Customers await Sun-Microsoft integration

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Maybe here is a hint why....

About 3-4 years ago when I worked at MS, I was also pretty interested in Linux. So I suggested to various folks, why not port older versions of MSOffice (e.g. Office95) to Linux and sell it for whatever MS can get for it? This old software is sitting in the boneyard (scrap heap) anyway, so why not get a little money from it? I even went so far as to port 40-50 MFC classes to xLib, and used them to write and run an icon editor on Linux. People who dropped by thought that was really cool. My idea was that by porting MFC to xLib, porting MS software dependent on it would be made easier.

Later, I provoked an email shitstorm at MS by asking, "just because people want MSSQLServer, why force them also to buy a copy of Windows?"--in other words, why not port MSSQLServer (which I think is an excellent product) to Linux?

Here are the sorts of answers I got back:
1) "porting MS software to Linux will not increase total revenue because Windows sales will drop."
2) "it's hard to port to Linux because the threading model is different."
3) "keep your head down and your mouth shut on this--especially since you're a contractor."

Reason 1) sounds like some official party line to me, rather than a serious financial concern. Reason 2) is nonsense because many vendors' database products run on both Windows and Unix/Linux. It can't be that hard or unprofitable if other vendors are willing to do it. Reason 3) doesn't require further comment!

I suspect the *real* reason goes like this: Windows is BillG's "baby", his flagship product. He has an irrational emotional attachment to it, I believe, and won't permit any steps within MS that undermines or otherwise calls into question its primacy. That's it. I think BillG simply has his back up about it, for now.

I know this theory seems kind of thin. If anyone else has an idea about this, I'd love to consider it.

Posted by: FederalistPaperBoy   Posted on: 05/11/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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