I am really ticked off at the recent deal between Microsoft and Linspire. I have used freespire in the past, and it is one of the only operating systems that I have liked, besides Ubuntu. For instance, their CNR was really cool. All my good feelings for them have been washed down the drain.
I knew something was fishy in the last Linspire letter. Kevin Carmony had basically bashed the GPL v3 on the basis that it killed “choice.” Usually, I agree with the CEO on a number of issues in the Linux world. But this ticked me off. Then there is this month’s letter I got in my inbox this morning - with the subject of “Microsoft Will Make a Better Linux.” Uh.oh. I knew that could not be good.
Sure enough, Linspire made a patent-and-more deal with Microsoft. Now I can see why Kevin Carmony was against the GPL v3… He was currently making a deal with Microsoft!
I can’t express how dissapointed I am about this falling down on their faces and bowing to Microsoft. If we, the Linux community, are to fight against Microsoft, which is one of the many reasons I have stayed so strong with Ubuntu, we need to stay together. These deals are nothing more than a place to give out FUD, and divide the community as a whole.
Another part of the letter I was not happy with was the idea that the Windows vs. Linux fight should be over. Which basically means that everyone should sign deals, and we should all “peacefully co-exist.” At this point in the letter, Steve Jobs was quoted saying the Microsoft-Apple wars are over, which is something he said in 1997, after Apple had fallen to the wayside. The only reason Microsoft and Apple were not fighting is Apple had such a small user base that is wasn’t nearly a threat to them. The new threat was Linux. Signing on to Microsoft is not “co-existing”, it is surrendering.
Posted in Linspire, Microsoft, Microsoft and Linspire, Ubuntu
