Many of us have heard that Micro$oft is suing Tom-Tom and claiming that their implementation of the FAT file system (through Linux) infringes on their patent. Whether or not you think that is a load of bull, we still have to deal with the threat.

When it comes to the use of the FAT file system, all we really worry about is compatibility in the desktop sector. Portable hard drives, thump drives, flash cards, and other assorted memory all use FAT. If it turns out that MS owns the exclusive right to distribute the code for FAT read/write capability, both Linux and Mac are up a creek. Luckily for us, MAC is now about 10% of the market, so people will be motivated to search for alternatives to FAT.

I was wondering what the obstacle is to giving true native like read/write ability of ext2 to windows? I realize that there several programs out there to do this, but they all require special dialogs and configuration. Not nearly as user friendly as the 'plug-an-go' of a FAT formated drive. If it was as simple as writing a better driver to make windows have seamless ext2 support, then it should be done. Portable memory would quickly switch to the less dangerous (licensing) and more widely compatible ext2 format if this level of support was ever achieved in windows.

(Note, I did not even address mac since the Darwin kernel is sure to readily be adapted to ext2, if it does not already support it)

Well EXTIFS already exists and handles local hard drives just fine, not sure if it's seamless with portable media. But regardless, you'd still have to persuade MS to ship it with Windows - most users don't want the hassle of manually installing a driver just to read a flashdrive, a lot of them wouldn't even know how.

I doubt that M$ will come after linux with the patent issue .
M$ is having problems right now with businesses dropping windblows in favor of linux .
Such that 10% of the largest companies have switched to linux on the desktop completely
with another 15% running a mix of linux and windblows.
I think that M$ understands that an attack on linux desktop over the FATfs could turn this into a trend .
I also doubt that M$ thinks it could bring back the 15% mixed companies IF push came to shove
over this M$ would lose that 15% out right over night should M$ prevail on this issue .