[Wolves] Soooooooo off-topic

[chris procter]

> Seeing as how they will both end up on the same
> hardware, doesn't this
> make it much easier for them to come up with a way
> to stop dual booting
> with Linux systems, thus killing it off leaving
> people with a choice of
> two proprietary systems or do without?
> 
> I keep hearing rumours to this effect.
> 
> regards
> 
> David

Do you mean lock linux out of Apple hardware or all
x86?

As some one who runs Linux on a system that neither MS
or the new intel-Apple (its a ppc powerbook) I can
catagorically say that any attempt to lock linux out
of either wouldn't kill linux off.

I can just imagine IBM and Sun wetting themselves with
excitment as they ramp up production of their desktops
and servers lines to sell to the linux refugees driven
away from x86. Maybe HP could even be persuaded to
restart Alpha production.

Apple are a hardware company if you want to buy their
stuff to run Linux why would they care? Plus linux
development gives them both huge amounts of software
(OSX uses gcc for a start), and a usefull distraction
for MS to focus on while Apple attempts to nibble on 
their market share.

So yeah they could do it, but it would be a huge
mistake. And thats before you get to the legal
implications of two companies conspiring to destroy
their rivals.


chris


		
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