MS Office for Linux?

[mark at buttery.org (Mark J. Dulcey)]

On Mon, 3 Apr 2000, Gordon, Seth wrote:

> > I can't belive the government can force a software company to 
> > deliver a product to a "random" platform.
> 
> I have trouble believing it, as well ... I'm not a lawyer, but this kind of
> remedy just doesn't pass my smell test.

I suspect that the point is more to prove that the application and OS
portions of MS are really operating independently. If they were, MS would
already be working on a Linux version of Office; it's a significant market
(perhaps bigger than Mac already, and certain to be bigger in the future).
And if they did a Linux version, they could also trivially port it to
other Unix versions; adding the Solaris market, in particular, would be
worthwhile for them.

Microsoft hasn't done these version, in part, because they don't want
those other operating systems to succeed; they have a vested interest in a
competitor. They wanted to drop Office for Macintosh at one point, but
were persuaded not to by a combination of public opinion pressure and a
bribe from Apple - if it weren't for that, Office would surely be
Windows-only by now.


-- 
Mark J. Dulcey               mark at buttery.org
Visit my house's home page:  http://www.buttery.org/
Visit my home page:          http://www.buttery.org/markpoly/

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