07.01.08
More Information About Linspire Getting Devoured
List of Microsoft sellouts (desktop/server Linux) is down from 4 to just 3
The major news about Linspire got mentioned very briefly earlier in the day. The comments in Slashdot say a lot more and the summary sheds light on the relevance of this.
Some here may remember that both Xandros and Linspire signed patent protection deals with Microsoft in 2007.
Steven Vaughan is close to the people at Linspire, so he was fast with a detailed report.
Neither company, at this time, has confirmed either the deal or the amount that exchanged hands to make it happen. According to a source close to the acquisition, the approximately $1-million loan that Linspire had made to Xandros several years ago did not play a role in this transaction. That loan, the source said, had been settled for pennies on the dollar.
Lisa Hoover gathers some bits and pieces.
Linspire CEO Larry Kettler alerted stockholders this afternoon of the decision to sell all of Linspire’s assets, including the company’s free version, Linspire, and its Click N’ Run desktop installation platform.
We’ll keep this post updated as new details, if any, arrive. █
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.