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

Microsoft's GitHub is Losing Traffic, Based on an Extensive Web Survey, and Its Future is Uncertain
Remember that Microsoft keeps close to its chest the operations and finances of GitHub (because it's embarrassing!)
[Meme] Shoestring Budget With Record Profits (Because Hundreds of Thousands of Fake European Patents Get Granted)
Record profits? EPO staff does not benefit!
 
Disputing the Achievements of IBM's CEO, Who Already Terminated Many Jobs at Red Hat (Which He Had Allegedly Suggested Buying)
Buying a company to gut it within about a year?
Links 14/10/2024: One Year Since Activision Blizzard Demolition 'Officially' Began and Amazon Corporate Layoffs Accelerate
Links for the day
Gemini Links 14/10/2024: Dabbling in GemText, Unit Testing
Links for the day
Links 14/10/2024: Keeping Multiple Blogs, Wrestling With Misinformation
Links for the day
[Meme] Class of Microsoft
"Everything started with Microsoft DOS!"
History Education and Rejecting Creation Myths
The creator of Linux isn't the creator of GNU/Linux
How to Follow Our Updates About EPO (or Everything Else for That Matter)
follow us via RSS feeds
EPO Administration: Wait Several Months or Until Next Year for Clarifications
"After the intranet announcements of 18 September and 27 September and recent emails from CIGNA concerning opting into the VECOZO network, colleagues have been contacting us with queries and requests for guidance."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, October 13, 2024
IRC logs for Sunday, October 13, 2024
Unrest at the European Patent Office as School Costs Eat Away the Income
"Letter to the administration on the Education Allowance - DISDH - German School"
Gemini Links 13/10/2024: ArcMenu, Emacs decide-mode, Midnight Pub Mass-Deletion Option
Links for the day
Links 13/10/2024: Science, Politics, and Some Gemini
Links for the day
Links 13/10/2024: Writing, Remembering John Wheeler, Voice Cloning
Links for the day
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Falls to 0.7% in Geminispace (It Was Around 12% Just 2 Years Ago and 7.5% This Past February)
Let's Encrypt is down again
Gemini Links 13/10/2024: Self-hosting Snac2 and Invasion of e-ink
Links for the day
SDxCentral, which the Linux Foundation Paid to Produce Marketing SPAM, Has Now Become Slop (LLM Spew) Disguised as 'Articles'
Google should delist it
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, October 12, 2024
IRC logs for Saturday, October 12, 2024
Links 12/10/2024: More Site Blocking, China's Hostility, and Evan Gershkovich's Upcoming Book
Links for the day
"Security Advantages" Explained by a Scammy "Security" Site That Uses LLMs to Spew Out Garbage
destroying the Web by saturating it with "bullshit".
Links 12/10/2024: Boeing to Cut 17,000 Jobs, Medieval Sleeping Habits, Warning About Liquidweb
Links for the day
Links 12/10/2024: Health, Safety and Climate Concerns
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/10/2024: Ensemble and Assembler
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Links 12/10/2024: TikTok Layoffs and Risk of More Wars
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 11, 2024
IRC logs for Friday, October 11, 2024