10.05.07
Gemini version available ♊︎Microsoft/Novell/Linspire Deals: Shoot First, Then Try to Make Peace (or Ask Questions)
Further to yesterday item about the OSC and OIN, it is now being claimed that Microsoft “regrets” its acts of so-called patent terrorism‘.
Microsoft is regretting the way it handled the patent protection deal with Novell and other Linux vendors, according to open-source advocates.
“It’s akin to a situation someone assassinates a father and then gives money to to the victim’s child, purely out of guilt. “It this is true and Microsoft expressed “regrets”, then it’s truly a PR stunt. Novell did this too when it tries to extinguish opposition to its patent deal. It’s akin to a situation someone assassinates a father and then gives money to to the victim’s child, purely out of guilt. We have all seen this before, not just in technology.
Take for example another company that is notorious for monopoly abuse. Thy name is Intel. It used a great deal of FUD, sabotage, “dumping” techniques, and may have resorted to imposing production delays in its campaign to sabotage OLPC, which is a not-for-profit (i.e. charitable) project. Why? Because it used AMD chips and Linux. Intel’s CEO does not encourage the use of Linux because he fears the wrath of Microsoft, according to the press.
One year goes by and Intel then says that it will actually help OLPC. Reason? It is probably because OLPC is no longer a threat. Intel has caused a lot of harm to it. By that stage, mass production cannot not be reached to sustain the low costs ($100 or less). Returning to the example of Microsoft, having already scared some CIOs with patent claims, the company wants to have it both ways and also make peace with those whom it deliberately hurt. Will this ever work out for Microsoft like it did (sadly enough) or Intel, which now sees itself as a ‘partner’ in OLPC and even considers stealing the role of AMD chips in the project? Hopefully not.
In case you are not aware of Intel’s monopoly abuse, here are some articles from the past year:
- Negroponte says Intel should be ‘ashamed of itself’
- Korean antitrust probe of Intel ends, penalties to be decided soon
- Intel to Reply Soon to Antitrust Queries
- US antitrust group urges Intel investigation
- Intel urged to give more data on flash unit deal
- AMD’s Fight for Fair and Open Competition
- EC says Intel influenced bids for computer projects
- AMD chief condemns Intel ‘abuses’
- MD: Intel Destroyed Evidence in Antitrust Case
- Video: Henri Richard comes out swinging at Intel during AMD press conference
- Investors sue Dell on payments from Intel: WSJ
- Lenovo got financial help from Intel, claim
- Intel’s anti-trust memos started vanishing from the top
Intel is a huge problem in its own right, but that goes beyond the scope of this Web site.
As another example, consider the story of how Kevin Carmony’s premature and irresponsible actions drove away the Linspire community which later created KlikIt Linux.
I was as upset about this deal as many others were. I even had a phone call with Kevin Carmony regarding the matter.
Well, at one point on the forums, Kevin Carmony told some upset members that if they did not like the way things were, they can start their own distro and see how it goes. So, former Freespire Leadership Board member Chris Medico assembled a team, of which I was honored to be asked to be a part of, which he lovingly calls Freedom Force. Within weeks, this new project, based on Kubuntu, had an Alpha. The project is called KlikIt Linux.
We decided community is as important, if not more important, than technology.
Anyway, within a short time our community grew to 50, then 100, then more. It has not grown by us marketing. It has been organic word of mouth in Microsoft Software forums, Xandros Foums, Linspire, PCLOS, Mint, Kubuntu, etc. The word keeps spreading, people like it, and they like the community.
Destroying something and then trying to calm down the storm is a bad strategy. But that’s just what Novell, Linspire, and Xandros have done. Don’t forget that they by all means know they have sinned. but they were paid. They just want to buy back your affinity using the money they have earned from the betrayal.
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