Microsoft Withdraws Offer for Yahoo

Posted this comment on the New York Times 26 minutes after news broke that Microsoft was withdrawing its bid for Yahoo, Inc.

#21.May 3rd,2008
9:40 pm

It seemed an attractive aquisition until they, at Microsoft, realised they were purchasing a company that represents what they compete with, namely Open Source initiatives that demonstrate a business dependence on Windows is naught but smoke and mirrors?

When did this deal ever make sense?

— Posted by Nicholas Alexander

Reader reaction is immediate and they range from cheers for Steve Ballmer to scowls at Jerry Yang for refusing a good offer, which was 5 billion up on the opener. Maybe the biggest bluff in history, trying to get MS to bid another 5 billion. But it does appear that Steve Balmer has withdrawn even from a hostile takeover if Yahoo would respond by outsourcing to Google.

I perceive the problem was more that if Microsoft absorbed the Yahoo workforce, it would saddle them with a software culture divide that would be difficult to heal. Dot.net and Javascript already compete, if you see what I mean.

Why obsess over how old hardware runs new OSes? | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

Why obsess over how old hardware runs new OSes? | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

I would add to this list:

Why partition a disk drive for multiple OSs when it is just as easy to boot from different disk drives with no risk of file schema corruption with possible serious consequences.

The same is true of "invisible" disks being present which are not addressed by an alternative boot operating system.

Anything Windows can do well, the Apple rendition of Linux does far better. Anything Windows can do, with a few exceptions, Linux can do better. Except Microsoft specific software, of course.

But Apple releasing the best of their application suite for free on Linux? Now that is a thought. What is so propriety apart from Mac's equivalent of Gnome - OS X. Can I run it on Linux? I heard this week that I can. In the same way that Mac can immitate Windows (shudder the thought), Windows can imitate a Mac. Emulation software has been around for a while. But OS X - possibly a few propriety Apple graphics or something probably does run under Linux.

Lets go look.

Windows 7 to get more touchy-feely | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News.com

Windows 7 to get more touchy-feely | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET News.com

A Microsoft insider posts about "Windows 7" late last year and now, 1/6 of the way through this year, we hear Microsoft has reduced the price of Vista - their "most successful rollout" ever.

All this while Linux has been quietly taking over the world. Ubuntu here, Red Hat there. Check out the new OS-X. All now working better and better with more capabilities.

But the elephant still seems to set the pace of public acceptance.

Windows Vista

I keep reading of those who find Vista to be less than they expected. I would be interested in reading comment from those who think Windows Vista is better than XP and why. The reason that I ask is that I can not accept that 5 years of Microsoft-time is going to produce something that is less than it was. My guess is that 64 bit applications will redefine the space an application can use allowing for a new kind of application that lives more in memory than on devices - but this is a structural change and probably more of a catchup by Windows with Linux than the other way around. 64bit versions of Linux have been around for years, but there are are only so many that can afford enough memory to address such vast amounts but what it can do for server applications is something else.

When 64bit games appear and the Vista versions start to hum, I suspect it will give the X-Box a run for its money.

Timeline of Web Browsers

Timeline of Web Browsers

This railtrack (as opposed to a roadmap) of web browser development is subtle proof that user catchup with latest versions means that update inertia affected Windows/IE users still using IE6 are using technology developed in 2001, when tardy updaters of Firefox, Safari and Konquerer (most common browsers on the Linux platform) may be using 2004 or 2005 versions.

Our advice is to keep your Windows and IE browsers up to date! IE6 is more exploitable than you think. I shudder to think of people doing their online banking using IE6, or other browsers that have published exploits for them.

IE7 is more standards compliant than any other Microsoft browser. Its document model is more like the W3C planned it to be.

Browser conformance may bring about a saner, safer web. It also allows programmers to be more creative.