Microsoft working to port its applications to Linux
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Distribution: Debian, Red Hat, Slackware, Fedora, Ubuntu
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Believe it or not this looks true. More information is available at http://www.wininformant.com/display.asp?ID=2874. Does Microsoft realize that a lot of Linux users are trying to get away from them? Do they realize that they can not charge $499 for a Linux office suite. We'll see if this one ever comes to fruition.
How about from the other angle though.... Many people are hesitant to use Linux because they feel the software support is not up to par with Windows. You may or may not believe this to be true, but it's undeniable that more people would use Linux if there were an exact port of Quicken for Linux, as an example. Would people not be more likely to take to Linux if they knew they could get proven software from a name they recognize like Microsoft? I think perhaps this move would appeal to those who are not using Linux yet, but have been tempted to try it out.
I'm actually extremely surprised about this announcement because it might have the effect of even further propegating Linux's following, something I'm sure Microsoft would not like. Everyone is sick of the typical Windows95/98/NT problems and would love a faster more robust OS, but lack of software has always been an achiles heal for Linux. Would not software that we're already familiar with being ported to Linux only complete Linux as an OS for the desktop and the backoffice?
Now I'm a firm believer that for every MS application there already exists an equal if not superior Linux product, but for those who don't share my view, perhaps this will swing them to reconsider Linux as there primary OS. I encourage MS to develop its applications for Linux, it's a win-win situation for us: Either MS fails miserably and there Linux software is even more bloated and buggy then there Windows software and we all share a hearty laugh, or they will develop good solid apps that will serve to only further Linux's means and bring Linux to more desktops world wide. MSpine anyone? =)
"No, Microsoft does not have plans to offer a Linux version of Office," wrote a Microsoft spokesperson. He added, "Based on the extensive research that we do across many types of productivity application users, we're hearing that today Linux does not offer customers the necessary infrastructure for a productivity suite like Office and we do not feel the level of operating system services is mature enough that we could offer a release of Office that would meet customer expectations. However, we are always continuing to evaluate the marketplace and base our development on the needs that customers express."
I agree with bickford - Linux is definately missing a few key apps (or good clones): Quickbooks, Eudora Pro, Dreamweaver/Flash, and a few others.
I may be speaking to soon, but what do you al think of the chances of succes for these sort of projects?
I heard some rumors about the latest Corel Office Suit for Linux, beeing very instable...
So what if we get a whole range of MS products for Linux and they all appear to be instable?? What would we have gained over Windows now.....
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It's hard to say wether or not they will be successful. I personally can not see it happening. People MAY be willing to pay for a good office suite, but it has been made clear that Office it out of the question. Not to mention that Star Office is not that bad, from a major corporation and free.
As I said before, many people are using Linux to get away from Microsoft. Will they want to go back? Others are using it because it is technically superior, why would they want to go back to bloatware? We will see...
Yeah, I was thinkin the same thing all the way through this thread, only I know it's from 2000 so I was thinkin maybe wine wasn't out then. So what's the big deal, I guess I don't understand what the dif from using wine and windows producing crap with wine built in?
Given the M$ history of sucking in knowledge, adapting it for themselves and them crushing the place where it came from this sounds not good at all.
I might be paranoid but how many companies are still around after M$ adapted their technology?
Now Linux isn't a company but also I don't think anybody could really do something about it if they took some GPL Software and just change it into their own. Lets face it - those guys can afford to pay all the laywers in the US for about 10 years; the rules don't apply to them.
If that would happen a lot of GPL developers would drop out of Linux - why work for free for M$.
But thats all just my paranoia creeping in.
in case people read this and don't see the dates... this thread was originally posted TWO YEARS AGO. The comments initally stated by jeremy turned out to be false. M$ are NOT porting ANYTHING to linux.
Originally posted by acid_kewpie in case people read this and don't see the dates... this thread was originally posted TWO YEARS AGO. The comments initally stated by jeremy turned out to be false. M$ are NOT porting ANYTHING to linux.
Actually, they are releasing their own distro. Have you heard?
That mslinux.org is fake
I did a check and its powered by Red Hat Linux and its not in a Microsoft netblock
All Microsoft sites are in a Microsoft netblock and are running Windows 2000
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