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Linux Today is not responsible for the content of the message below. AJWM - Subject: Re: Re: Re: uhm ( May 21, 2001, 16:25:59 ) we are looking forward to Win & Office XP, because these products finally won't crash any more. "Again? Bullwinkle, that trick never works!" "This time for sure!" Alastair The CAVOR project: http://www.cavor.org/ [ Reply | Reply Quoted | Back to today's headlines | Back to story ]    [ <<PREV ] Talkback

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Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 14:22:16 -0500

Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 09:15:08 -0500

Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 08:22:05 -0500

Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 14:07:15 -0500

Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 13:08:41 -0500

Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 19:27:10 -0500

Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 23:11:12 -0500

Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 23:02:28 -0500

Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 22:02:27 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 14:16:40 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 14:04:59 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:50:25 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:42:34 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:37:27 -0500

> "Open source is not so much the ideological cause of anti-Microsoft 
> hackers as a profound effect of the Internet, which means that it is 
> here to stay. The emergence of free, open-source alternatives to costly 
> proprietary software will undoubtedly hurt Microsoft?hence Mr Mundie?s 
> speech. In a further swipe at open source, Microsoft this week launched 
> a new range of server software that, it claimed, offers ?superior value? 
> to Linux, by providing ?clarity of intellectual ownership? and 
> ?predictability of the development process?. In other words, says 
> Microsoft, proprietary software is best because there is no doubt which 
> company owns and maintains it?and, of course, charges for it." 
> 

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:31:58 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:25:24 -0500

Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:07:39 -0500

> Addressing a question about Dell Computer's renewed commitment to 
> aggressively regaining lost sales momentum, he commented, "If you have 
> no technology of your own and your market goes mature, price is 
> unfortunately one of the few weapons you've got. ... The problem with a 
> price war is that the guy who starts it thinks he's in control. He's not 
> in control. Price wars in commodity businesses are really dumb."
> 
MS has resisted the comoditization of the OS but Linux in the mix
has them trying to get the GPL outlawed.

Can the Appeals Court even take notice of the effective price increase
of the new license leasing plan ?

Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 15:13:29 -0500

Catch that last paragraph about the Win95 NDAs used to kill OS/2 !

This guy rags on Gates enough to warm my heart.

Here's some of the history of Windows and Linux from: 



1981: Bill Gates saw a demonstration of Visi On, a windowing environment 
by Visi Corp, and it scared him silly. Microsoft immediately began work 
on "Interface Manager", later renamed "Windows". 

1983 April: Microsoft demonstrated "Interface Manager", later renamed 
"Windows". The demo was largely faked to make the computer appear to run 
programs simultaneously. 

1983 November: Microsoft officially announced Windows. It didn't 
actually work yet, and wouldn't for a couple of years 

1985 November: Microsoft actually shipped Windows 1.0 (two years after 
announcing it in typical Microsoft fashion). It still didn't work well 
enough to be useful for anything. 

1987 November: Microsoft releases Windows 2.0 and support for the Intel 
80286 CPU chip. Still not good enough to use for anything. 

1990 May: Windows 3.0, an almost but not quite usable yet version of 
Microsoft Windows was released. 

1991: Linux Torvalds produced the first version of the Linux operating 
system, beating GNU's Hurd to market (see 1984). 

1993: Microsoft introduces Windows NT 1.0 and Lan Manager 1.0. Calls NT 
1.0 NT 3.1 "to avoid confusion". 

1993: Commercial Linux distributions start to appear. 

1994 February: Microsoft releases Windows for Workgroups 3.11, adding 
networking to the product. Network is so totally piss poor people 
continue to buy Lantastic instead. 

1994 September: Microsoft releases Windows NT 3.5, a speed-up and bug 
fix version of NT 3.1. 

1994 October: IBM released OS/2 version 3.0, an operating system far 
superior to anything Microsoft had, or would have for years. IBM 
launched a major campaign to get software developed for it. Many major 
software houses signed up to port their applications, but nearly all had 
to drop OS/2 development when they read the NDA (Non-Disclosure 
Agreement) for the Windows95 development kit. If you were developing 
anything for OS/2, you could not participate in the Windows95 program. 
The NDA itself required total secrecy, so the reason everyone
dropped OS/2 development was only rumored for years. 

Date: Tue, 08 May 2001 09:28:56 -0500

Another MS "innovation" which will soon be remembered as a MS only development.

Given their stated plans to hold companies' data hostage while they extort their tribute who would be stupid enough to set another hook for them to use ?

Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 18:07:29 -0500

Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 17:35:06 -0500

Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 17:06:55 -0500

Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 16:34:47 -0500

Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 14:54:22 -0500

Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 14:39:46 -0500

Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 13:12:37 -0500

Subject: Microsoft's Attack on ignore their ownproduct

Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 11:14:50 -0500

Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 01:25:47 -0500

Subject: Microsoft and SCO

Microsoft and SCO

• To: am-info@essential.org
• Subject: Microsoft and SCO
• From: Kamran <kamran@picturetalk.com>
• Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 11:15:02 -0800

Here are the two press releases from Microsoft and SCO. Gives you a good
indication how facts gets distorted by the Microsoft machine.

Kamran...




Microsoft Releases SCO From Obligation to Include, and Pay Royalties on,
Outdated UNIX Code

November 24, 1997 9:02 AM EST

Action Results from Antitrust Probe and Objection by European Commission

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has
released SCO (Nasdaq: SCOC) from a contractual obligation to continue
including outdated Microsoft code in future UNIX Systems and paying
royalties on that code. Microsoft acted after the European Commission
agreed with SCO that Microsoft had infringed European competition laws.

SCO's UNIX System software competes with Microsoft's Windows NT in the
rapidly expanding market for server operating systems. SCO believes that
removing Microsoft's outdated code will result in lower development costs
with a positive impact on customers.

"SCO has borne a dual burden," said Doug Michels, SCO's executive vice
president and chief technical officer. "SCO has been paying substantial
royalties to Microsoft. Moreover, we were contractually obligated to ensure
that the code remained fully functional within a constantly evolving
software environment. The engineering costs of providing such quality
assurance are significant, impacting our time to market and reducing the
resources we can apply to product innovation.

"Now that we are legally able to remove the outdated Microsoft code from
both our SCO OpenServer and SCO UnixWare products we will do so as soon as
possible," Michels continued. "We are excited about the positive impact the
lifting of this burden will have on SCO."

    History of the Microsoft-SCO Agreement

The conflict arose from a 1987 agreement that Microsoft entered into with
AT&T, the original owner of the UNIX System technology. The technology was
subsequently acquired in 1993 by Novell, who sold it to SCO in 1995.
Microsoft and AT&T entered into the original agreement to ensure that AT&Ts
UNIX system for the Intel 286 and 386 microprocessors included Microsoft
code to run applications originally developed for Microsoft's XENIX
operating system, a commercial version of the UNIX operating systems
developed for the Intel hardware platform in the early 1980s.

On September 20, 1996, SCO sent a letter to Microsoft requesting
nullification of the provisions of the agreement that violate the European
Union's competition law. The provisions demanded perpetual inclusion of and
payment for outdated Microsoft code in future UNIX Systems developed by
SCO. In that letter, SCO stated that "the inclusion of (Microsoft's)
components or features would be no longer appropriate or commercially
desirable. The steps required to incorporate such features and components
would impose unnecessary cost, lower reliability, add complexity and extend
the development time for any UNIX operating system for modern Intel
processors. Overall, the effect would be to reduce SCO's ability to compete
in the marketplace with the resulting product."

Microsoft declined SCO's request. On January 31, 1997, SCO filed a
complaint with the European Commission, which is chartered to enforce the
laws of the European Union regarding competition. On May 23, the Commission
issued its Statement of Objections, in which the Commission agreed with SCO
that enforcement of the Microsoft/SCO agreement "in perpetuity" constituted
an infringement of the European competition law in that it "impedes
technical progress, and in particular hampers [SCO's] ability to compete
with Microsoft's own products, particularly Windows NT."

"We applaud the European Commission for responding so swiftly to our
complaint," said Steve Sabbath, SCO's vice president, law and corporate
affairs. "We submitted our complaint to the Commission in January, and they
issued their Statement of Objections to Microsoft in May. The Commission
clearly understood the impact that Microsoft's position had on SCO's
ability to freely compete in the marketplace, and acted accordingly. We
appreciate their prompt attention to the needs of an open marketplace.

"As a worldwide organization, SCO sought the assistance of both the
European Commission and the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of
Justice," Sabbath continued. "They worked closely with each other reviewing
the situation, and in this case the European Commission took the lead in
pursuing it."

"Of course," Sabbath added, "Microsoft's lifting of these technical and
financial obligations applies not only in Europe, but in all our global
markets, benefiting SCO customers worldwide."

    About SCO

SCO is a leading provider of system software for business-critical Network
Computing on the Intel hardware platform, offering the world's most popular
UNIX server operating systems, regardless of platform, and the world's
first application broker for Network Computing -- Tarantella. SCO sells and
support its products through a worldwide network of distributors,
resellers, systems integrators, and OEMs. For more information, see SCO's
WWW home page at www.sco.com.

SCO, The Santa Cruz Operation, the SCO logo, UnixWare, SCO OpenServer, and
Tarantella are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Santa Cruz
Operation, Inc. in the USA and other countries. UNIX is a registered
trademark of The Open Group in the US and other countries. All other brand
or product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify
products or services of, their respective owners. SOURCE SCO

© PR Newswire. All rights reserved.




Microsoft Applauds European Commission Decision to Close Santa Cruz
Operation Matter

November 24, 1997 6:00 AM EST

Decision Upholds Microsoft's Right to Receive Royalties if SCO Utilizes
Microsoft's Technology

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corporation today
applauded the decision of the European Commission to close the file and
take no further action on a dispute between Microsoft and Santa Cruz
Operation (SCO) involving a 1987 contract. The Commission's decision
follows progress by Microsoft and SCO to resolve a number of commercial
issues related to the contract, and upholds Microsoft's right to receive
royalty payments from SCO if software code developed by Microsoft is used
in SCO's UNIX products.

"We are gratified that the European Commission rejected SCO's request for
further action and approved our request to close the file on this case,"
said Brad Smith, Microsoft's associate general counsel, international.

"We were prepared to address SCO's concerns as long as our intellectual
property royalty rights could be protected at the same time. The unique
nature of the original 1987 contract made it difficult, but we were able to
find a workable solution that resolves SCO's major concerns and still
protects Microsoft's intellectual property rights," Smith said.

SCO's complaint concerned a contract originally negotiated in 1987 between
Microsoft and AT&T for the development of the UNIX operating system. A
principal goal of that contract was to help AT&T reduce fragmentation in
the UNIX marketplace by creating a single merged UNIX product. To
accomplish this goal, under the contract Microsoft developed for AT&T a new
Intel-compatible version of UNIX that improved the program's performance
and added compatibility with Microsoft's popular XENIX(R) operating system,
which was at the time the most popular version of UNIX on any hardware
platform. When completed in 1988, the merged product created by Microsoft
was named "Product of the Year" by UnixWorld Magazine.

To prevent further UNIX fragmentation and at AT&T's behest, the contract
obligated the parties to ensure that any future versions of UNIX they
developed for the Intel platform would be compatible with this new version
of UNIX.

As compensation for Microsoft's technology and for its agreement to give up
its leadership position with XENIX, AT&T agreed to pay Microsoft a set
royalty for the future copies of UNIX it shipped. AT&T subsequently
transferred its rights and obligations under the contract to Novell, which
transferred the contract to SCO in 1995.

The code developed by Microsoft under the 1987 contract continues to play
an important role in SCO's OpenServer UNIX product. This includes
improvements Microsoft made in memory management and system performance,
development of a multi-step bootstrap sequence, numerous bug fixes, and the
addition of new functions originally developed for XENIX and still
documented today by SCO for use by current application developers.

SCO complained to the EC that the provisions in the 1987 contract
restricted the manner in which it could develop a future version of UNIX
(code-named "Gemini") for the 64-bit generation of Intel processors. After
reviewing the matter, Microsoft modified the contract to waive SCO's
backward compatibility and development obligations, but insisted on
continued payment of royalties for any UNIX versions that include
Microsoft's technology. Microsoft then requested that the Commission close
the file on the case and take no further action, and the Commission agreed
to do so. SCO therefore withdrew its complaint.

Microsoft's Smith said there were basically three issues in the contract
that needed to be resolved: (1) the backward compatibility requirement, (2)
a development requirement designed to reduce UNIX fragmentation under which
each new version of UNIX would be built on the previous versions, and (3)
royalty payment obligations for Microsoft's intellectual property rights.

"Microsoft was willing to waive the backward compatibility and development
requirements, which were included in the 1987 agreement at AT&T's behest,
but we needed to preserve our intellectual property royalty rights, which
are fundamental to the software industry as a whole," he noted.
"Unfortunately, the old contract was written in a way that made it
difficult to separate the development requirement from the royalty rights,
but we were able to find a solution that gave SCO what it wanted but
protected our intellectual property rights."

Microsoft first learned of SCO's complaint to the European Commission in
late March. In a May 22 submission to European Commission officials,
Microsoft affirmed that it was willing to waive the backward compatibility
requirement in the contract, as long as Microsoft's right to receive
royalty payment for use of its copyrighted technology was preserved. On May
26, before receiving Microsoft's submission, the Commission provided
Microsoft with a Statement of Objections. This is a preliminary step in the
EC process that identifies issues for further deliberation and provides a
company an opportunity to present its position in person at an internal
hearing. Microsoft reiterated its willingness to waive the backward
compatibility requirements in an August 1 filing with the European
Commission. Microsoft also requested that the Commission hold a hearing, so
that Microsoft could document the various ways in which Microsoft's
intellectual property is contained in SCO's present UNIX products.

On November 4, after discussions with SCO were unsuccessful in resolving
the matter, Microsoft informed SCO that it was unilaterally waiving the
compatibility and development requirements of the contract, but retaining
the requirement that SCO pay a royalty to Microsoft when it ships product
that utilizes Microsoft's intellectual property rights. Upon receiving
Microsoft's waiver, the Commission canceled the hearing, which was
scheduled for November 13. Despite Microsoft's action to address SCO's
concerns, SCO continued to ask for further action by the European
Commission. However, the Commission rejected SCO's request and decided to
close the case. SCO therefore withdrew its complaint.

"We're pleased that we were able to resolve these issues to the
satisfaction of everyone involved, and we're particularly pleased that the
EC upheld our right to collect royalties for the use of our technology.
This principle is fundamental to the entire software industry," said Smith.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the
mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage
of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft and XENIX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other
products and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their
respective owners. SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

© PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

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Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 17:09:46 -0500

Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 17:07:40 -0500

Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 13:19:41 -0500

Date: Tue, 01 May 2001 15:14:47 -0500

Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 10:55:50 -0500

Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 09:55:50 -0500

Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 09:24:52 -0500

Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 13:24:48 -0500

, Rex Ballard OC: How important is free software generally in India? Simputer: Free/open software is critical for all developing countries. Access to sophisticated software will be impossible without this model. Second, customization and creation of software to meet local requirements (in local languages) is not going to happen without free/open software.Second, the orchestrated campaign to malign people from developing countries as 'software pirates' will loose its edge with the availability of quality free/open source software. OC: Has the Bangalore Declaration had any practical effect? Simputer: The only practical effect of the Bangalore Declaration, as far as we know, is the Simputer! OC: There seems to be a possible tension between the use and creation of free software and designs, and the goal of development of an indigenous IT industry. How do you see the relationship developing? Simputer: We see no conflict, but synergy. Linux has shown that software capabilities have only increased with the availability and use of Unix in the early days of computing in India and more recently with Linux. By making available the Simputer hardware under SGPL, we believe that the barrier to entry to hardware system development will be lowered. ====================== Such efforts to bypass the WinTel duopoly have the potential of getting ahead of the "developed" world by not having money siphoned off to the US.

Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:33:44 -0500

Subject: Collaborative approach lessens costs in more than just software

"DaimlerChrysler's Net Designs" Business 2.0 (04/17/01) Vol. 6, No. 8, P. 26; Holstein, William J. DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler division intends for its FastCar online design initiative to halve the amount of time required to design a new car--from roughly four years to two--and save a "huge" amount of money in the process. The tradition-bound automotive industry is particularly ripe for e-business transformation and Chrysler especially so, given that it is currently losing a huge amount of money, has laid off some 26,000 employees, and, of the Big Three automakers, is the most dependent on outside suppliers. FastCar, which is currently being used in the design of a new large car scheduled to be in showrooms by the fall of 2003, leverages the Internet to drastically improve communication between the many people and departments involved in the design of a car. If a stamping engineer, for example, is privy to the design of the car's bodywork from the earliest stages, he or she can offer input as to what shapes are or are not technically or financially feasible, shaving large chunks of time and cost from the process. Considering the average Chrysler has about 12,000 moving parts, each with its own unique design requirements, it is not hard to understand how a Web-based design environment such as FastCar could be hugely beneficial. "In the first 20 percent of the project, you commit to 80 percent of the cost," explains the director of the University of Michigan's Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation, Michael Flynn. "It's not really that the design activity is so expensive, but it's the commitment of all those downstream costs." It is estimated that Web-based design systems such as FastCar would remove about $1,500 from the cost to produce each car. Also, the flexibility enabled by such a system would provide the added benefit of effectively extending the design process, allowing Chrysler to be more adaptable to changing tastes, trends, fashions, regulations, etc. A major challenge faced by Chrysler and other automakers is the sheer complexity of their business and the fact that, while already popular in other industries, online collaboration tools have never been tested in such an environment.

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:57:11 -0500

Subject: Some Suffer Tax Hangovers From Microsoft Option Spree

Microsoft seems to have gotten Salmon, Smith Barney to mislead its own employees so its own tax burden and satisfy its institutional investors...(could those "grants" be from The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation ?) Lena Diethelm, an enrolled agent at the tax preparation firm Numbershuffler in Palo Alto, Calif., said she had heard many similar stories from workers in Silicon Valley and faults brokers for urging employees to borrow to pay taxes. "I think these practices are predatory," Ms. Diethelm said. "The brokerage firms have conflicts of interest, but the employees don't understand the relationship the companies have with each other. They don't understand the risks, and the brokers minimize the risks." Larry Feinstein, a partner at the law firm of Bortman & Feinstein in Seattle, has a handful of Microsoft employees as clients who borrowed against their shares to pay taxes. "These are middle-management people that all of a sudden have to file bankruptcy," he said. "The brokers are more than happy to loan you the money and charge interest on it." "The stockbroker said one reason to exercise the options was because if I got hit by a bus, my wife would have no access to them," the programmer said. Only recently, when the couple reread the option plan did they find that the options would have gone to her if he had died. The Salomon spokeswoman said: "We don't comment on anonymous allegations." The Microsoft programmer now acknowledges that it was a mistake to rely on his broker to the degree that he did and not to read the documents before deciding to exercise the options. Like Salomon, Microsoft stood to benefit when its employees exercised their options. The company gets a tax deduction equal to the spread on which the employee pays income taxes. In fact, the tax break has greatly reduced and in some cases eliminated tax bills at profitable corporations like Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Dell Computer in recent years. And when workers exercise options, they help their employer in another way, by reducing the number of options outstanding. Around the time the programmer and his wife say they were encouraged to exercise options, Microsoft was under pressure from institutional investors to reduce its options outstanding. By 1999, the number of options that Microsoft had set aside for grants had ballooned.

---

Buying back shares is a way MS has used to pump up its stock price but unless its shares rise dramatically it now faces 8.4 billion in already committed buybacks.

They are going to find it harder to cook the books into hiding that
expense next quarter. 

   "If you use buybacks as a primary method of growing the share price, 
   that's a fool's strategy," EMC Chief Joseph Tucci says.

   Over the past 2 years, companies made 3,560 announcements to buy
back    
   shares, according to CommScan/ComputaSoft Research.

   While not all followed through, many that did often find they 
   overpaid vs. today's prices.
   
     Microsoft must pay part of an $8.4 billion put-option liability as 
     early as this month. Microsoft manages the risk because not all the 
     puts expire at the same time, a spokeswoman says. Some aren't due 
     until March 2003, and the stock could rise by then. Microsoft can 
     pay in stock and use the money it routinely spends buying back
shares. 

---

MS holds employee wages down by using stock options instead and then shows less expense so that their earnings look better... Microsoft for years has issued massive amounts of stock options to employees in lieu of wages - accounting in some years, he says, for as much as 75 percent of total compensation. Because the options cost the company nothing - indeed, they even earn the company tax deductions - there has been no charge against earnings. Because of the savings in wage costs, Microsoft's earnings have appeared stronger than they are. Parish asserts that if Microsoft had paid wages and taxes the same way as most other corporations, it would have fallen $10 billion into the red in 1999 instead of showing the $7.8 billion in profits that it reported. Since earnings drive stock performance, investors in Microsoft's stock - including a large number of pension funds - have been grossly misled. "It's a financial pyramid scheme," Parish says. Because the Microsoft pattern has been followed by many other high-tech companies, he argues, it has destabilized not only the stock market but the U.S. economy.

---

Is AOL about to implode like amazon.com ? Will MS biggest competitor soon declare bankruptcy ? Bill Parish writes... As an investment advisor I am continually surprised that many journalists do not accept the notion that there is only one capital market. There is no "tech" market or "telecomm" market. Capital flows to all markets and therefore Pacific Gas & Electric competes directly with Microsoft and AOL for capital. The utilities were basically desperate to increase their stock prices in order to compete in a new era of deregulation and therefore had no choice but to enter Microsoft's pyramid game, even though they could not hope to survive. And later this... What Time Warner management has basically done is fold a debt laden marginally profitable organization with declining cash flow and significant infrastructure upgrade requirements into a company highly sensitive to cash flow. AOL is now learning, as Amazon.com has already, that Microsoft's pyramid scheme is indeed structured to ensure its demise. To summarize... Please note that Parish and Company was the first to clearly explain and document that Time Warner had indeed stuck AOL with $16.2 billion in back taxes. It is only fair to quote this site, even though this fact can be externally verified.

---

Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 14:33:16 -0500

Subject: Love at first byte: Personal-ad Web sites booming

Sounds like the newspaper business is headed for hard times as they lose another source of revenue. I wonder what makes The New York Times think it can fight the current trend ? I saw a story this week that IBM, Microsoft and a third firm are about to create an online version of what amounts to the business yellow pages. Lots of changes are coming because online makes information providing sevices less expensive.

Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 00:25:37 -0500

Subject: Chartered says fab usage will soon fall below 50%

This could well be a leading indicator that bad economic news will continue till at least fall.

Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 00:08:34 -0500

Subject: Price war appears inevitable between Intel and AMD

As the CPU cost becomes a smaller fraction of total system cost MS software looms into view on even more radar scopes. Soon, as they find their license cost avoidance loopholes closed in ever more restrictive contracts, entire projects will be beyond what customers are willing to pay and anger at the naked greed shown by Bill's minions will make MS even less popular. We will know the collapse is pending when IT managers are gleefully spreading knowledge of loopholes faster than MS can renegotiate the contracts.

Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 23:11:25 -0500

Subject: Ganesh Prasad: Open Source-onomics: Examining some pseudo-economic

arguments about Open Source An examination and refutation of several FUD lines diguised as economics.

Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 23:02:45 -0500

Subject: Oracle & Open Source: Gazing at the Crystal Ball

Open Source will eventually push higher into the range where Oracle has reigned like Linux is encroaching on Sun territory. Sun is trying to slow the price erosion by selling a model which is priced about where you would expect Linux running on PC hardware to be. Perhaps Oracle will produce a 'lite' version to compete without lowering the price of their main product. The lower functionality of the low priced models will not actually compete so they will only postpone the inevitable. Open Source is bringing competition and innovation back to software.

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 14:01:25 -0500

Subject: Why They Whine -- Our children are being used against us

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 13:34:27 -0500

Subject: John C. Dvorak thinks MS may be cutting off its own air supply

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 11:41:27 -0500

Subject: The Register agrees that XP driver "signing" is an attempt at extending the monopoly

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 12:23:07 -0500

Subject: Wind River Systems plans to keep secrets while claiming Open Source

Wind River seems to be after the buzz of Open Source but wants to maintain the secrecy which has allowed them to lock in customers. I don't know of them having monopoly power but they seem to want to be able to monopolize.

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 12:23:07 -0500

Subject: An insurance policy against hacker-inflicted damage costs 25 per cent

more for companies using Windows NT. Insurance companies assess risks by the actual numbers not marketing hype. They do not appear to buy the MS line that "our software is more secure because fewer people get a chance to look at it to find exploits". I wonder how things like the maze traversal in Excel and the "Netscape programmers are weenies" stuff makes it to the field if they are being extra vigilant for their customers ? Just because a MS programmer put it on the CD does not mean that he had our best interests foremost in his mind.

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 10:49:11 -0500

Subject: MS intends to frighten customers into only using "signed" drivers

It is the AARD code for destroying DRDOS manifest in production code.

These users will however also be extremely scared by the unsigned driver experience, which consists of big warnings and is clearly intended to discourage use of unsigned drivers, to direct users to Windows Update, and to hardware that does have signed drivers. That puts massive power in Microsoft's hands, and means hardware manufacturers will have to keep very close to Microsoft development if they're going to avoid a tech support hammering.

So MS intends to use this to get all the hardware manufacturers to be under their control which will enable them to keep hardware prices from falling as fast as they would in a competitive market and the consumers will pay the higher prices without knowing. MS seems to "innovate" new ways to gain monopoly control of more and more of the entire economy as time goes on.

---

Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 17:02:16 -0500

Subject: Use Real-Time extensions to turn Linux into a radio transmitter

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 16:59:05 -0500

Subject: Linux cost savings to be had in electronic messaging

Fertile Ground for Cost Savings - which discusses how a company can find extensive savings by changing their messaging platforms to Linux:

In other news, in testing of Bynari's Insight Server on the IBM zSeries and S/390 platforms on TurboLinux for IBM mainframes, stress testing occurred with a load average of 85 and the Linux server handled the volumes with a load average of .6 . The tests occurred April 16th in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The Linux server scaled in excess of Enterprise requirements.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 16:49:50 -0500

Subject: Low-cost Indian Linux PC to hit market soon - Tech News - CNET.com

The third world is about to leap over the digital divide.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 16:28:52 -0500

Subject: WeirdX -- Pure Java X Window System Server under GPL

Probably not a speed demon but it has the right license.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 16:25:34 -0500

Subject: Linux can preserve your data longer

An excerpt from his page:

Linux and Obsolescence (or 'Old files never die...')

A few months ago, I saw a page by a lab workstation with an archaic, 8" floppy disk taped to it, and the message "Always transfer your files; Formats change, and you never know when you won't be able to read them anymore." I think most of us, at one time or another, have had to deal with compatibility problems in physical media. More often, though, incompatible data file formats present the big headaches.

Most Linux software has some very substantial built-in safeguards to guard against this sort of software obsolescence. Many programs use text files to store data, and even those using complex formats (like gnumeric and SciGraphica) use XML, which itself is text. Although in some cases it may be inconvenient to parse through text formats to get data into a newer version of a given application, common editors like vi and emacs both support regular expressions to simplify large-scale data taming. Of course, combining the power of stream editors like sed and awk with simple shell scripts can also help make short work of large data tasks.

>From a system perspective, Linux has several advantages over most commercial systems to ward off obsolescence. The Linux kernel maintains the full range of filesystem types (minix, msdos, vfat, hfs, ntfs, ext2, iso9660, reiserfs and ext3 - I'm sure I've missed some!) so data and other files stored previously on more mature filesystems are easily read by modern Linux workstations. I'm aware of many labs that use rather old DOS-based programs for some analyses as either nothing more recent currently exists for other platforms, or the equivalents are not yet known. In these cases, it is possible to use an emulator (like plex86) to run these applications.

Also, hardware support for 5.25" floppy drives or other devices is still available, so reading the files is still possible. Of course, combining simple shell scripts and two older drives on an older machine, one could make shorter work of a large pile of ancient floppies. Whether files are copied directly or imaged using dd, they can be burned to CD for future reference or later conversion to other formats.

Finally, Roberto Di Cosmo presents an interesting perspective paper on computing in Europe and the quality of some typical commercial computing tools http://www.netaction.org/msoft/cybersnare.html. Dr. Di Cosmo presents some very topical arguments that are valid even today, despite the article now being over four years old.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 14:28:01 -0500

Subject: Linux Today - Dataquest: Open Source Databases Won't Fly

This gentleman explains why "Worse is Better" tends to win out in the long run.

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Linux Today is not responsible for the content of the message below. Ganesh Prasad - Subject: Wrong, and for the following reasons ( Apr 17, 2001, 01:02:42 ) A superficial glance at the relative market share and technical features of Open Source vs. commercial databases today may lead one to the hastyconclusion that commercial databases will continue to rule. However, there are many reasons why the tables could be turned in as little as 3 years. These reasons (and they are mutually reinforcing) are progress, adequacy, economy and network efficiencies. Let's analyse them separately first. Progress: Remember the arguments against Linux two years ago, before kernel 2.2? Linux wasn't scalable beyond two CPUs, it didn't support large files or large amounts of RAM, it didn't have a journalling filesystem, it didn't support USB, etc., etc. Most analysts then wrote off Linux for those reasons. What do people think now? Similarly, PostgreSQL doesn't support replication, its query support isn't as extensive as Oracle's, PL/pgSQL isn't as rich as Oracle's PL/SQL, it doesn't have very good graphical administration tools, etc., etc. Do you think things will remain the same in 3 years? PostgreSQL 7.1, released just last week, fixed several deficiencies of 7.0 (2k row limit removed, outer joins supported, better support for complex queries, more performance improvements and better admin tools). Things will only get better. Adequacy: It's often remarked that 90% of the market is at the low end. That's why more Toyotas are sold than BMWs, though BMWs are arguably "better". More people use products that are good enough and affordable than use the very best products. With the release of PostgreSQL 7.1 last week, PostgreSQL's claim to being "good enough" just got a lot stronger. More people will find PostgreSQL to be adequate for their requirements. Yes, Oracle or DB2 may still be "better", but how will they fare against a "good enough" product that is free? Economy: PostgreSQL will always remain free of charge. That 's not likely to be true of Oracle, DB2 or SQLServer. Those products may be given away in some special deals (sales promotion), but they're unlikely to remain free. When features converge, price becomes an important issue, and PostgreSQL has a permanent advantage over its commercial rivals. Network efficiencies: Internet Explorer has had an enviable distribution channel, -- the Windows CD --, which has led to its ubiquity. PostgreSQL has an equally potent distribution channel -- the Linux CD. PostgreSQL will penetrate every organisation penetrated by Linux. When a good enough database comes free with your (free) OS, why hunt around for another one with gratuitous extra features that you need to pay for? Now put these four factors together. A free database that is good enough for most users and keeps getting better, comes to you free with your OS. How long can you resist? Prof. Soparkar's argument seems to imply that customers are fools. I respectfully disagree. Ganesh Prasad [ Reply | Reply Quoted | Back to today's headlines | Back to story ]    [ <<PREV ] Talkback [ NEXT>> ]

Mail this story Print this story   Current Newswire: Tonight Live: Jabber in the News and SuSe goes to school >> on The Linux Show Enterprise LinuxToday: Why Can't My 2.4 Kernel See Some Web Sites? AllLinuxDevices: G.Mate Announces Second Round of Price Cuts on Yopy Developer Edition Ximian Gets a New CEO John C. Griggs: Announcing Qt-Mozilla LinuxProgramming: Python 2.1 released SECURITY: LinuxNewbie.org: Iptables Basics NHF LinuxPlanet: The StartX Files: Things That Are Pointless InformationWeek.com: IT Managers Become More 'Open'-Minded SECURITY: Red Hat Security Advisory: Linux kernel 2.2.19 now available, provides security fixes, enhancements

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Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 11:50:00 -0500

Subject: IE, Windows can mask dangerous files says security expert

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 13:13:08 -0500

Subject: GATES' WAR on software pirates begins to look like 'War On Drugs'

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 11:57:16 -0600

Subject: Moongroup.com: Microsoft should be feared and despised!

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Linux Today is not responsible for the content of the message below. Scott Courtney - Subject: Re: April Fools Day Joke? ( Apr 3, 2001, 17:33:13 ) Go read the actual Microsoft Passport terms of use, which is linked off the Moongroup article. I did. Among other things, Passport users agree to grant Microsoft the rights to use or publish their works *and* to use the poster's name in connection with the promotion. IANAL, but if I read this correctly that means that a Linux user who offers a mild criticism of the latest kernel could find his or her quote, with his or her name attached, used by Microsoft in an anti-Linux press release. I apply the NT policy to this: NO THANKS! [ Reply | Reply Quoted | Back to today's headlines | Back to story ]    [ <<PREV ] Talkback [ NEXT>> ]

Mail this story Print this story   Current Newswire: LinuxPR: NeTraverse Announces the Release Of Win4Lin 3.0 LinuxPR: SmoothWall 0.9.8 is released Moongroup.com: Microsoft should be feared and despised! SECURITY: LinuxSecurity.com: Linux Security Week - April 2nd 2001 LinuxProgramming:Lander1 Contest: The Contest is Closed Irving Wladawsky-Berger: Why I Believe Linux Will Fundamentally Change the IT Industry. LinuxPlanet: The StartX Files: Of Mice and Finns GNOME 1.4 "Tranquility" is released UPDATED: GNOME 1.4 Release Delayed, Expected Ready by Day's End Kansas City Business Journal: Atipa focuses on software, sells hardware business

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Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 04:45:51 -0500

Subject: 6/5/95: COVER STORY: Bill Gates wants a piece of everybody's action. But can he get it?

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 04:32:14 -0500

Subject: The Origins and Future of Open Source Software

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 04:32:14 -0500

Subject: The Origins and Future of Open Source Software

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 02:16:19 -0500

Subject: What is wrong ?

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 02:16:19 -0500

Subject: What is wrong ?

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 00:35:29 -0500

Subject: MS may have fired W2K marketing head

I find the timing of the announcement that sales are not meeting expectations and then the leaving three week later interesting. Dec 15 2000 Jan 9 2001

Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 00:24:46 -0500

Subject: Microsoft avoids layoff news by selling subsidiary

Getting away from the parts which would require continual updates to remain in compliance as laws change. (Avoiding actual work) MS is trying to cozy up to the media giants again... MS found another sucker to do the legwork of making their software into a success only to have the ideas stolen to become another MS product in two or three years.

Subject: MS To Users: Pay Up > Mar. 29, 2001

M$ wants a percentage of every use of every computer. That prevents novel uses by driving the cost up.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool

Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 11:24:56 -0600

Subject: MS To Users: Pay Up > Mar. 29, 2001

M$ wants a percentage of every use of every computer. That prevents novel uses by driving the cost up.

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Linux - the Unix defragmentation tool