Summary: Microsoft resorts to AstroTurfing, lawsuits, vapourware, and attack ads, revealing that it is a feeble aggressor whose only remaining hope for revival is destruction of rivals

Samsung sells computers with Windows, but Microsoft is now suing Samsung. This is very revealing.

Now that Microsoft takes its Android-hostile patents to court we might finally see them defanged, or as SJVN put it, this "could be the beginning of a war over the validity of Microsoft's Android patents."

"The Apple vs. Samsung case recently suffered a setback after Samsung had used the SCOTUS ruling against 'abstract' patents."There is no such thing as Android patents, just as there is no such thing as FOSS patents. This is the wording style of the aggressor. The Apple vs. Samsung case recently suffered a setback after Samsung had used the SCOTUS ruling against 'abstract' patents. Additionally, China told us which patents Microsoft is using against Android, so there too lies an opportunity for a final smackdown (prior art can be brought forth).

All this lawsuits talk ought to remind us that Microsoft really hates Linux and FOSS. It only pretends otherwise because it needs to (Slashdot gives some help to Microsoft's "open" proxy/PR/charm offensive), as many businesses/people who use Windows also use GNU, Linux, Android, Firefox etc. We quite enjoyed this new analysis from Jim Lynch, who correctly said:

Microsoft has never been a...er...fan of Linux, to say the least. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer even likened Linux to cancer back in 2001. Now Microsoft has an unintentionally hilarious comparison of its server products and Linux on a site called Why Microsoft.

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I hadn't heard of this site before, but I bumped into it via a Reddit thread. Talk about a one-sided comparison bathed in "marketing-speak!" I particularly enjoyed the ridiculous bit about security threats where Microsoft just says this: "Persistent threats and dedicated attackers can slow your projects and put your IT environment at risk with Linux projects."

It was a fun read this morning while I finished my first cup of coffee. I was fortunate not to snort coffee through my nose while reading through it. Thanks for the laughs, Microsoft.

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Feel free to put me in the cynic category when it comes to Microsoft and open source. I think the Why Microsoft site is a much clearer indication of where Microsoft's thinking is at than the speculation in this Dev Ops article. In other words, I'll believe that Microsoft is actually embracing the open source community when it actually happens.

Windows is in trouble, so Microsoft's lawsuit against a massive partner (Samsung) is not entirely shocking. Windows is in so much trouble that releases of it get altogether cancelled and Microsoft started using vapourware tactics (talking about versions of Windows that do not even exist). To quote the British press:

Microsoft has at last revealed the date when its second major update to Windows 8.1 will ship to customers: never.

Vista 8 has been an utter disaster (worse than Vista). No wonder Microsoft goes to court in a desperate attempt/attack to tax the Android leader. No wonder Microsoft uses vapourware tactics as well (all links to examples are omitted as we don't wish to feed fiction, fantasy, and marketing).

Microsoft will mostly likely continue its attack ads against Google, even though Microsoft reads your mail [1] while repeatedly accusing Google of doing that.

Windows is a passing fad. We don't expect it to be widely used 5 years from now. Other Microsoft products heavily rely on Windows' inertia, so they too will gradually perish and be shut down (while more staff gets laid off by the tens of thousands). ⬆

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Microsoft tip leads to child porn arrest in Pennsylvania