“I wasn’t a believer in Linux at Microsoft — I couldn’t be a believer at Microsoft. But Linux is clearly the biggest competitive challenge that Microsoft has ever faced. It’s unlike anything before — there’s not a company behind it. It’s very elusive, in a way. I don’t think Linux is going to be successful as a desktop replacement. But Linux is going to surround new appliances and new segments, and really affect Microsoft through prevention of Microsoft from moving into new segments effectively.” Read the interview at ComputerWorld.
Q&A: Post-Microsoft, Quantum’s Belluzzo Free to Tout Linux
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Eugenia Loli
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//But Linux is going to surround new appliances and new segments, and really affect Microsoft through prevention of Microsoft from moving into new segments effectively.//
Well… maybe, but so what?
$35 billion in cash reserves? No big deal to not penetrate those markets. Won’t really hurt MS.
hard to make a profit if you have to pay someone to use your product
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It should be self evident how preventing Microsoft from moving into new segments would very seriously damage its ability to maintain its dominant position in the areas it operates in.
Thanks for helping to screw SGI up even more during your brief tenure as CEO there. Be assured, we will always remember…
I’m forced to agree that M$’s grip on the mainstream desktop is unbreakable – and they’ll fight to the death to maintain it. But M$ being the business Super Predator that it is needs a continual supply of fresh prey [market segments] to survive in its current form. Linux has shown that it can very effectively contain their attempts to move into the back end and embedded markets. Being cut off from new territories is what scares the S**** out of the Lords of Redmond.
Who knows? Maybe fighting an unwinable war is what will be Microsoft’s undoing.
I’m forced to agree that M$’s grip on the mainstream desktop is unbreakable – and they’ll fight to the death to maintain it.
Oh ye of little faith! The Windows hold on the desktop is far from invincible, all it takes is effort and time.
Effort and time. We have both of those things in abundance
Take a look at MS’ efforts in Console gaming.
They basically have to tape a $50.00 bill to the X-Box to get people to buy it (they sell it at a huge loss.) Sony has TROUNCED MS in console gaming, even Nintendo wised up: they may not have the volume of either Xbox or PS2, but they make a HUGE MARGIN on the game cube (like 2-3x cost.) MS software is grossly unsuitable for console or embedded applications (that is of course, unless wearing a huge heavy lead/acid backpack battery becomes fashionable.)
Linux clustering is going to be pretty hard for MS to beat–especially thin clients (unless solid state harddrives in the range of 4GB drop to a few dollars in the next few months.)
A funny analogy I heard somewhere seems to apply here: Using MS software on embedded designs is like fighting with a spear while a telephone booth. The constraints on required hardware, power consumption, size, cost, all point in directions other than Windows. Look to http://www.linuxdevices.com .
The more rights-restricting that MS puts into its software, the less people will use it. Wine & Winex are already supporting many applications and games from windows–without the MS licensing.
For me, the ONLY THING mainstream linux distros need is an easy way to install/uninstall software ala install shield, setup.exe etc. Once that barrier is crossed (debian / *bsd / gentoo have already crossed it,) Linux on the desktop will SERIOUSLY begin to encrouch on Win**
In Russia Microsoft owns you…
In Russia Microsoft owns you…
There are places where that is funny. I doubt OSnews is such a place..
It’s unlike anything before — there’s not a company behind it.
Yeah, and maybe instead of having your core strategy as “buy company out, or put them out of business”; why not concern yourself with actually MAKING THE PRODUCT BETTER.
“buy company out, or put them out of business”
-What I meant to say was, put out of business by unfair and shady business practices.
And how would you know? charging people $20,000 for development tools isn’t exactly going to earn you any brownie points with developers.
If they could produce a workstation at around, say, $AUS5,000, which is around $US2,500, developers would then jump on board. Yes, I have used SGI workstations, and I wouldn’t swap it for a PC, no matter how much benchmark pushing the Wintel advocates do.
What they need is software and a moderate priced workstation. Something like an O2 with an IDE hard disk, selling for around $AUS5,000, throw on some free development tools – support costing extra, and thus, foster the development, AGAIN, of high end 3d applications and photo editing. It would be great if Adobe got back into developing and maintaining Photoshop, and heck, even get Macromedia on board.