Microsoft's New Hurdles

gnuadam writes "The New York Times (free reg. required) is now running a piece about how the recently accepted settlement between Microsoft and the DOJ will affect the ever-so-loving relationship between them and the "worldwide community of volunteer programmers" who work on Linux and associated programs. Of interest, one interviewee quipped, "My prediction is that within three years time, Microsoft will `give away' its operating system to preserve its revenue in the applications business." Would Microsoft give away Windows to sell Office? Stay tuned." Update: 11/04 19:33 GMT by T : In related news, an anonymous reader writes "In an interview with Linux and Main Free Software Foundation General Counsel Eben Moglen reacts to Friday's U.S. v. Microsoft ruling and describes how it and 'trusted computing' will figure in formulating the next version of the GPL, expected in the next few months."

The Gillette Model

[Waab]

They're already following the Gillette business model of give away the razors and make your money on the blades with the XBox. Granted, that actually discourage them from trying the same thing with their OS/Apps.

I can almost see MS giving away the OS and charging for bug fixes.

In other news...

[jez9999]

My prediction is that within three years time, Microsoft will `give away' its operating system to preserve its revenue in the applications business.

In other news, Microsoft announced that it will 'give away' its operating system to schools in Namibia to preserve their education system.

Just watch...

[mellonhead]

And you thought AOL was over zealous when it came to mailing out CDs...

Re:The Gillette Model

[SourKAT]

I can almost see MS giving away the OS and charging for bug fixes.

Ooh, if that's the case, I just can see them doubling their $40B cash in just six months ... and that's just for IE.

OS free, but Plus! pack $$$

[kruczkowski]

Windows may be givin away in magazines free, but that damn Plus! pack will cost you an arm and leg!

Re:Free Windows for sale of Office?

[Atomizer]

No way man! That would stupid, I'm already left-handed.

Re:Hardly

[b0r1s]

Those bastards! Not supporting Windows 95! How dare them end-of-life a 9 year old piece of software!

Nevermind the fact that Apple no longer supports anything other than OS X, and is planning on making most systems not boot into OS 9 after a date in the very near future.

Re:Depends on your definition of "free"

[imnoteddy]

I can see a future where there is a stripped down version of Windows

Didn't Microsoft say during the trial that they couldn't offer a stripped version? If they did offer one wouldn't that mean they'd lied?

Oh, wait...

Re:.Net Runtime negates the need for this

[Lemmy Caution]

Great. The reliability and security of Microsoft on the server back-end, and the ease-of-use, consistency, and interapplication compatibility of Unix on the client.

Welcome to hell.

"One interviewee?"

[sammy baby]

Not that I usually criticize Slashdot for lack of editorial judgement - that would be like criticizing the devil for being naughty - but the "one interviewee" who foretold MS giving away Windows for free was Brian Behlendorf [behlendorf.com], who can't exactly be called neutral [oreillynet.com] where questions about Microsoft and open source software are concerned.

In other news, Bill Gates says "We will crush Linux like a bug," and Steve Jobs says, "Mac OS X is just so insanely great, it's insane in its greatness." Ho hum.

Totally off topic

[Anonymous Coward]

Does anyone else find it amusing that Microsoft is advertising on this site?