[LUAU] Microsoft: winning the battle, loosing the war

[Peter Besenbruch]

Jim Thompson wrote:
> Microsoft's recent OEM licensing changes are making for new linux 
> installs: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36635

OK, but I've had my share of trouble on Linux installs, too. That said, 
I have never purchased a copy of XP, and those computers that came with 
it, soon lost it. The reason? Product activation. It sounded like a 
pain, so I never went past Windows 2000.

> Nevermind the brain damage that is Vista:
> http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt

As bad as XP was, Vista sounds worse. I'll toss in this link, where 
Robert Cringely comments on the link Jim provided:

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2006/pulpit_20061229_001403.html

The short summary: Microsoft isn't committing suicide, but they may lose 
out in the multimedia department.

> The good news is that circa 2007 hardware is going to fly with GPL 
> drivers that don't have to do any of that crap.

Heck, Debian moves right along with an Athlon XP 1800+. My fastest 
machine is an Athlon 64 3000 (running a 32 bit install). I haven't gone 
for any of the multi-core stuff yet. What I like is that Linux runs 
faster on the 1800+ now than it did back in 2003, when I made the 
permanent switch.

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