[plug] [OT] Them sounds like fighting words..

[Simon Scott]

> Can you believe the audacity of Steve Ballmer to say this about Linux:
> 
>     Linux, which is emerging as one of Microsoft's main competitive
>     threats, was a "hobbyist product", he said.

If that were true, he wouldnt be slinging the FUD around. Why defend yourself
against something that isnt a threat?

> 
>     "It has Unix roots," he said. "Unix has had historic strength, but
>     at the end of the day I'm sure we can out-innovate and deliver sort
>     of a better solution than the work of a bunch of unco-ordinated
>     hobbyists."

He's right. They should be able to. With all their resources, they should be
outclassing us in every respect.

But they havent, and never will. 

If they want to talk uncoordination, perhaps he should find out why Mac IE and
Windows IE have two different source trees. Why do their updates quite often
break other components? Why is the number 1 method of fixing problems
reinstalling? Why did they completely screw their patent licensing for MS-SQL,
leaving their customers open to legal action? Why has the US Navy had to tow
GPF riddled aircraft carriers back into port? Why did my mates WinCE palmtop
crash on me? Why, many years ago, when we rang the Microsoft support line at
work and were told that it was $50 a question, upon hearing the words 'does
the $50 guarantee resolution' did the guy answer 'is that your first
question?'


On the other hand, why am I still running a pentium based linux firewall that
has been running for so long I have forgotten which distribution I installed
on it? Why does a crashing app on X mean opening a terminal, typing 'xkill'
and click the left mouse button (or at worst, restarting X) where on windows
it means a reboot? Why cant I run Win2000 on my Alpha? 

Why does this incompetent mess of hobbiest source code simply work, while the
finely crafted perfection that is the windows source crash at every friggin
opportunity?

pffft.... these guys need to be severely beaten with the clue stick.