07.27.09
Posted in Antitrust, Asia, Dell, Europe, HP, Hardware, Microsoft at 3:25 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Steps are taken by Russia to prevent abolishment of choice
YESTERDAY we wrote about Windows bundling and recently we wrote about what Microsoft was doing in Russia [1, 2]. The Russian authorities are finally closing in on Microsoft by exploring relationships with OEMs. This is the right approach to take. From the press release:
On 15th July 2009, the Commission of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) began proceedings in a case against «Асеr Inc.», «ASUSTeK Computer Inc.», «Toshiba Corporation», «Hewlett-Packard Company», « Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.» and «Dell Inc.» for the elements of violating the antimonopoly legislation. In accordance with the Determination of 20th July 2009, the FAS Russia’s Commission, investigating the case, suspended the case until receiving additional evidence. The case will continue on 10th September 2009.
As noted here, this is a dangerous precedence to Microsoft.
Be sure Microsoft will put up a fight, because it will:
1. Make clear to the customer what he pays for and how much he pays for it;
2. Make it virtually impossible to impose its terms to hardware manufacturers;
3. Give customers a real alternative, backed by a major company;
4. Expose the vulnerability of its business model in the 21st century to the shareholders in a way that cannot be misunderstood;
5. Create a dangerous precedent – if here, why not in the US?
The Federal Antimonopoly Service ought to look at recent examples such as ASUS. To name some posts on the subject:
There are many other sets of examples, but the links above refer to just one. █
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06.22.09
Posted in Deception, Dell, Microsoft, Vista, Vista 7, Windows at 7:04 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“In the face of strong competition, Evangelism’s focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X.”
–Microsoft, internal document [PDF]
Summary: Microsoft recaptures more influence in General Electric’s agenda-setting media outlet whilst Vista 7 gets promoted senselessly
LAST NIGHT we offered an exclusive glimpse at Microsoft's definition of vapourware. It is about announcing products ahead of their existence and hyping them up by making promises that won’t be fulfilled. In order to make vapourware effective, Microsoft must also control the press. To quote more from Microsoft’s internal documents [PDF], “Ideally, use of the competing technology becomes associated with mental deficiency, as in, “he believes in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and OS/2.” Just keep rubbing it in, via the press, analysts, newsgroups, whatever.” Microsoft understands that control of the press is crucial, which is why Microsoft is literally buying some of it.
Here is the latest deal:
GE to use Microsoft technology for ad sales: WSJ
[...]
General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal will announce Thursday that it will use technology from Microsoft Corp.
We have already warned that NBC and the likes of it will mostly deliver Microsoft's corporate propaganda and last week we offered an example where MSNBC removed parts of articles that were damaging to Microsoft.
“Later on they also lobby together for software patents in Europe.”A lot of people still fail to realise that NBC is very much a General Electric drone, so its information on energy matters will be affected accordingly. This is a recipe for disaster. Here is more coverage from MarketWatch and from Rupert Murdoch’s press. Microsoft getting closer to NBC Universal is the equivalent of Microsoft getting closer to General Electric, which recently they did directly when they announced a deal. Later on they also lobby together for software patents in Europe.
All of this domination of the press leads Microsoft to controlling the agenda-setting media. Microsoft gets to tell editors what the consensus on its products should be, so it is hardly surprising that news headlines matching “Vista” in the past week are only 3 compared to those matching “Windows 7″, of which there are 17. It’s called vapourware when the promoted product does not even exist. Fantasies supersede reality.
We could carry on talking about Dell becoming a slave of Microsoft again, but this is a topic for another day. There is money changing hands and that alone tends to define what companies — including media companies — will publicly promote [1, 2, 3]. █
Disclosure: My sister works for General Electric, so I am not biased against them.
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05.13.09
Posted in Dell, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Ubuntu, Windows at 6:05 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Dell sells Microsoft Ubuntu
Here we go, again. Dell’s configurator displays something bizarre, as the screenshots below show.
Does the “Microsoft” part refer to Microsoft Linux tax? █
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05.06.09
Posted in Dell, Finance, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Novell, Ron Hovsepian at 3:20 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Novell senior cannot deny Microsoft takeover, but she thinks it is unlikely. What about Dell?
MORE rumours about Red Hat longing to be bought by Oracle are still circulating, but this has been heard for quite some time and nothing ever happened. In fact, Red Hat talks about hiring more people because its sales are increasing as an independent company. But meanwhile, there are also a couple of new Novell interviews that are worth attention. The first is with Novell’s Heystee, who is working very closely with Microsoft. These are marketing people. Asked about the possibility that Microsoft would acquire Novell, she replied frankly:
Heystee does not expect Microsoft to make a bid for Novell.
“You can never say never, but it’s certainly not something that I would see,["] she told iTnews.
Let us assume that Microsoft may never buy Novell. But how about one of Microsoft’s close allies? How about Dell for example? Dell is supporting Novell's SLE and it also joined the Microsoft/Novell deal just under 2 years ago. It was never made clear what it means exactly (in practical terms). A respected writer from CRN is now putting out there the possibility that Dell, a hardware company for the most part, may buy Novell.
Novell Novell’s market cap right now stands at about $1.3 billion. Dell could offer double that, in cash, and walk off with an interesting partner channel and a very strategic Linux distribution business. Dell rival HP has shown signs of building some nice offerings using Novell’s SUSE Linux; this would throw a cute little monkey wrench into that.
That would be a bizarre deal which might not interact quite so well with IBM and also have Dell inherit the WordPerfect lawsuit against Microsoft, not to mention UNIX.
Looking at Novell, it’s in bad shape, financially speaking at the very least. Its last quarterly report was exceptionally poor and the only good news was that the CEO received a massive bonus. Ron Hovsepian has actually just spoken to NECN, but it’s a video. Here is the summary (one among at least two).
Every week on CEO Corner we go one on one with New England’s top CEO’s to learn the secrets to their success. This week Maryanne Kane is joined by Ron Hovsepian, CEO of Novell.
In this segment, Hovsepian talks about why the company chose to move from Utah to Massachusetts. Hovsepian talks about his priorities as the company moves forward during the recession. He’s expecting many exciting inventions down the road.
Here is another advertised analysis of Novell (NOVL) and here is the preparation for Novell’s next report, which should not be terribly impressive. Novell has not struck a single major SUSE contract since its last report back in January.
Unless Novell can pull some major deal, it won’t be pleasant. But Novell is probably preparing its report already, so it’s inevitably grim. Those layoffs which Novell’s CFO recently hinted at might just come into effect, just like those over at Novell's partner. Novell’s expenses massively outweigh the revenue, i.e. it still operates at a significant loss without foreseeable prospects of reversal. █
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04.29.09
Posted in Dell, GNU/Linux, HP, Microsoft, Patents, Red Hat, SLES/SLED at 5:02 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Illusion of choice
Summary: Hewlett-Packard supports and offers only the Microsoft-taxed version of GNU/Linux to prospective users
H-P is repeating its older mistakes. For a little bit of background (as this has become repetitive) see:
It’s a little similar when it comes to Dell, albeit nowhere as severe. H-P is still playing for Microsoft and now it gives an illusion of choice, whereby Microsoft gets paid no matter what operating system the buyer chooses.
Reuters was probably first with this report which soon circulated.
The ProBook offers users a number of new features, including an optional Linux-based operating system pre-installed — Novell Inc’s SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 — for those seeking an alternative to the dominant Microsoft Corp Windows platform.
This was also covered in some other sites which neglect to mention the fact that SLE* 11 is a Microsoft-taxed distribution, which is obviously filled with Mono and other Microsoft-like software.
According to InfromationWeek, this is unprecedented for the following reason:
The laptops are available with Windows Vista, which can be downgraded to Windows XP. In addition, buyers can choose Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 as an alternative to the Microsoft platform. It’s the first time HP has offered preinstalled Linux on a mainstream business laptop.
OStatic claims:
Notably, HP is offering SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 as an operating system choice on the ProBooks, in addition to Windows Vista and XP. HP’s arch-rival Dell is also continuing to ship portable computers with Linux installed, and is seeing many users satisfied with Linux. Can Linux remain a fixture on portable systems?
But this is not “Linux”, it’s Ballnux. It’s what Microsoft wants GNU/Linux systems to become — just another cash cow for Microsoft. Even if one erases and replaces SUSE, the Microsoft tax still exists; and moreover, support from H-P is probably then voided.
“Novell takes the role Microsoft requires and segregates the crowd (“legal” versus “illegal”).”To Microsoft, SLE* is to be used where Windows has already lost for sure (e.g. mission-critical Red Hat servers or GNU/Linux desktop loyalists), so they try to shove SUSE in these niches. Then, they indoctrinate the public, call vendors like Red Hat “patent pirates”, and try to fill that area with ‘IP’-riddled SUSE.
If there is anything to be learned from the copyright cartel, it is that their common strategy (e.g. more recently against a book reselling Web site) goes like this: they first call it something evil, then they attack, and they also offer a so-called ‘legal’ remedy (like SUSE in this case, offering “peace of mind”).
Microsoft is essentially trying to change the rules of the market it competes in. It’s basically Microsoft spin to the extreme. Rather than describe its practices as inherently anti-competitive it daemonises GNU/Linux, describing it as some kind of a “criminal”/”thief” and then attacks it. Novell takes the role Microsoft requires and segregates the crowd (“legal” versus “illegal”).
One of our regulars who agrees said that he “meant to focus in on that particular point. The idea that Novell — who relies on the Microsoft vouchers entirely — to remain profitable is going to act in any way that Microsoft does not want is ludicrous.”
We did some rough calculations to arrive at an estimate that Microsoft paid Novell’s wages for half a year about 8 months ago. That’s how dependent Novell has become. █
“Our partnership with Microsoft continues to expand.”
–Ron Hovsepian, Novell CEO
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04.10.09
Posted in Deception, Dell, Finance, Microsoft, Vista, Vista 7, Windows at 8:32 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Ziff Davis, a supposedly objective publisher, is publicly promoting Microsoft products for the company’s dollars
IT IS NEITHER secret nor news that Ziff Davis is in Microsoft’s pocket. We wrote about this a month ago. There are many more examples we could give (e.g. its publication eWeek [1, 2, 3]), but here is a brand new example that a reader sent to us.
See that last line. This is sent as a newsletter to many people and the take-home message is that Windows Vista is a must for security, even though it's provably terrible for security.
This is yet another case where Microsoft buys Vista coverage and it's already doing the same for Vista 7 █
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03.07.09
Posted in Dell, GNU/Linux, Xandros at 11:49 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
XANDROS WAS virtually non-existent in the press until a couple of weeks ago when few announcements were made, such as this new press release. There is a flurry of articles which cover Xandros’ participation in the market with its Microsoft-taxed distribution (Ballnux). Here are some articles that we found:
Read the rest of this entry »
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02.14.09
Posted in Dell, GNU/Linux, Novell, Patents, SLES/SLED, Vista, Windows at 9:04 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
DELL has mostly supported Ubuntu and SLE* since it opened up to more choices. There are reasons for doubt, however, given the company’s involvement in a software patent alliance that jeopardises Linux and there are pricing oddities too.
Last week we wrote about the company's choice of SLE* for thin clients, which would not be acceptable by those who oppose Microsoft's racketeering. But Dell is taking this affair further. Many Linux aficionados have probably heard about the ARM+x86 computer from Dell. For those who haven’t:
Analysis: Dell has dragged the Linux-ARM Trojan horse inside the Wintel PC
[...]
The idea of adding smartphone capability to the conventional notebook PC may seem like a bit of a gimmick at first sight. But the idea of doing email and other basic operations while increasing battery life by a factor of ten compared with the same operations on an Intel processor certainly appeals.
It’s being claimed that reviews of this unit have been largely negative (not yet verified independently), but regardless, the more major issue is that, according to SJVN, this unit uses SLED, which is encumbered by Microsoft patent tax that Novell happily pays for nothing of substance.
Yes, it is that, but, it’s also a Linux desktop, based on Novell’s SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) 10. This runs on system-on-a-chip subsystem that comes with its own ARM processor and flash memory that runs without needing to call on the E4200’s 1.4GHz Intel Core2 Duo ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) or the E4300’s 2.26/2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SP9300 CPUs or the system’s drives and memory.
[...]
While Novell and Dell partnered to build the desktop level, the underpinnings are also based on Linux. MontaVista, the embedded Linux company, used its Mobile 5 embedded Linux operating system on a Texas Instruments’ OMAP3 mini-board with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor to power Latitude ON.
New and related to this:
VMware, Dell, and Microsoft are the most recent converts to the whimsical world of Linux and open source. In fact, Microsoft is totally committed to its deal with Novell and support of the SUSE Linux lineup.
“Interesting [that] Novell developed the desktop [but] not the low level stuff,” says one readers who adds that it’s “interesting they didn’t ask Canonical.”
Is there an answer to this which eliminates the need for speculation?
“[This] could be for Microsoft software integration… Novell has the exclusive,” believes the reader who argues that this “could allow Novell to leverage their license to do Microsoft stuff to get some extra work. So Dell makes a step out of Microsoft slavery, but they still have to stay under Novell. Furthermore, Linux will be the booting process of Windows [...] works like that: computer starts and boots Linux in ARM, in the mean time windows 7 loads its libraries and viruses.” █
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