[Am-info] AOL in Negotiations to Buy Red Hat

[Hans Reiser]

Mitch Stone wrote:

>--- From a message sent by Hans Reiser on 1/20/02 5:20 PM ---
>
>>Mitch Stone wrote:
>>
>>>Another possible (and more encouraging) speculative scenario: AOL pumps 
>>>money into Red Hat, helps them develop a strong "brand" and uses that to 
>>>leverage the big box makers into selling retail Linux boxes. Far-fetched, 
>>>perhaps, but something to consider. All this assumes Steve Case really 
>>>wants to go mano-a-mano with Bill Gates.
>>>
>>I think this is the most likely explanation.  Case wanting to go 
>>mano-a-mano seems likely.
>>
>>Good for him if so.  
>>
>
>Probably the only person I trust less than Bill Gates is Steve Case. But 
>I don't necessarily trust McNealy, Jobs or Ellison to any greater extent. 
>I think the best we can hope for is that these guys will neutralize each 
>other. So in this scenario I am rooting tentatively for Case.
>
Bill Gates has the virtue of being in it only for the money, whereas I 
suspect Steve Case will try to control content for non-monetary reasons, 
so I agree with you.

McNealy I trust.  Sun has historically been more open than its 
competition.  As for Jobs or Ellison, I think that they will add zest 
and pizazz to any competition, and competition is what we want.

Hans