Re: MS Office for Linux

[Sujal Shah <sujal@worldnet.att.net>]

Dan Strychalski wrote:
[SNIP]

> I honestly can't see why not. The shell and apps are what people see,
> and you can build any kind of shell and apps on top of any real
> operating system.


I didn't mean to say that it was impossible or improbable for Linux as
an OS to gain widespread acceptance.  However, in the near term (a
favorite phrase of mine), i.e. in the forseable future I don't think
it's going to happen.  There are a few reasons why, and if people are
interested, I'll post them.

> 
> In any event, what matters for Mitch's hypothesis is whether *Microsoft*
> thinks Linux (or whatever) is headed for *anybody's* desktop. Obviously
> it is headed for a lot of desktops (does *anyone* here want *any* single
> operating system to be on *all* desktops?), so they are going to fight
> it in all the usual ways.

I see what you're saying.  I believe that Microsoft may have launched
the rumor because of that hypercompetitive attitude.  I also believe
that the move is too transparent to anyone who is paying attention. 
Additionally, the people who tend to speak for Linux or alterna-OS's are
too cynical as far as Microsoft is concerned, so this scheme will
ultimately be ineffective.

Sujal


> 
> Dan Strychalski

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