Bonum Certa Men Certa

Microsoft's FUD Against GNU/Linux on Sub-notebooks Enters Next Level

Microgue



Summary: Microsoft is trying to artificially differentiate and discriminate against one class of GNU/Linux-only computers, describing it as inferior by design despite its clear advantages

OVER THE past week we have shown that Microsoft makes courageous attempts to not only harm the software world; it has moved on to deciding what hardware people are able or unable to purchase [1, 2]. In addition, there may be attempts to mock ARM-based machines, using different names to characterise them as inferior. How's this for a headline: "Microsoft Sets Stage for Netbook v Smartbook World."



The difference in microchip architecture does not really change the nature of devices (weight and ventilation aside perhaps). The software is virtually identical, although in one case it is able to run for much longer without additional charge. Perhaps Microsoft knows that it's cheaper to run another Slog [PDF] than it is to port and maintain Windows for ARM.

Glyn Moody opines that Microsoft is losing this war over sub-notebooks if financial terms are accounted for (Microsoft's earnings are down 32%). Microsoft was not able to charge for Windows. Apparently, people see no substantial value in using Windows over GNU/Linux, but as Microsoft says, "under NO circumstances lose against Linux."

These are all incontrovertible signs that Microsoft simply hates the netbook sector, and wants it to go away. It is doing everything it can to dissuade users from buying them, manufacturers from making them, and everyone from naming them. The reason why it wants the netbook to vanish is simple: thanks to GNU/Linux, it makes no money in this market. Worse, netbooks are, indeed, cannibalising its profits in the notebook sector – which is why it is trying to redefine them as notebooks so that it can “re-align” consumers' expectations – that is, charge more.

So, yes, Microsoft is “winning” the netbook wars in one sense, but it is a purely Pyrrhic victory.

The fruits of that “victory” can be seen in its recent financial results, which showed the first-ever drop in revenue, part of which was attributable to weakening sales of its Windows division.


A few days ago we warned that Microsoft would invoke its pseudo-journalists to smear its competition in this area. It didn't take long. A very familiar pseudo-journalist who met Steve Ballmer not so long ago is already attacking the notion of Google's Android (Linux) running on sub-notebooks. He even contradicts what Microsoft once said. Here is his summary:

Android-based netbooks provide much-needed competition for Windows, but the obstacles to success are massive.


It is truly amazing that IDG employs these people to publish under the heading "CIO.com". Is Microsoft instructing CIOs what to think? This comes from IDG by the way; they do a lot of business with Microsoft [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

In defence of JD Vance, death of Pope Francis
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Three Years in Prison for Disney Employee’s ‘Menu Hacking’: The Economic Fallout of Digital Menus
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Approaching 10,000 Articles/Pages Since Going Static
Trying to silence or derail the site was always a dumb strategy
Microsoft is Shedding Off Loads of Staff and That Can be Dangerous Too
Working for Microsoft is a choice; nobody forces you to do it
Richard Stallman and the Unix Philosophy
When asked about systemd people must remember that RMS speaks as an active Board member of the FSF and also the founder of the FSF
Get Rid of Back Doors, Don't Obsess Over Bounties and Other Corporate PR Stunts (or Needless Reboot Rituals)
Security as a term has mostly lost its meaning due to repeated misuse for many years
Serial Sloppers Are Killing the Web (They Probably Don't Care, Either)
Slop is a disease on the Web
IBM's Debt Ballooned by 8.5 Billion Dollars in Just 3 Months!
Hallmark of a company in a state of disarray, trying to spend its way out of trouble
 
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, April 25, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, April 25, 2025
Links 25/04/2025: Slop Fatigue and Patent Judges Flocking to Fake, Unconstitutional and Illegal Kangaroo Court (UPC, Captured 'Justice')
Links for the day
Gemini Links 25/04/2025: Night Manager and Devuan in Hosting
Links for the day
Windows Falls to New Lows in Nicaragua, Now Below a Quarter (It Used to be Almost 100%)
Another all-time low for Windows
The Cost (to Linux) of LLM Slop
Slop 'artists' like Fagioli are far from harmless
Links 25/04/2025: Ubisoft Spyware, Hegseth Fails at Tech on Every Level
Links for the day
Gemini Links 25/04/2025: Food Forest Update and Facebook Destroying the Net
Links for the day
Streaming Apps Are “Investor Fraud” That Kills the Planet
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Things Get Increasingly Nasty at Microsoft Ahead of the Fake Results and May's Mass Layoffs Wave
They try to get people to 'resign' so that they won't count as layoffs and the company's 'wellbeing' will seem better
Big Trouble in GNOME
even GNOME people admit the CoC went wrong
Slopping the Trough: Disney Plus Loses Billions and the Decline of Physical Media in America
Reprinted with permission from Ryan Farmer
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 24, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 24, 2025
Links 24/04/2025: GAFAM Problems and No Peace (or Ceasefire) in Sight
Links for the day
Slopfarms on the Web Almost Always Generate Anti-Linux FUD When They Produce "Linux" Output
Welcome to the dying Web
Richard Stallman's Oxford Talk Has Just Ended, Here Are Some Photos
he might hop over to another European country
Gemini Links 24/04/2025: Birthday and Good Work of Academia in Esotericism
Links for the day
Links 24/04/2025: EU fines Apple and Facebook, Another Microsoft GitHub Security Blunder
Links for the day
New Article Explains How the GPL Came About and WordPress Having Copyleft Obligations
Having been involved in the WordPress development community since almost the beginning, I know why it chose the GPL and how it restricts abuse by Automattic
IBM Gained Almost 6 Billion Dollars in "Goodwill" Value in Just 3 Months, According to IBM
Congrats to the management!
In Belarus, Yandex is Now Measured as 50 Times More 'Popular' (by Usage) Than Microsoft
Yandex continues to gain, whereas Bing cannot even register at 1%. Last month it was registered or measured at a measly 0.65%.
IBM Cannot Lie to Shareholders Anymore
"I would not be surprised if we see a layoff every quarter this year."
Dr Richard Stallman (RMS) Gives Talk in Oxford University in 4 Hours
If you live nearby, go there (it's free as in gratis)
Using a Law Firm's Licence to Exercise Politics Through Frivolous SLAPPs and Nastygrams (to Silence People, Remove Pages, Demand Fake or Forced 'Apologies')
Things must be getting really bad when lawyers act for raving antisemites
We're Working to Make Full-Site Search Available
This site has over 1,000 'wiki' pages, many thousands of documents, several thousands of videos, and about 50,000 blog posts or articles. We need to make them easier to find/navigate.
Links 24/04/2025: IBM Loses Many Contracts, Intel to Lay Off Over 20% (Not Counting Those Who Leave 'Voluntarily')
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Can Explain to Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society Why LLM Slop is Not Artificial Intelligence and Why It Hurts Society
another 'crop' of LLM slop that damages GNU/Linux and facts
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 23, 2025