Microsoft worried over Linux ULPCs - bit-tech.net Forums

CardJoe · 12th May 2008, 14:02

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05...-linux-ulpcs/1

Microsoft is moving to stop the growth of the Linux OS in the ULPC market with cut-price XP Home offered to manufacturers of devices like the Eee PC.

Shielder · 12th May 2008, 14:11

Why is anyone surprised by this? Every time a competing technology appears, MS try to either a) buy it, b) kill it with litigation or c) embrace the technology, extend the technology with their own proprietary extensions and then quickly drop support from all future MS products...

Andy

banshee256 · 12th May 2008, 14:16

I've always had a beef with Linux on two fronts: Audio/Video Codecs' and games. The primary function of my PC at the moment is to entertain me. That means watching videos, listening to music and playing games. Now, even on Ubuntu that's not an easy feat. I hate the media players in Linux, especially VLC and only very few games play natively in Linux. Acutally, I can only think of 2 games right now: Unreal Tournament and Neverwinter Nights. That's not a lot.

But having Linux on a laptop, or a file-storage server for that matter, would be jolly good. Mostly because it's free and secondly because there are millions of guides to help you install and configure it for just those situations. Brilliant. So yes, I'll take the (cheaper) Linux laptop and let XP rot in a dungeon full of spikes and maggots.

steveo_mcg · 12th May 2008, 14:20

Its been a while since i had any problems with players or codecs but then thats what mplayer is for.

Can't say i'm surprised at ms its exactly the same rubbish they do to any tech control or kill. Admittedly much like any other large company its just that ms position is much stronger than most.

Glider · 12th May 2008, 14:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Now, even on Ubuntu that's not an easy feat. I hate the media players in Linux, especially VLC

Well, there are thousands of media players around, XMMS is Winamp alike... If you like the top of the cream, go AmaroK, and be amazed...

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

... and only very few games play natively in Linux. Acutally, I can only think of 2 games right now: Unreal Tournament and Neverwinter Nights. That's not a lot.

And Quake... and a lot more if you look into it. But then again, don't blame the Linux community for it, blame the game devs... Look at Introvision, great games with native support...

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

But having Linux on a laptop, or a file-storage server for that matter, would be jolly good. Mostly because it's free and secondly because there are millions of guides to help you install and configure it for just those situations. Brilliant. So yes, I'll take the (cheaper) Linux laptop and let XP rot in a dungeon full of spikes and maggots.

Not only is it good, it's even better, faster,...

Naberius · 12th May 2008, 14:28

Is it me or is Microsoft limiting these laptops in two ways, firstly by actual hardware limitations, and then by the fact that XP is not going to run as smooth as the linux distributions they are currently using.

banshee256 · 12th May 2008, 14:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

Well, there are thousands of media players around, XMMS is Winamp alike... If you like the top of the cream, go AmaroK, and be amazed...

True, but, back when I fooled around with Linux, VLC was the only player, that would play any and all of my videos. From AVI to WMV and further on to RealMedia-thingies and with everything else in between.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

And Quake... and a lot more if you look into it. But then again, don't blame the Linux community for it, blame the game devs... Look at Introvision, great games with native support...

Again, true... The developers won't make games for Linux, until a sizable portion of the market uses Linux, but they won't change their OS until more games show up for it. The question is who has the brass to make the first move.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

Not only is it good, it's even better, faster,...

Agreed, when it runs, it's better and can be made 100% compatible with your Windows machines. And I have a Dual Xeon 2 GHz machine waiting to be converted into a glorified external harddrive...

Glider · 12th May 2008, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Again, true... The developers won't make games for Linux, until a sizable portion of the market uses Linux, but they won't change their OS until more games show up for it. The question is who has the brass to make the first move.

Well, if you look at FUN games instead of *my-FPS-has-a-framrate-of-a-gazillion-but-all-I-have-to-do-all-day-is-run-and-shoot* (wow, that was actually hard to type) then Linux has his share of games too... And even then, Cube2, Nequiz,... All great FPS's...

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Agreed, when it runs, it's better and can be made 100% compatible with your Windows machines. And I have a Dual Xeon 2 GHz machine waiting to be converted into a glorified external harddrive...

What? Better use an old P3 600MHz for a fileserver and use that server for something better...

Faulk_Wulf · 12th May 2008, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Again, true... The developers won't make games for Linux, until a sizable portion of the market uses Linux, but they won't change their OS until more games show up for it. The question is who has the brass to make the first move.

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2007/...nux_has_game/1

(Not trying to be an ass.

)

In all fairness to Microsoft. This is just business. They did it in a dumb way by putting in the hardware restrictions and thus alienating alot of potential buyers. (And the fact that it has to be XP kind of proves how bloated Vista is. Ubuntu has as much flash and more function then Vista as far as I can tell, and it runs on these machines.) But despite this gimped attempt it is still just business. They saw a market, they went for that market.

Jordan Wise · 12th May 2008, 14:50

wow, theres some serious multi-quoting going on in here. I too would like it if linux had devs supporting it, but that'll take ages. In the mean time i might try and get a decent n64 emulator for my Eee

banshee256 · 12th May 2008, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

Well, if you look at FUN games instead of *my-FPS-has-a-framrate-of-a-gazillion-but-all-I-have-to-do-all-day-is-run-and-shoot* (wow, that was actually hard to type) then Linux has his share of games too... And even then, Cube2, Nequiz,... All great FPS's...

Heh, my computer can barely manage 30 fps, no matter what game a play, so that's not really an issue. What is an issue though, is that there are more games available for Windows, than for Linux.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

What? Better use an old P3 600MHz for a fileserver and use that server for something better...

Well, I have a Dual Xeon lying around, but not a P3 600 Mhz. Overkill? Sure, but you use what you have at your disposal.

steveo_mcg · 12th May 2008, 14:59

Punt the Xeons kit and buy a P3, or i'll swap you for one

Glider · 12th May 2008, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Heh, my computer can barely manage 30 fps, no matter what game a play, so that's not really an issue. What is an issue though, is that there are more well known games available for Windows, than for Linux.

Fixed that one for you

There are plenty of OSS games around, but there isn't as much fuss about them...

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

Well, I have a Dual Xeon lying around, but not a P3 600 Mhz. Overkill? Sure, but you use what you have at your disposal.

I'll trade you, I have a spare P3 666MHz (you even get the 66MHz for free

) lying around

EDIT: Damn, beaten to it... 2nd dibs tough

banshee256 · 12th May 2008, 15:06

Well, thank you for the generous deals I'm being offered here, but I think I'll keep it for myself, thank you very much

PS: Point me in the direction of a decent Games for Linux review site and I'll see what I can do about throwing Vista in the same dungeon as XP.

Tomm · 12th May 2008, 15:09

MS is trying to bully their way out of this one with price cuts instead of actually creating a superior product. Linux seems like the best solution for these laptops but there's still room for a Windows version that does more, has more compatibility and is familiar to Windows users.

Glider · 12th May 2008, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by banshee256

PS: Point me in the direction of a decent Games for Linux review site and I'll see what I can do about throwing Vista in the same dungeon as XP.

Well, I'm not an avid gamer (most people don't consider a MUD to be a game), but *cough*

Cptn-Inafinus · 12th May 2008, 15:17

God, every-one is out in force today trying to undermine my confidence in them!

Nvidia, Microsoft. Who next?!

steveo_mcg · 12th May 2008, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cptn-Inafinus

God, every-one is out in force today trying to undermine my confidence in them!

Nvidia, Microsoft. Who next?!

You had confidence in either of them to start with? You must be new here

DXR_13KE · 12th May 2008, 15:32

banshee256, have you seen http://www.transgaming.com/ ?

Glider, that P3 looks like its from hell!

and as for linux on an ultra portable.... HELL YEAH!!!

Glider · 12th May 2008, 16:04

That P3 is perfect, low power, yet more then powerfull enough. All the filesharing and media playing I throw at it don't even get the CPU to go above 50%

12th May 2008, 14:02	#1
CardJoe Player Character bit-tech Staff Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 7,940	Microsoft worried over Linux ULPCs http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/05...-linux-ulpcs/1 Microsoft is moving to stop the growth of the Linux OS in the ULPC market with cut-price XP Home offered to manufacturers of devices like the Eee PC. __________________ this is joe's non-bit-tech blog

12th May 2008, 14:11	#2
Shielder Live long & prosper! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northwich, UK Posts: 515	Why is anyone surprised by this? Every time a competing technology appears, MS try to either a) buy it, b) kill it with litigation or c) embrace the technology, extend the technology with their own proprietary extensions and then quickly drop support from all future MS products... Andy __________________ New Rig: GA-X38-DS5, Q6600 (running at stock until I get everything installed), 8GB OCZ RAM (not sure on timings), Inno3D 8800 GTS 512, Noctua NH-U12P heat sink, Hiper Type M 580, 4 HDDs, 2 opticals, Saitek Eclipse II keyboard, Sharkoon Rush gaming mouse, Samsung 2220WM monitor, running XP SP2 (32-bit), Vista HP (x64) and Fedora 9 Beta (x86-64).

12th May 2008, 14:20	#4
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,975	Its been a while since i had any problems with players or codecs but then thats what mplayer is for. Can't say i'm surprised at ms its exactly the same rubbish they do to any tech control or kill. Admittedly much like any other large company its just that ms position is much stronger than most. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

12th May 2008, 14:50	#10
Jordan Wise Baby called to see the boss... Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Newcastle Uni Posts: 597	wow, theres some serious multi-quoting going on in here. I too would like it if linux had devs supporting it, but that'll take ages. In the mean time i might try and get a decent n64 emulator for my Eee __________________ Favourite Max Payne quote: "He was trying to buy sand for his hour glass, and I wasn't selling any" Steam ID:jordanwise

12th May 2008, 14:59	#12
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,975	Punt the Xeons kit and buy a P3, or i'll swap you for one __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

12th May 2008, 14:16	#3
banshee256 Minimodder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 34	I've always had a beef with Linux on two fronts: Audio/Video Codecs' and games. The primary function of my PC at the moment is to entertain me. That means watching videos, listening to music and playing games. Now, even on Ubuntu that's not an easy feat. I hate the media players in Linux, especially VLC and only very few games play natively in Linux. Acutally, I can only think of 2 games right now: Unreal Tournament and Neverwinter Nights. That's not a lot. But having Linux on a laptop, or a file-storage server for that matter, would be jolly good. Mostly because it's free and secondly because there are millions of guides to help you install and configure it for just those situations. Brilliant. So yes, I'll take the (cheaper) Linux laptop and let XP rot in a dungeon full of spikes and maggots.

12th May 2008, 14:28	#6
Naberius Multimodder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Posts: 193	Is it me or is Microsoft limiting these laptops in two ways, firstly by actual hardware limitations, and then by the fact that XP is not going to run as smooth as the linux distributions they are currently using.

12th May 2008, 15:06	#14
banshee256 Minimodder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 34	Well, thank you for the generous deals I'm being offered here, but I think I'll keep it for myself, thank you very much PS: Point me in the direction of a decent Games for Linux review site and I'll see what I can do about throwing Vista in the same dungeon as XP. __________________ Future Dell Inspiron 531 DT owner

12th May 2008, 15:09	#15
Tomm I also ride trials :¬) Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Fallowfield, Manchester Posts: 2,233	MS is trying to bully their way out of this one with price cuts instead of actually creating a superior product. Linux seems like the best solution for these laptops but there's still room for a Windows version that does more, has more compatibility and is familiar to Windows users. __________________ Carrot cake cheesecake Shuttle SN85G4V2 \| A64 3200+ / Apple PowerBook 12

12th May 2008, 15:17	#17
Cptn-Inafinus Peanut Extrordinare! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Crieff, Scotland Posts: 395	God, every-one is out in force today trying to undermine my confidence in them! Nvidia, Microsoft. Who next?! __________________ My Photography A few more of those

12th May 2008, 15:32	#19
DXR_13KE Madeira's banana is the best!!! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Madeira ; Portugal Posts: 6,461	banshee256, have you seen http://www.transgaming.com/ ? Glider, that P3 looks like its from hell! and as for linux on an ultra portable.... HELL YEAH!!! __________________ *Renegade X - 0.40 Release!* <---- CLICK!

12th May 2008, 16:04	#20
Glider /dev/null Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 4,102	That P3 is perfect, low power, yet more then powerfull enough. All the filesharing and media playing I throw at it don't even get the CPU to go above 50% __________________ There Are 10 Types Of People, Those Who Know Binary and Those Who Don't