Comment Articles

Time for Microsoft Linux?

David Coursey AnchorDesk

Published: 09 Jun 2003 16:28 BST

Dear Steve Ballmer:

Concerning Linux and your memo/exhortation of 4 June, I'm pleased to see you've finally recognised -- publicly, at least -- the threat posed to Microsoft by Linux.

Some in the Linux community must imagine you with a sort of "deer in the headlights" look, not quite sure of your fate but certain it can't be good. They could see your memo as a legitimisation of Linux, an admission by Goliath that David has a point after all. The Linux hardcore must be hooting and hollering and marking 4 June as a future national day of liberation from the evil empire.

I think they have it backwards. I think Linux proponents are the ones who should be afraid.

Why? Because Microsoft has been in this situation before and, once the battleship was turned, fought and won. Your company also ended up being declared a monopoly, making a deal with the feds, and spending large millions on legal fees. But what's that to Microsoft's multibillion-dollar war chest?

You remember the autumn of 1995? Back then, people thought Microsoft was hopelessly late in acknowledging the existence of something called the Internet. Competitors were popping up, the industry was abuzz, and Microsoft was nowhere to be found.

As I remember, Microsoft had some important projects to finish the previous summer, in particular a little something called Windows 95. But by December, once that had shipped and people had a chance to rest and regroup, Bill invited the media up to Microsoft for a talk about the Internet.

That turned out to be one of the most fateful days in personal computing history. Bill told several hundred reporters that Microsoft wouldn't be building Internet products. Instead, it would be putting the Internet into all Microsoft products. Every future Microsoft product would have Internet capabilities built-in.

Now, I'm not sure your 4 June memo is the same war cry I heard nearly eight years ago. But if I were Linux and faced with the prospect of Microsoft throwing everything it could at me, I'd find some way to get out of your path.

Here's my suggestion for how Microsoft should deal with Linux: don't beat 'em, join 'em.