Why Microsoft Is So Scared of OpenOffice

GMGruman writes "A recent Microsoft video on OpenOffice is naively seen by some as validating the open source tool. As InfoWorld's Savio Rodrigues shows, the video is really a hatchet job on OpenOffice. But why is Microsoft so intent on damaging the FOSS desktop productivity suite, which has just a tiny market share? Rodrigues figured out the real reason by noting who Microsoft quoted to slam OpenOffice: businesses in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe that aren't already so invested in Office licenses and know-how. In other words, the customers Microsoft doesn't have yet and now fears it never will."

Comments

Pipe Dream

[pyster]

Scared? Of a piece of software only nitwitts and douche bags are embracing? OpenOffice sucks. I think they are taking opportunity of the current openoffice chaos to bring to light the chaos and in-usability of openoffice in the real world.

Re:Less piracy from

[flappinbooger]

My wife is a graphic designer and web designer. When we were first married she had a 1g imac. After a while that got way too old and she got a PC. I showed her GIMP and asked her to at least try it. She absolutely hated it. She zooms through photoshop, of course, but GIMP made no sense.

I think the following sums up GIMP pretty well. I read this (paraphrased from my memory, of course) once on a forum or FAQ on the GIMP website:

GIMP isn't made, developed or maintained with the purpose of editing images. The developers don't want to learn to edit images. GIMP is about making software that edits images.