Microsoft: One Stop Shopping for Your Windows AND Novell Suse Linux Needs!!! 7441

flatfish+++

On the contrary, I think this is a very smart move by Microsoft. Their Vista development experience has taught them that the traditional closed source model is incapable of producing quality operating systems beyond a certain level of complexity.

I do not know how the joint research insbreastute will work as Microsoft's licenses try to work with mostly open source licenses that Novell has to work with (GPL is viral, remember ?). Its bound to be interesting.

I won't be suprised if the Vista is the last traditional version of Windows that Microsoft ever releases. As things stand, Microsoft makes more money off Office than off Windows per se. Maybe they would want to have some say in the future development of Linux as an OS as they start porting their cash cows to Linux (and keep Office closed source - a stance I have no objection to).

If that happens, Microsoft could become one among many proprietary vendors selling software that runs on Linux platform - Mathworks, National Instruments, Cadence, Adobe, Google, etc.

Microsoft is being smart, and I think that Linux users should welcome this move. The GPL license is too viral to be affected. As to why Microsoft is doing this - perhaps that SCO FUD was a last ditch effort to stop Linux legally. Its pretty clear its not going to work. So the old adage goes, if you cannot beat them, join them.

Follow-Up-To: alt.butthole.alan-connor