Keeping Your Enemies Close

[Jessterw]

It's an odd pairing of long-time competitors, but especially more so now...

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116249026689311557-helTbrheLKgbaJ5iO5z40ZFCiOs_20061109.html?mod=blogs

Microsoft Corp. reached a rapprochement with a major seller of the Linux operating system, a deal that makes a kind of peace between two warring camps in the software industry.

The deal with Novell Inc. is designed to make it easier for customers to use both Linux and Microsoft's Windows software. It puts new pressure on Red Hat Inc., a Linux seller whose shares were recently roiled when Oracle Corp. announced plans to offer its own technical support for Red Hat's products.

Microsoft said it will offer sales support for Suse Linux, Novell's version of the operating system, and collaborate on technology with Novell. In addition, Microsoft agreed not to file patent infringement charges against users of Suse Linux, and Novell agreed not to sue users of Windows. Businesses that use Linux have long worried Microsoft would one day file patent-infringement suits that would hinder use of the rival software

[Elie]

All we need now is a new Windows OS based on Linux kernel

[Jessterw]

Well MS had a Unix-based one once upon a time, and it's highly likely MS has looked at a *nix base as a possible route if things went too awry with Windows. A little more drastic a change, but not much different than Apple maintaining a x86 version of OS X for since its inception.

MS may be clumsy, but its certainly not stupid.

[High_Jumbllama]

Hmmm. COuld SCO become dumb enough to try and sue Microsoft? One can only hope they'd be dumb enough.

[Jessterw]

Doubt they could, as I'm pretty sure that MS made deals with SCO to avoid any such action. However, if they could and did, then they'd take even more of a beating than they have been with IBM and Novell.