Microshaft does it again! PAYG Computing Patent Application

[DMcCunney]

The workplace of the future may not include Microsoft.

There was a time when Microsoft stood up to and challenged IBM.

That might be more accurately stated as "There was a time when Microsoft shafted IBM, like they've shafted everyone else".

The period in question was probably when MS decided to pull out of the joint venture with IBM that produced OS/2, and concentrate their efforts on Windows. While technically superior in various respects, OS/2 never became more than a niche product afterward, and IBM eventually pulled the plug on the effort.

IBM wasn't exactly blameless. Part of what prompted MS's decision was IBM's insistence on supporting the Intel 80286 CPU. MS wanted to skip the 286 and develop for the 386, which had better memory management. (The 286 permitted only one real mode session at a time, and the instruction set provided an instruction to enter virtual mode, but none to leave it: you had to do a CPU reset.) There were various attempts to get Unix running on 286 CPUs, and all had major problems because of architectural limitations in the 286.

It's actually fairly ironic. Back when I first got into computing, IBM was the 800lb gorilla, and IBM reps were known to threaten to have IT managers fired if they tried to buy third-party hardware and software to use with their IBM mainframes. They were all about account control and vendor lock-in. (It didn't always work. I heard of one IT manager who got that threat from an IBM rep, went to his boss with the story, and his boss called the IBM Regional Sales Manager and ripped him a new one. The IBM rep who made the threat found himself looking for new employment.)

These days, IBM is being a good citizen of the computing world, and is a major contributor to a variety of open source initiatives (like the Eclipse programmer's IDE.). M$ is taking leaves from the old IBM playbook and behaving like the 800lb gorilla.
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Dennis

[Lobster]

That might be more accurately stated as "There was a time when Microsoft shafted IBM, like they've shafted everyone else".

IBM was supremely arrogant.
Now all their workers use Linux and they actively promote the penguin.
Once Google becomes the new standard (Google/Android on phones, netbooks etc) MS iwill search for some form of leverage and strange as it may seem now I believe they will champion open source . . .

But then I believe penguins can fly . . .
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/8w1J1pjw1lY

[ttuuxxx]

At that time in particular Commodore Business machines was top dog, like the CMB PET, or even the acorn. Lets not forget the pre-pc's of the day, The PET wasn't considered a PC, back then, but by todays standards it would be. Funny how times change, and yes I'm talking way before the vic-20's / C-64's. And now where's Commodore after like 10 transfers of ownerships by over greedy owners/CEO ??? Making some of the world's most advance Computer Cases/ Gamming machine, They actually layer bake the paint finish on the case, no decals. Top Quality for top Prices. Probably one of the most expensive PC's around,
http://www.commodoregaming.com/pcshop/G ... rview.aspx

one of the pc's is actually, get this 'For only £ 5899 !!! ' <---- ONLY LOL, thats like the cost of 5 of those new cheap cars from India, lol
ttuuxxx

[Lobster]

Hey ttuuxxx

Let's go really off topic
As an ex Amiga user I wonder who would like a computer
- not hacked with Linux- but created from a games console
- as was the Amiga

Is there a a WiiPC being developed? Wow - PowePC CPU
Opera browser - just add a bit of Puppy (new woof build)
Come on Nintendo we know you favour cute little dogs . . .

Is Sony working on a PSPC (Play Station PC)
Linux already runs on it . . .

Is Microsoft . . .. (actually no one cares)

Meanwhile in China with their customised MIPS licensed Dragon Chip
+ Red Flag Linux - what new innovation is possible?

And what if Apple . . . (actually no one cares - as long as it is thin)

If Nvidia can produce a supercomputer
http://www.nvidia.com/object/personal_s ... uting.html
anything is possible

Puppy
Possibilities

[DMcCunney]

IBM was supremely arrogant.
Now all their workers use Linux and they actively promote the penguin.

They aren't the only ones going in that direction. Look at HP's Linux support.

Once Google becomes the new standard (Google/Android on phones, netbooks etc) MS iwill search for some form of leverage and strange as it may seem now I believe they will champion open source . . .

Possible, but kicking and screaming all the way. Other considerations aside, the open source development model is antithetical to the standard corporate development process. When Nokia created the Internet Tablet, they went open source on the software, using a Linux based OS called Maemo. There were some definite speed bumps in the road, because it was totally unlike the way development had been done there. (See Eric S. Raymond's "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" for a good account of the differences.)

And speaking of open source OSes, Nokia is a major user of Symbian on their phones. Symbian was owned by a consortium of phone manufacturers, with Nokia owning about 50%. They recently bought the part they didn't own from the other members of the consortium, and are working on making it open source. Symbian is stable and highly developed, so this should prove quite interesting.
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Dennis

[DMcCunney]

As an ex Amiga user I wonder who would like a computer
- not hacked with Linux- but created from a games console
- as was the Amiga

Stuff like that is out there. There was a lot of speculation when Sony introduced the Emotion Engine CPU used in the PS2, as it had real possibilities as a CPU for something that wasn't a gaming console.

And IBM's Cell processor is finding its way into all sorts of applications.
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Dennis

[Aitch]

Maybe the UK Government announcement is another nail in the coffin?

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=39069

I, too, have a feeling Lobster may be right - M$ is certainly on the defensive & Ballmer may have no choice, as profit is what the shareholders expect!

I've another feeling that personal computing will continue to change despite this engineered recession - and Linux is going to need to adapt fairly rapidly, too, from Kernel up, methinks

Aitch

[DMcCunney]

Maybe the UK Government announcement is another nail in the coffin?

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=39069

This isn't exactly a big surprise. The EU has had a guarded stance regarding Microsoft for some time. There is a lot of dissatisfaction with Redmond across the pond.

The big question with open source is precisely support. If I push to use open source at my workplace, the first question management is likely to ask will be "Who do we call if it breaks?" Fortunately, open source has matured to the point where there are people you can call if it breaks, and support contracts are available.

I, too, have a feeling Lobster may be right - M$ is certainly on the defensive & Ballmer may have no choice, as profit is what the shareholders expect!

It's a little more complex than that.

Shareholders make money in two ways: dividends and capital gains. MS has historically been a "growth" company, and for a long time did not pay dividends. Shareholders made out because the value of their shares continually increased. MS pays dividends now, but the share price is taking a beating. Ballmer's main job as CEO is to support the share price, so shareholder value doesn't decline. Given the underlying economy, thet may not be possible.

I give him points in his recent conference call with analysts for rejecting pushes for greater cost cuts. I think Ballmer sees the current economic downturn as temporary, and wants MS to be positioned to take advantage of the upturn when things turn around. I'm no fan of MS or Ballmer, but I think he's right. Too many companies respond to economic downturns by frantic cost-cutting, then find themselves poorly positioned when things turn up again, because they lack the resources (largely staff) to capitalize on it.

I've another feeling that personal computing will continue to change despite this engineered recession - and Linux is going to need to adapt fairly rapidly, too, from Kernel up, methinks

"Engineered" recession?
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Dennis