OpenBSD's De Raadt Slams Red Hat, Canonical Over 'Secure' Boot

An anonymous reader writes "OpenBSD founder Theo de Raadt has slammed Red Hat and Canonical for the way they have reacted to Microsoft's introduction of 'secure' boot along with Windows 8, describing both companies as wanting to be the new Microsoft."

Comments

Re:A bit over the top

[vux984]

But it's a simple point of fact to state that it is using a monopoly position in one area of a market to abuse another.

How on earth do you see the two linked?

To "abuse a monopoly position" would require that one need a monopoly in order to do something else. Ie... only Microsoft could abuse its desktop monopoly to force internet explorer onto every desktop. Opera can't put its browser on every desktop no matter how badly it wants to because it doesn't have that desktop monopoly.

So how does having a desktop monopoly facilitate Microsoft's move on ARM? Apple has locked down all its ARM devices.HTC, Samsung, Motorola are all selling ARM devices with locked bootloaders...

Indeed it seems any player in the market can and routinely does lock down the bootloaders on its smartphones and tablets.

So explain to me, how exactly does Microsoft's desktop monopoly enable them to do something other manufacturers can't do? Because it seems to me that Microsoft is no different than the already established players in the ARM smartphone and tablet players.