02.05.08
New Ballnux-powered Devices from Samsung and LG (Microsoft Sellouts)
Ballnux is tax-tainted GNU/Linux
The previous post discussed and dissected a case of false accusations. Microsoft throws dirt at IBM for ‘daring’ to point out Microsoft’s corruptions, which is akin to a criminal blaming the cop when asked in court about the reason for an arrest.
Surely, another case of false accusations is Microsoft’s mythical patents. Mafia-like intimidation tactics were used to lure companies in to signing patent deals which were not necessary. One of the victims (or accomplices) in this plot was Samsung. Because the company’s UMPCs are now running a flavour of Linux, caution is advised.
Quick: you’ve got to sell UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC’s) to a mass market! How to do it? Well, Intel decided to show off pro audio and music production on the Linux-based Transmission, from Trinity Audio, as we saw earlier this week. I’m not entirely sure what got Intel thinking our geeky way, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. And in all seriousness, Linux really an ideal OS choice here, because of its ability to be customized to the application.
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Trinity has sent us some photos of the Intel booth at CES. Yes, Linux audio is getting some wider exposure. And even if you’re attached to Mac or Windows as your desktop/laptop platform, a mobile Linux device could be an ideal companion in the near future. We’ll have a chance to look at Trinity’s own device next week at NAMM and see how it stacks up.
Do remember that Samsung signed a software patent deal, so if this CES exhibit reaches the wide market, Microsoft will probably benefit financially. It is important that Linux gets more exposure, but under these terms, dangerous precedence can be set.
Linux is used very extensively in devices and any ‘taxation’ would harm future adoption and expansion. Linux devices have defensive patents too, so none of this was necessary. For Samsung and Microsoft this was a shotgun wedding, at best. It wasn’t even a marriage of convenience because ‘weapons’ were involved (May 2007).
LG is no exception. LG signed a software patent deal, as well. They now express their intent to release a Linux-based mobile.
LG Electronics will be another global mobile phone maker who will roll out a Linux based mobile phone within this year.
This may be another product to cross out from the list. There are so many Linux-based phones anyway, just as there are many GNU/Linux distributions which can replace SUSE.
Remember what Torvalds said in his interview (published just a few days ago) about patents?
Paula notes that Linus said during his podcast that the U.S. patent system is broken, and that patents have no real value, except as tools to inflict fear.
Fear is indeed what patents are about, but fear can keep formidable monopolies in tact. It entirely misses the point of patents which were intended to encourage open minds. Fear makes no comfort to the mind and it harms productivity too.
Here is a new comment about Microsoft’s patent FUD. It comes from Paul at LinuxToday.
Sooner or later, the IT industry will have enough of MS and their FUD tactics and finally put them to bed for good. Or at least that is what one would hope would happen.
However, I have always said, “Ignorance is manifest in all of her children,” and in a MS centric shop, “looks like she has played the Harlot!!”
“Ignorance” may be the key word here. No company needed to sign a deal with Microsoft. It was the hurried cowardly response to false accusations.
One has to wonder how much companies were paid by Microsoft to pretend that a patent deal is needed. Companies were paid (bribed) to be told what to believe. It’s not just patents by the way; it’s OOXML too. Quite the scandal, no doubt. █
Image from Wikimedia
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.