"Client software felt the slump in PC sales, and was further harmed by the shift to netbooks; many of these run Linux, which helps Microsoft not at all."

--Ars Technica, 2009

"Microsoft, like much of the IT industry, was caught off-guard by the rapid rise of the netbook category, but moved quickly to offer a netbook-specific version of XP Home to stem the tide of Linux on netbooks. When one considers that getting some revenue is better than getting none, that was a wise move."

--CRN, 2009

"Search engines be da**ed, it's the OS that generates money - if the world switches to linux, it will switch to OpenOffice too."

--Motley Fool (heavily Microsoft influenced), 2009

Summary: Site changes, Microsoft dumped by Digg, claims of Microsoft layoffs

SOME DAYS ago we explained why GNU/Linux is killing Microsoft via sub-notebooks and also showed that Microsoft's financial results, which it will be released around the same time as the release of Ubuntu 9.04, will be abysmal. Not even Vista 7 is going to save Microsoft if the following new article is anything to go by:

Windows 7 Starter is a non-starter

[...]

Claims from Microsoft that Windows XP users would be satisfied to "upgrade" to Windows 7 Starter, with its 3 applications limit, because it's "easier" and "more reliable" are beyond nonsense. They insult the intelligence of Microsoft's customers.

The inevitable is already happening. From Joe's report:

Analyst: More Layoffs Coming To Microsoft

McAdams Wright Ragen Analyst Sid Parakh expects more layoffs by Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT), on top of the 5,000 job cuts announced earlier this year. “Over the last week, we have heard from multiple sources that Microsoft may engage in additional restructuring activities in the near-to-mid term,” he wrote in a report today.

But wait. There's more. Digg is dumping Microsoft, which paid it dearly to become a poster child of MSN.

Back in the summer of '07, Digg and Microsoft announced a partnership that would see Microsoft selling and serving ads on Digg, not unlike Microsoft's deal with Facebook inked the previous year. The deal was to last until the summer of 2010, but Digg has now pulled the plug according to ClickZ.

It's not quite the same over at Google, which Joe claims is still hiring after positive financial results.

On Thursday, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) announced that the size of its workforce had dropped for the first time in its 11-year history. But during the company’s earnings call, CFO Patrick Pichette said it is still hiring in “critical areas.” So what are those areas?

So what's that last bit of good news? After a bit of technical struggle we manage to change the front page of Boycott Novell and we hope people like it. ⬆