiased observer can only conclude that M$ is not competitive, or has not put enough effort into that silly page. Given the great amount of effort M$ has put into free software and the Vista dissaster, the conclusion tips toward M$'s inability to compete.

Re:Let's Compare!

[robvangelder]

The poster is ignorant.
The very FUD complained about is neck-high in this thread.

1) Linux is free, why would it need anti-piracy measures?

2) Microsoft does not monitor what you're listening to, unless you choose to allow them.
Played DVDs lately?

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.

4) You're right

5) Small competitors would do the same, welcome to business

6) Prove they spy on China? And prove that Linux doesnt

Re:yes, this is a spelling flame

[Pitr]

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.

The use of the apostrophe is not limited to the following:

2) to show the omission of letters
3) to indicate certain plurals of lowercase letters.