It is perhaps a symptom of my obsession with learning all about Linux and Open Source that I think of weird questions like this:

A popular toy among the more upscale americans is the TIVO.
Microsoft employees qualify as "upscale".
TIVO is built on a Linux OS.
THEREFORE: A significant number of MS employees are Linux users.....A competent demographer should be able to give a pretty good estimate.

Next project: Track the Redmondites buying Nokia 770s. Track the non-tech MS spouses who buy Nokia 770s for thedir mates--NOT KNOWING that they are based on Linux.

*yawn* ...

people are people, just because they work for m$ doesn't mean they hate linux, it just means they are paid big bucks to ignore security, bugs, and quality.

I had no intent of making commentary on the people. I think would be a amusing eye-opener to be able to say---eg---"70% of MS employees use Linux on almost a daily basis." It's a comment on the absurdity of some corporate statements on the evils of Linux.

"paid big bucks to ignore security, bugs, and quality." I disagree--they are are victims of the profit motive---perhaps following the old cliche about GM using the public as their test lab. The quality is actually pretty good---what is missing is the value for dollar that comes with true competition.

So the guy that works at a Chevy dealership gets in his Ford to drive home everday.. what's the big deal? Just cause you work for a company doesn't mean you can't use other products..

Whats more amusing is that microsoft corporation uses Linux internally - for business purposes.

You are of course right...
The difference is that MS is a defacto monopoly with a record of questionable business practices AND a record of trying to discredit Linux and Open Source. No parallel exists in the automotive world--or in any other market in which competition is flourishing

yeah, that is a point i am supprised more people dont talk up and that web sites like /. dont post more on.

oh well. Linux is growing i just hope MS does not get their way with embeded hardware to software that only allows "certified" software to run on that hardware. if that happens, the open source community is dead.

I didn't hear about that one, does that mean you might buy a server that would only run "certified" software and you would find that you couldn't run Linux on it? That sounds precisely like a Microsoft idea to me. And the problem is that average joe user and that includes most "monkey see-monkey do" Windows administrators, would buy right into that as well.

its called trusted computing (tc). In reality, its mostly over hyped by open source people, and most of the tc technology can be used to enhance security in any OS. However, if m$ and the likes could have it their way, hardware would be built so that its preprogrammed to only work with some OS (you cant preprogram the hardware to allow only some programs to work at all, as this would mean preprograming for each new software thats released (and each new patch to it)). Such a move would certedently be against current US laws, but m$ seems to have sliped by once before on their monopoly, so you never know. As long as the hardware accepts any OS (the first program to be run, thats say) as its owner for that computing session (until its turned off), then people would be OK, and any OS could take advantage of the security/performance benefits. If the hardware needs preprograming, it better be easy-ish, so people can update their OS easily, and corporations can be assured that only the OS they want is loaded on their computers (at their office).

It seems most people overlook the benefits, and prefer to think m$ will monopolize this technology so only their OS can run on it, such a move might be tolerated by the US "laws" (like i said before, they "sliped" past before ...), but i find it hard to think they could get law-makers to push for a law that requires all computing devices to install the chips that only m$ can control (but, i guess its not impossible either, and it might be essayer seeing how things seem to be going, and that law makers dont even read the laws they pass).

So i guess, make up your mind on the tech, as long as its open for any OS to use as they want, then itll be fine, but if it calls back to home, you better start trashing the device. Most small end devices would probably get the "call back home" thing (as already seen by corporations wanting DRM in the products), but computers might not, as you can easily replace something in a computer (like the mainboard!), or just jump ship to a new computer architecture if current manufacturers insist on not complying with what non-corp customers want.

That has nothing to do with employees using Linux on a personal level outside of their work... So GM would have to be a monopoly while Ford gives away their cars is what your saying then ...

Your last statement truly is off topic from your original post and the discussion I think this thread was having...

You can just see MS giving someone like Dell huge cash discounts to include some sort of hardware lock on their kit to prevent other OS's being run, but honestly how long would it stand up to the sort of brain power that the community can bring to bear? Not long. Look how long was it before someone got Linux on the XBOX, wasn't it a matter of weeks?

Let MS get on with it, as far as I can see they are just digging their own grave.

If it were true, MS certainly wouldn't be the only ones trying to lock out competition at the hardware level. Many, many moons ago - Proteon and Compaq were working together to develop a 16-bit Token Ring NIC. They had a parting of the ways before that project completed. Whilst integrating a Token Ring network, I COULD NOT get a Proteon card to work in a Compaq server. The Proteon cards worked flawlessly when moved to any other machine. Nothing could get it to work in a Compaq. I cannot prove, but I am absolutely certain, that the server was designed to ignore any card from Proteon.

As far as MS employees using Linux, isn't it unavoidable? If you have a LinkSys WRT54G, you're using Linux. If you have a Snap Server, you're using Linux. As an embedded OS, they may be using it on any number of devices and not know it. And why should they care?