Microsoft In Ought Four

MicroSoft's desktop monopoly created a monoculture, where viruses and worms thrive. The current crop work by installing backdoors in computers and letting in new infections that know the "password". So hackers gain marketshare by grabbing control of all the computers owned by uneducated people who will double-click on every tempting executable in their inboxes. These hackers then sell perverted computers to spammers, who use the many different sources for DistributedDenialOfService attacks against their enemies.

MS has responded by announcing it will install a lite firewall in its next OperatingSystem offering.

At the same time, MS has been investing in SantaCruzOperation?, who is trying to claim they own much of Unix, and that Linux stole much of Unix. And MS has been investing in other companies whose only business model is some form of attack on Linux. MS successfully got a judge to order Lindows to change its name to Lindash, despite MS's own original trademark on "MS Windows", which stated that calling an OS "Windows" was already a common practice. MS lawyers are currently flying around the world, looking for judges who will grant further actions against Lindash, to remove even more letters from its name.

Interestingly enough: The judge in the UnitedStates hearing the case here has refused to rule in favor of MicroSoft--observing that many other software products contain the word "windows", and a "window" is a generic term for a GUI element; thus MS likely won't prevail in its claim to prevent Lindows from using "Lindows". Judges in other countries, OTOH, are willing to grant the injunction against Lindows, hence the Lind--- name being used overseas.

And a curious practice has arisen among MS's customers. If they let MS's marketeers know they are also looking at Linux, MS will slash prices. But MS responds by making them sign contracts that limit their ability to use FreeSoftware.

One wonders how legal these contracts are; ExclusiveDealing? on the part of a monopolist is generally against anti-trust laws.

This might be known as the year that the tide turns.