02.04.08
Boosting Windows Vista Sales Using AIDS
“The government is not trying to destroy Microsoft, it’s simply seeking to compel Microsoft to obey the law. It’s quite revealing that Mr. Gates equates the two.”
–Government official
Recently we wrote about the publicity stunt which is intended to boost Windows Vista sales, promoted under the guise of charity. A sensible way to describe this, as one blogger puts it, is to name it sentimental blackmail.
Recently, Microsoft is luring you with a tag line like this: “Windows and Dell are proud partners of (PRODUCT) RED™ — New PCs designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.”
[…]
This is one of the most abject way of creating a psychological dependency of Windows Vista Ultimate: making people buy it for giving them the peace of mind that they helped to save lives in Africa!
We have been writing about this important issue quite extensively in recent weeks [1, 2, 3, 4]. █
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.