I'm sorry if this is old news but, I just found out.

http://www.computerworld.com/softwar...,82045,00.html[/URL]

I can't really blame RAV...who could really resist a big fat cheque...but...

Comments, anyone?

i would guess there trying to make there email servers better than os alternatives by making them worse. quite a good tactic really. im sure it'll backfire though as some other company will start writing virus scanners for *nix mailservers

damn...this is depressing reading...damn m$, wtf are they doing?

If I wanted to be real conspiratorial I'd say MS was trying to cripple Linux anti-virus in preparation for recruiting a bunch of crackers to start attacking Linux boxes - being virus-resistant is one of the clear places where even anti-Linux and pro-MS people admit Linux kicks MS's ass. And that has a lot to do with the cost-effectiveness of Linux, too. Crack that and you seriously tarnish Linux's image and its economic advantage.

Of course, this is all lunacy. MS would never do something like consort with crackers. That would be *wrong*. *lol*

Either way, it was an obvious cut at Linux. Petty vindictiveness at best. Still, it's another indication Microsoft is seriously freaked.

A bit old news, but a really excellent example of the Microsoft way. I'd say that one of the main differences between Microsoft and Linux developers (for example) is that while the latter strive for the user's best, Microsoft strives for the non-Microsoft customer's worst. This is also examplified by Microsoft's constant mutilation of standards.

Now that's what I really find depressing - even for such an incredibly cynical person like me. I just can't accept that money is more important than the quality of the product or service it's supposed to be earnt from. Bless the open source community, where quality and honor are still valued concepts.

They bought it - so what? Good for the company that they bought it from (hope they took them for a ride) and good for Linux.If more of those deals happen people might get the idea that it can pay to develop apps for Linux.
M$ is out to get Linux anyway - no reason bitching about that.

nvn I think you hit the nail on the head. In my opinion, Microsoft is simply trying to make a lot of money off of computer software(which they have sucessfully done). Linux users and developers seem to strive towards the advancement of computers and really look at computers as a science that has not been fully explored yet.

Their is so much potential in computers and in my opinion the linux community is much more aware and much more responsive to that then the windows community. Then again, the windows community is primarily composed of solitaire players.

They are trying to win back market share.

Microsoft buys what it can't compete against and since they can't buy Linux, they go after commercial software makers.

Since Microsoft is unable to compete on the OS level, they want to be able to claim that windows has more available third-party software and support than the competition.

it is nice to see people out there understand that ms people need to make 80K a year and work 8 hours per day. and still they can't compete with stability, security, etc. of linux. linux developers love it. nobody pays them to work their ass off to develop and test software. they do it for free. that is love. that is what greatness is made of. love of the game. not the paycheck. i would work for a linux company making 40K a year and laugh at ms if they offered me 3x that. for real. can't go for something i don't believe in. and ms will lose. they can't compete. no money can make a person who truly loves something give that something up. i say good riddance to those people. they were after money. and ms played them like a cheap guitar. and will still lose. hope the sellouts feel good. anyway sorry for rambling.