Re: IBM to buy Sun Micro

[Rjack]

Doctor Smith wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:32:42 -0400, amicus_curious wrote:
>
>> "Doctor Smith" <iaintgotnostinkinemail@ols.net> wrote in message 
news:3ej8d9trwfa7.syh9j3y8e4fk$.dlg@40tude.net...
>>> Redhat hasn't been able to crack the Linux desktop and in fact 
announced at one point that they gave up on it.
>>>
>>> If anyone can do that, IBM can and that is where the difference 
is going to be.
>> Neither IBM nor Sun has shown much interest in the Linux 
desktop.  IBM has essentially abandoned the desktop altogether and 
Sun never even entered it. Why would the combination even try?
>
> Actually IBM has a huge interest in competing with Microsoft 
Windows for the desktop. They just have not been able to accomplish 
it and the reasons are many but a stodgy management style, lack of 
vision and so forth are big ones. Sun on the other
>  hand is much more of a maverick style company and they too have 
been interested in Linux but lacked some of what IBM has in terms
> of power and structure. I know it sounds contradictory, but it's
> the combination of the two companies that has an excellent chance
> of developing a killer version of commercial Linux.
>
> Also both IBM and Sun offer top tier *nix environments that are 
tied to proprietary hardware. Sun is losing a fortune on this and
>  IBM while selling P-Series boxes as fast as they can build them 
is reaching a point where the interection of Aix and Linux is 
starting to overlap to some degree. A desktop Linux at the 
commercial level would be a huge boost to IBM. IOW the OS/2 that 
never was.

Back in 2003 when the SCO v. IBM dustup began, GPL lovers fell in
love with IBM as their new hero and protector. In the blog wars
(especially Groklaw), I warned GNUtians that IBM would eat their own
young if it was convenient. IBM was the World's pioneer computer
monopolist first prosecuted by the government. Micro$oft simply
studied and improved IBM's monopolistic methods.

As pointed out above, Linux is losing its usefulness against
Micro$oft. It was only a matter of time before IBM would move
towards gaining control of the *nix market. Big commercial users
would abandon (in a heartbeat) Red Hat or Novell Linux for a
low-cost or free AIX OS backed by IBM's reputation for support. With
IBM's one zillion patents in AIX the *very* lucrative support
services could be channeled almost exclusively to IBM. Micro$oft
absolutely *will not* threaten IBM customers with patents. Don't
forget that IBM was writing (and patenting) operating systems
for years before Linux arrived. IBM realized that the big money was
in support services and not OS licenses per se. They obviously want
Red Hat and Novell's services market. My money says IBM will get
that services market. It has never been Micro$oft v. Linux. It
has always been IBM v. Micro$oft. "Free software" was simply an
ignorant but useful tool for IBM. The capitalist motive *always*
wins in the long run.

Sincerely,
Rjaqck :)