01.15.08
Samsung is Down, Lenovo Disappoints with ‘Microsoft Tax’
Redefining how Free software is sold through deals and distribution
Recently we took another close look at the Microsoft-Samsung patent deal. We also tried to explain how it harms Free software. According to the news, Samsung has just disappointed the market.
Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter net profit fell 6.6 percent amid sharp declines in prices for computer memory chips, though sales of mobile phone handsets surged to a record.
Samsung depended on sales of memory chips for Windows Vista, but the operating system did not sell well. Many of those who were forced to buy it simply do not use it anymore. In many ways, as we have previously shown, there is a strong relationship and dependency that involves Microsoft and Samsung. It is truly a shame that Samsung took took its Microsoft relationship too far by betraying the same developers whose work it benefits from (Linux).
“It is truly a shame that Samsung took took its Microsoft relationship too far by betraying the same developers whose work it benefits from (Linux).”Microsoft relationships aside, have these companies not learned from the railroad system? Are they not aware of what happens when the Trust (as in antitrust) is able to ‘collect’ money from direct competitors (sometimes by rewriting laws)?
The same question can be directed at Novell. Lenovo has begun selling laptops with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop preinstalled, but the company already certifies the same laptops for Fedora and Ubuntu. Lenovo really ought consider preloading these other GNU/Linux distribution so that people’s needn’t pay ‘tax’ for mythical patents and intimidation tactics. Even a PC without an operating system would be great. You can find more comments about it here. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.