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Re: [TCLUG:4711] Rumors of MS Office port to linux (why kid around???)



No matter what you may think of Microsoft, I give them credit for thinking
ahead.  An Office for Linux release would give them relief on the
anti-competitive OS front and ensure a continued monopoly of Office (yes,
paradox does abound).  Now, if they just did the same thing for VB, I'd be
in hog heaven for my employment purposes.

Of course, the whole effort would summarily bulldoze quite a lot of GPL-like
sentiment before it got a chance to build to critical mass, but from their
point of view that would be a good thing.

From the pro-Linux point of view, this rumor is a *VERY* bad thing and a
*VERY* good thing.  Bad because it would ensure the indefinite continuation
of Microsoft into the next generation of OS'es.  Good because Linux would
take off like a greased pig now that everyone could continue to use their
beloved Office on Linux (which is about all that holds back a good number of
people).

BTW - Anyone thinking that Microsoft couldn't successfully pull off an
Office port would do well to remember that they did port IE to several
platforms.  Granted, it didn't become best of breed on those platforms, but
just getting there was the goal, they reserved the effort for best of breed
for the Windows version.  (Whether they succeeded or not is not something
I'll broach.)  They've proven they have the wherewithal to do this.

Ultimately, I don't know what to think about it.  Should they announce
anything though, I'll be watching the battle with a big grin and a sweaty
fistful of each side's stock (providing VA Research and/or Red Hat cooperate
with that plan).  :+)



-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Tanner <tanner@real-time.com>
To: tclug-list@listserv.real-time.com <tclug-list@listserv.real-time.com>
Date: Friday, March 12, 1999 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: [TCLUG:4711] Rumors of MS Office port to linux (you got to be
kidding)


>Quoting Serge M. Egelman (serge@egel2.med.umn.edu):
>> Well this would make sense since Microsoft's main competition in terms of
>> Office Suites is Corel (which has already ported to linux).  However, I
>> would think this is rather sutpid of them with the whole anti-trust trial
>> going on right now.  Also, most people who use linux aren't particularly
>> thrilled with MS products to begin with (well I'm not anyway).
>
>I am not fond of MS products myself, but from a business perspective,
>I'd be able to put a whole lot more of Linux out there if Office ran
>on it.
>--
>Bob Tanner <tanner@real-time.com>       | Phone : (612)943-8700
>http://www.real-time.com                | Fax   : (612)943-8500
>Key fingerprint =  6C E9 51 4F D5 3E 4C 66 62 A9 10 E5 35 85 39 D9
>
>
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