It's not Dave Long's fault!

[Anonymous]

Lindows CEO funds Xbox hacking contest

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-978957.html?tag=fd_top

[Brad Grenz]

Wow, a linux hippie. What a huge surprise!

[rhett]

coolness... Die microsoft! Die! :D

[DaveC]

coolness... Die microsoft! Die! :D

Well as much as I think some of things MS has done have been unethical, I do think that without them as a focused driving force behind PCs the PC world we know would be a mess. Either that or it would have been dominated by Apple with it's closed architecture and high prices.

[asspennies]

I completely agree. Microsoft, more then anyone else, has actually paved the way for linux. Linux wouldn't even exist if there wasn't a glut of x86 compatible processors and components dominating the market, allowing for the creation and spread of a unix port.

And no company is more responsible for that glut then Microsoft.

[Anonymous]

Sure, but there comes a time where a company like Microsoftpenis stops helping development and starts hindering it to protect its own lion's share of the pie. Maybe that time has come.

[rhett]

I agree. There will come a day when we will all wake up and realise that MS has us all by the balls. That day will come unless things change. Mark my words, it will come...

[Kraaze]

Well as much as I think some of things MS has done have been unethical, I do think that without them as a focused driving force behind PCs the PC world we know would be a mess. Either that or it would have been dominated by Apple with it's closed architecture and high prices.


I disagree. IBM could have gotten an O/S from anyone and the PC would have still been successful with the same killer apps and open hardware standards.

Computers need standards to keep things focused and avoid messes, but the requirement for standards really does lend itself to monopolistic abuse. Well done open standards like TCP/IP, HTML, SCSI, IDE, and Ethernet manage to keep things focused and interoperable while still allowing competition. Closed standards like Microsofts .doc format also keep things focused and allow one company to drain incrediible amounts of money from consumers stuck in their monopoly trap.

I recall reading a story recently that said Microsoft only has 2 profitable divisions; Windows and Office. All other Microsoft endeavors lose money, but the company is still profitable because of the vast amount of money they can reap with their Windows/Office monopoly.

The PC world would be a better place without Microsoft.

[rhett]

The PC world would be a better place without Microsoft.

Here here!

[Kool Moe Dee]

Computers need standards to keep things focused and avoid messes, but the requirement for standards really does lend itself to monopolistic abuse. Well done open standards like TCP/IP, HTML, SCSI, IDE, and Ethernet manage to keep things focused and interoperable while still allowing competition. Closed standards like Microsofts .doc format also keep things focused and allow one company to drain incrediible amounts of money from consumers stuck in their monopoly trap.


Counterpoint: DirectX. It's a closed/controlled standard, yet it has done absolute wonders for the world of PC gaming. And there's still a good deal of competition in the hardware world associated with it.

You can come up with examples that go either way -- VRML being a good example of a useless open standard. My view is that if it weren't MS, it would be someone else -- it's just sort of a necessary evil.

[Kraaze]

Counterpoint: DirectX. It's a closed/controlled standard, yet it has done absolute wonders for the world of PC gaming. And there's still a good deal of competition in the hardware world associated with it.


DirectX is an open standard. If it were a closed standard, only Microsoft or people who paid a license fee to Microsoft would be able to produce DirectX compatible hardware and drivers and games.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/nhp/Default.asp?contentid=28000410

[Guido Jones]

I think the point he was trying to make is that DirectX was created and is controlled by Microsoft. It's a controlled standard (ie not created by IEEE or a similar org), but it is open for everyone to develop with.

[Ben Sones]

All standards are "controlled" by someone, otherwise they aren't really standards.

[Anonymous]

All standards are "controlled" by someone, otherwise they aren't really standards.

Could you try harder to miss the point? Standards like HTML, SCSI, and the like are "controlled" by groups with representatives from across the industry. Direct X is "controlled" by one company which makes all decisions regarding future development and retroactive compatibility. If you can't see the difference between those two situations, you have yam sperm clogging your peephole.

[Ben Sones]

Microsoft works with representatives from hardware and software developers in setting the DirectX standard, though, and they are quite receptive to input. They do so out of necessity, since these developers could just as easily embrace other APIs (such as OpenGL), as they have in the past. Microsoft may have autonomy over the standard, it makes little sense for them to use that autonomy to make arbitrary and unpopular decisions regarding the standard.

[DaveC]

Counterpoint: DirectX. It's a closed/controlled standard, yet it has done absolute wonders for the world of PC gaming. And there's still a good deal of competition in the hardware world associated with it.


I agree. Direct X has had it's growing pains, but man it's light years ahead of the old DOS days when you had to hope the dev included drivers for your sound card or video.

[Jason Becker]

Man can the immature kiddies here get past the tired Microsoft bashing. That went out of style awhile ago. Go install Linux or something...

[Anonymous]

"Man can the immature kiddies here get past the tired Microsoft bashing."

I guess the US Justice Dept. and however many states that sued Microsoft were "immature kiddies" as well, Mr. Corporate Shlong Sucker!

[voltaic]

Man can the anachronistic fogeys here get past the Linux bashing. That went out of style awhile ago. Go pay to upgrade your OS every two years or something...