Microsoft finally guns for Linux

[Frederick Noronha <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to my friend Soundara Rajan for drawing attention to this. FN

From:    soundara rajan <nssr@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: Microsoft finally guns for Linux

Microsoft finally guns for Linux
Thursday 26th October

It's been an awfully long time coming but it seems that Microsoft has 
finally rustled up the nerve to have a pop at Linux. For years the company
has been scared of the operating system that looks likely to seal the
company's fate, for the worse naturally, and has responded by doing little
more than sending internal e-mails saying how scared they all are. Now though
its got its finger out its rear and has come to  the table with a blistering,
relatively speaking admittedly, attack on the O/S.

In an advertising campaign devised by ad agency McCann Erikson, the company
has come up with a splendidly witty retort, given that this is  the IT
industry it's obviously not that funny, to the bullish Linux brigade. The
adverts consist of a number of penguins, based presumably on Tux the Linux
mascot, that all have rather deformed, or at least mutated, heads. It's all
fairly high level you understand.

Underneath this however Microsoft puts the boot in with the tag line that
read, 'An operating system does not just have advantages' followed by the
sucker-punch 'It can mutate unexpectedly. But with Windows 2000, you get all
of the services and support from the same vendor. That will save time and real
money.' Pretty heavyweight stuff for Microsoft.

However, there is one fairly fundamental problem with Microsoft's campaign,
that will be run in the popular German 'c't' magazine. That problem is quite
obviously that Microsoft isn't really in much of a position to comment. Having
come to market with more variations of its  operating system than most of us
would care to remember, it's hardly in a position to talk about operating
systems mutating. But = presumably that irony is lost on Microsoft.

Nevertheless, it's a bit of a big step for the Redmond posse. Instead
of spending its whole time cowering in darkened rooms every time Linux
notches up yet another success, it looks like the company is preparing
for a battle of epic proportions. The chances are that this is advertising
campaign is just a little teaser to test the water and see
how the world reacts to Microsoft fighting back against Linux. 

If it's perceived a success the chances are that we will see many more
of these campaigns across the globe. Given that it is more likely to  have
everyone wondering how on earth Microsoft can possibly think it is in a
position to accuse an operating system of mutating unexpectedly however, the
chances are this campaign will be nicely tucked away before anyone notices
that it happened. Good try though. 
Jack of Hearts

Source: for http://www.it-director.com/00-10-26-3.html