There is an overwhelming amount of information to wade through, but here are just a couple of items (mind the quoted bits) that highlight some early findings.

Xandros Linux signs up for Microsoft patent protection

Microsoft will provide Xandros users with a patent covenant that protect users of the software from intellectual property claims. Microsoft will provide the patent license directly to the end user, which allows it to circumvent patent licensing requirements in the General Public Licence (GPL) that governs Linux.

[...]

Co-author of the GPLv3 Eben Moglen has denounced exclusive patent deals with Microsoft as a "divide and conquer" tactic that is designed to break up the open source community.

Microsoft and Xandros declined to comment on the implications of GPLv3 on the deal, pointing out that licence is currently in a draft stage and might still change.

It seems as though Microsoft has identified an ever-declining small victim that can be used as a tool to hinder and stifle GPLv3. Also, have a look at the deal's impact on everything which Novell is already guilty affecting in negative way.

The Microsoft Xandros Deal (thanks, Shane, for the headsup)

What does it mean for Microsoft


They get a new protocol licensee which I'm sure they'll be pleased to trumpet to the EU.

They get a renewed messaging platform for their continued infatuation with customers and patents instead of customers and solutions. It's a broken platform which shows no leadership, but that apparently won't stop them from pushing it.

They get to continue the messaging shades of grey around Microsoft Office Open XML and ODF. "Xandros and Microsoft share the view that competing office productivity applications should, by design, make it easy for customers to exchange files with one another." Microsoft sees its death in ODF. They will fight like a cornered rat and message appropriately.

Novell, meet Xandros. You share guilt. Soon enough, you will share a pain as well. Partnerships with Microsoft are a death knell and you ought to have read the writings on the wall. Soon enough, Xandors will be too heavily reliant on Microsoft (just like the Novell marionette), or be perceived as a another Linux department of that company, lobbying for the same (ant-Free software) agenda.