02.25.08
Microsoft HealthVault: Death by Silverlight
It’s your life, but not your data
Willing to check out what Microsoft plans for your health? Got Linux? Sorry then. No access to you.
Willing to download a tool for managing data about your health? Then Microsoft wants you to obtain Silverlight for a download via microsoft.com.
Is this the future? Is this truly healthy?
Will it be life, or will it be death? █




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.